Cutover Manager

Company Description

For over 29 years,
Version 1 has partnered with leading global brands to deliver digital, cloud, and enterprise application solutions that drive business success. We are proud to be recognised as:

• Oracle Innovation Partner of the Year 2023 (EMEA)
• Microsoft Global Partner of the Year (Modernising Applications)
• AWS Collaboration Partner of the Year (EMEA)
• One of the Best Workplaces for Women in the UK & Ireland (2023)

With 3,700+ people and revenues exceeding €347m/£302m
, Version 1 is a market leader in Oracle, Microsoft, and AWS consulting services – and one of the fastest-growing digital consultancies in Europe.

You must be eligible for CTC Clearance (UK residency required for the past 3 years)

Go-live doesn’t happen by accident — it happens because exceptional Cutover Managers plan, coordinate, and execute with precision.

We’re looking for an experienced Cutover Manager to take ownership of one of the most critical phases of a large-scale IT transformation. This is a high-profile role at the heart of programme delivery, where your expertise will directly determine the success of go-live and business readiness.

If you thrive in complex environments, enjoy bringing order to moving parts, and are trusted to lead under pressure, this is the role where your impact will be felt immediately.

As Cutover Manager, you will be fully accountable for the transition from legacy systems to a new enterprise platform. You’ll work across technology and business teams to ensure every activity, dependency, and risk is understood, planned, rehearsed, and executed flawlessly — with minimal disruption to the business.

This role offers visibility, influence, and the chance to play a defining role in a major transformation programme.

You will:

• Create and maintain a robust, end-to-end cutover plan covering scope, timelines, dependencies, and resources.
• Define clear cutover objectives, success criteria, and go/no-go decision points aligned to the wider programme plan.

You will:

• Orchestrate cutover activities across multiple work streams, including technical, business, data migration, and infrastructure.
• Drive readiness assessments, manage entry and exit criteria, and ensure teams are fully prepared for go-live.
• Keep stakeholders aligned, informed, and confident at every stage.

You will:

• Proactively identify risks, issues, and dependencies that could impact cutover success.
• Develop and execute mitigation strategies, escalating where required.
• Maintain clear, structured risk and issue tracking.

You will:

• Act as the single point of contact for all cutover-related communications.
• Provide clear, concise updates to senior stakeholders and governance forums.
• Build trust and confidence across business and technology leadership.

You will:

• Plan and lead mock cutovers and dress rehearsals to validate readiness.
• Ensure data integrity, system stability, and functional readiness post-cutover.
• Drive rapid resolution of issues uncovered during rehearsals.

You will:

• Lead final cutover execution and early life support activities.
• Coordinate hypercare and ensure a smooth transition to operational support teams.
• Deliver post-cutover validation and formal handover.

You will have:

• Proven experience as a Cutover Manager (or similar role) on large-scale IT or ERP programmes.
• Strong understanding of ERP platforms such as SAP or Oracle
  , plus infrastructure and data migration.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex cutovers involving multiple stakeholders and work streams.
• Excellent planning, coordination, and risk management skills.
• Confident communicator with strong leadership presence, able to operate at senior stakeholder level.

You will have:

• Experience with in major transformation programmes (ERP, Cloud, enterprise modernisation).
• Knowledge of ITIL and service transition principles.
• Project management certification (PMP, PRINCE2, or equivalent).