Cutover Manager

Linkfields Innovations is recruiting a Cutover Manager to plan and execute transition activities on a multi-phase Telco transformation programme.

The role owns cutover strategy, runbook and execution across all three phases. Cutover is the point at which schedule risk on the programme becomes customer impact, so the role requires someone who has run high volume subscriber transitions before and who will hold a Go
-No go decision under pressure.

• Own the cutover strategy and runbook across various Phases of the program i.e. prepaid, postpaid, SMB and fixed line network
• Define the cutover approach across system transition, data transition and business process transition
• Build detailed cutover timelines with critical path, dependency mapping and defined rollback points
• Establish cutover governance, including go and no-go criteria, decision authority and escalation routes
• Run cutover rehearsals and dress rehearsals, and drive defect closure arising from them
• Lead cutover readiness reviews and secure formal sign off from the operator and the prime vendor
• Validate and reconcile migrated data at cutover, working with the data migration teams who own the migration itself
• Manage parallel run periods and system validation through transition
• Own cutover communications planning, stakeholder notification and cutover window coordination
• Direct the cutover team through execution windows, including out of hours and weekend execution
• Manage incidents arising during and immediately after cutover, and drive stabilisation
• Track cutover metrics against success criteria and produce post implementation review and lessons learned

• Cutover management:
  Minimum 10 years in delivery, including at least 3 years owning cutover on large scale programmes
• BSS domain:
  Extensive knowledge of telecommunications BSS, including billing cycles, charging, order management and the operational constraints these place on a cutover window
• Subscriber migration:
  Demonstrable experience cutting over a high-volume subscriber base with defined service impact tolerances
• Production incident management:
  Track record managing unforeseen failure during a live cutover window

• Relevant degree or diploma. PMP, PRINCE2 or equivalent certification is preferred.

• Cutover planning, critical path method and rollback design
• Risk management and contingency planning to a defined tolerance
• Command and control of a distributed team through an execution window
• Decision making under time pressure with incomplete information
• Clear escalation and stakeholder communication at executive level
• Runbook, procedure and knowledge transfer documentation

• Experience implementing a vendor BSS platform as a replacement for a legacy estate
• Multiple concurrent or back-to-back cutover phases on one programme
• Exposure to network operations centre environments and 24-hour support models
• Prior delivery experience within a South African telecommunications operator

Work model:
Five days per week on site. Core hours 09:00 to 17:00