Project Manager - Finance Systems in Gloucester

We are seeking an experienced Project Manager to lead the successful delivery of a major finance systems transformation programme. This role will be responsible for managing the end‑to‑end implementation of a suite of finance systems, working closely with finance stakeholders, business teams, and external software suppliers to ensure a smooth transition from project initiation through to post‑implementation support and project closure. The successful candidate will bring strong project management expertise, excellent stakeholder engagement skills, and experience delivering complex finance systems implementations, upgrades, or ERP projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Project Leadership & Delivery: Lead and coordinate the implementation of finance systems, ensuring delivery across all project phases including planning, data migration, testing, training, deployment, and post-go-live support. Develop, maintain, and manage detailed project plans, ensuring alignment between internal business activities and supplier delivery plans. Monitor project progress, dependencies, risks, and milestones, taking proactive action to ensure successful outcomes. Manage project implementation activities and coordinate resources to deliver agreed objectives within established timelines.
• Testing & Quality Assurance: Develop and manage comprehensive User Acceptance Testing (UAT) plans, coordinating participation across finance and wider business teams. Oversee the execution of UAT activities, ensuring testing is completed to agreed standards and within project timelines. Maintain accurate testing documentation and audit trails to support governance, compliance, and future reference. Coordinate issue management processes, tracking defects through to successful resolution.
• Training & Change Management: Plan and coordinate training programmes for finance and business users in partnership with software suppliers. Ensure users are equipped with the knowledge and resources required to successfully adopt new systems and processes. Support organisational change activities through effective communication, engagement, and stakeholder management.
• Governance & Documentation: Maintain comprehensive project documentation, ensuring records are accurate, current, and easily accessible. Produce project status reports, meeting minutes, action logs, risk registers, and implementation documentation. Ensure appropriate governance processes are followed throughout the project lifecycle. Manage post-implementation activities, including issue resolution, lessons learned, and formal project closure.

Essential Experience

• Proven experience managing finance systems, ERP, or business systems implementation projects.
• Demonstrated success delivering complex projects involving multiple stakeholders and third-party suppliers.
• Strong project planning, risk management, and issue resolution skills.
• Experience coordinating User Acceptance Testing (UAT), training programmes, and data migration activities.

Desirable Experience

• Experience working with finance functions and financial processes.
• Knowledge of project management methodologies such as PRINCE2, Agile, or equivalent.
• Experience of systems transformation, digital change, or ERP implementation programmes.