Cutover Manager - SAP Implementations

We are seeking an experienced Cutover Manager to join our team at a leading foreign pharmaceutical company in Tokyo, Japan. The Cutover Manager will be responsible for planning, managing, and executing the cutover phase of system implementations, ensuring a seamless transition from legacy systems to the new solution. This role will work closely with project managers, business stakeholders, IT teams, and other key departments to ensure all cutover activities are completed on time, within scope, and with minimal disruption to ongoing operations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead end-to-end cutover planning and execution for major SAP and IT system implementations, ensuring a smooth transition with minimal business disruption.
• Own and maintain the comprehensive cutover plan, including detailed tasks, milestones, dependencies, timelines, and clear alignment with all impacted stakeholders across business and IT.
• Align and integrate business and IT cutover activities, including defining responsibilities, coordinating execution, and ensuring readiness across all teams.
• Drive business readiness and continuity planning, including market supply measures (e.g., pipeline filling, stockpiling), as well as business ramp-down and ramp-up plans aligned with local senior management.
• Coordinate and lead cutover rehearsals to validate plans, identify risks, and ensure all stakeholders are fully prepared for execution.
• Oversee data migration and system readiness, ensuring integrity, completeness, accuracy, and that all configurations, testing, and validation activities are completed prior to go-live.
• Manage cutover execution globally, leading cutover calls and governance forums, tracking progress, and ensuring successful delivery of all planned activities.
• Act as escalation point for cutover issues, proactively managing risks, resolving problems, and ensuring timely mitigation actions.
• Facilitate communication and reporting, providing clear, structured updates and status reports to project teams, stakeholders, and the Deployment Management Team (DMT).
• Ensure user and business readiness, including completion of training and readiness activities prior to go-live.
• Lead go-live, hypercare, and stabilization phases, including hypercare execution meetings, ramp-up tracking, and ensuring smooth transition to steady-state operations.
• Support project management during cutover, ensuring alignment with overall program delivery and timelines.
• Develop and maintain cutover documentation, including checklists, runbooks, and reporting artifacts, in compliance with regulatory and industry standards (especially within the pharmaceutical sector).
• Lead and guide cutover team members, providing direction and support to ensure effective planning and execution.

Department: SAP Intelligence Enterprise
Function: Consulting
Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level