ERP Integration, Go-Live Simulation & Cutover Lead

BCI~IT
Alameda, CA

Do you thrive in a high-pressure environment - cutover weekends, 2 AM crisis calls, vendor conflicts? If yes, then BCI has the job for you!! We are seeking a hands-on Integration & Cutover Manager to lead the technical execution of a complex SAP S/4HANA implementation involving 15-20 system integrations (Workday, ADP, Concur, MuleSoft, IFS, Oanda, Dassian, SAC). This role is accountable for end-to-end integration testing, cutover simulation/dry runs, and flawless go-live execution. You will be the "single throat to choke" for integration coordination across 5+ vendor teams and internal IT/business stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

Integration Testing & Coordination (40%)

  • Design and document 25+ end-to-end integration test scenarios across Workday → Entra ID → SAP → ADP → IFS → Concur ecosystem
  • Build and maintain integration test execution dashboard (track pass/fail rates, defect aging, vendor accountability)
  • Coordinate daily integration testing sessions with vendor teams (Vantor SAP, Workday consultants, ADP, MuleSoft, Dassian)
  • Facilitate root cause analysis for integration failures, drive resolution with technical deep-dives (read logs, debug APIs, trace data flows)
  • Validate integration performance (latency, throughput, error rates) meets SLAs before cutover freeze
  • Own daily reconciliation reports (Workday employee count = Entra ID users = SAP users = ADP employees, variance <0.5%)

Cutover Runbook Development (25%)

  • Build comprehensive 120+ page hour-by-hour cutover playbook (Friday 6 PM → Monday 6 AM) with task owners, dependencies, rollback triggers
  • Facilitate 2+ full cutover dry runs (simulate entire go-live weekend in test environment, capture timing/issues, refine runbook)
  • Define objective Go/No-Go criteria (50 measurable gates: data migration accuracy, integration success rates, smoke test results)
  • Document rollback procedures with step-by-step instructions to revert to legacy systems within 4 hours if cutover fails
  • Create cutover communication templates (status update format, escalation protocols, decision logs)

Go-Live Execution & War Room Leadership (20%)

  • Lead 48-hour cutover war room (24/7 during go-live weekend), facilitating real-time triage and decision-making
  • Track runbook adherence in real-time (digital checklist updated hourly, flag schedule slips immediately)
  • Coordinate vendor resources (ensure Vantor, MuleSoft, Workday, ADP on-call, escalate to vendor leadership if response slow)
  • Provide executive status updates every 2 hours (Green/Yellow/Red, issues encountered, mitigation actions)
  • Facilitate Sunday 4 PM Go/No-Go decision with steering committee (present objective data, risk assessment, recommendation)
  • Execute rollback plan if needed (command-and-control leadership during crisis scenario)

Hypercare Support & Stabilization (10%)

  • Lead Week 1-2 post-go-live hypercare war room (daily 8 AM and 4 PM triage calls)
  • Monitor integration health dashboards (99.5%+ uptime target), escalate vendor support for P1/P2 incidents within SLA
  • Track and resolve post-cutover defects (prioritize P1 payroll-blocking issues, coordinate vendor fixes)
  • Facilitate first full payroll cycle validation (SAP → ADP → bank deposits, ensure zero missed paychecks)
  • Transition war room to steady-state support model by Week 3-4 (document lessons learned, update runbooks)

Vendor & Stakeholder Coordination (5%)

  • Mediate vendor conflicts when integration failures occur (prevent finger-pointing, drive collaborative problem-solving)
  • Facilitate weekly integration sync meetings (Vantor, MuleSoft, Workday, ADP, Dassian vendors + IT/business)
  • Escalate to vendor account executives if delivery quality poor or resources under-staffed
  • Communicate integration status to business stakeholders (HR, Finance, Procurement) in non-technical terms

Required Qualifications

Must-Have Experience:

  • 7+ years managing complex system integrations (5+ systems) in ERP implementations (SAP, Oracle, Workday, or similar)
  • 3+ hands-on cutover executions as cutover manager/lead (not just participant—you owned the runbook and war room)
  • Deep technical fluency: Read API logs, debug integration errors, understand middleware (MuleSoft, Dell Boomi, Workato), speak fluent REST/SOAP/RFC
  • Experience with HCM/Payroll integrations (Workday ↔ ADP or similar), understand criticality of payroll accuracy
  • Proven ability to lead under pressure (48-hour cutover war room, make real-time decisions, stay calm when things break)
  • Defense/aerospace or highly regulated industry experience (DCAA, SOX, ITAR compliance mindset)

Technical Skills:

  • Integration platforms: MuleSoft (preferred), Dell Boomi, Informatica, or Workato
  • Identity systems: Entra ID (Azure AD), Okta, Active Directory, SAML/OAuth 2.0
  • SAP: Understand RFC, iDoc, OData, BAPI (don't need to code ABAP, but must read technical specs)
  • APIs: REST, SOAP, JSON, XML—can test APIs using Postman, read Swagger docs
  • Databases: Write SQL queries for data validation/reconciliation
  • Project tools: MS Project, Smartsheet, Jira, Confluence, Excel (advanced: pivot tables, VLOOKUP)

Soft Skills:

  • Command presence: Can run a war room with 20 people, make decisions quickly, keep team focused
  • Vendor management: Hold vendors accountable without damaging relationships, escalate appropriately
  • Communication: Translate technical issues to executives ("integration latency" → "payroll at risk"), write clear status updates
  • Bias for action: Don't wait for perfect information—make pragmatic decisions with 80% data
  • Stress tolerance: Thrive in high-pressure environments (cutover weekends, 2 AM crisis calls, vendor conflicts)

Preferred Qualifications

  • SAP S/4HANA implementation experience (understand FI, CO, MM, HR modules, know how data flows)
  • Workday HCM implementation experience (understand Workday data model, EIB, Studio, API frameworks)
  • PMP or similar project management certification
  • Experience with SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) or similar BI/analytics platforms
  • Federal contractor experience (understand DCAA labor charging, ITAR data controls, SOX compliance)
  • Scripting/automation skills (Python, PowerShell for data validation, API testing automation)

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