Systems Development, Integration & Test Lead

Systems Development, Integration & Test Lead (SAS Implementation)

We are seeking an experienced Systems Development, Integration & Test Lead to deliver a key SAS product implementation. This role will own end-to-end delivery, ensuring the supplier meets agreed scope, quality, and timelines while fully addressing business needs. You will act as the bridge between business stakeholders, internal technical teams, and the SAS vendor to ensure successful integration, testing, and deployment.

• Lead the end-to-end implementation of a SAS solution, from design through to go-live.
• Ensure business requirements are clearly defined, prioritised, and delivered.
• Own the delivery plan, including milestones, risks, and dependencies.
• Act as the primary point of accountability for supplier performance, holding them to agreed commitments.
• Oversee system integration, ensuring seamless data flow across platforms.
• Define and drive the test strategy (including system integration testing (SIT), user acceptance testing (UAT), and performance testing, ensuring quality standards are met).
• Manage defects and ensure issues are resolved ahead of release.
• Provide clear reporting and governance, escalating risks and issues as needed.
• Engage functional subject matter experts to ensure their function needs are met, ensuring alignment and transparency throughout delivery.
• Migrate processes and data from one system to another.
• The candidate will be seen as the SME for this SAS solution going forwards.

• Proven experience delivering complex system implementations (ideally SAS or similar platforms).
• Strong background in systems integration and testing.
• Experience managing third‑party suppliers/vendors and holding them accountable.
• Solid understanding of system development lifecycle and testing methodologies.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Identifies and resolves technical, operational and organisational problems.

• Experience with SAS platforms (e.g., Planisware, Team centre).
• Knowledge of data integration, ETL, or analytics environments.
• Experience in automotive or equivalent industries.

• Strong sense of ownership and delivery focus.
• Confident challenging suppliers and stakeholders.
• Highly organised and detail‑oriented.
• Experience working, or willingness to work under pressure and to tight deadlines.
• Possess good communication skills, oral and written, enabling them to interact with a wide variety of team members at various levels of the company hierarchy & drive change across a matrixed organisation.
• Self‑motivated, with a willingness to learn.
• Stakeholder Management:
  Work with engineering, procurement, manufacturing and wider cross‑functional programme teams to ensure continuous improvement across all aspects of programmes delivery and methodology.