ERP Project Manager

Next Ventures is seeking an experienced ERP Project Manager specialising in Travel Management Systems (TMS) for a contract role with our client in Noida. (CONTRACT) Start Date: ASAP Location: Chennai, India Duration: 12 months + extensions Role Overview: We are seeking an exceptionally skilled and experienced Senior Project Manager to lead the strategic implementation and ongoing enhancement of our corporate Travel Management System (TMS). This critical role requires a proven track record in delivering complex, large-scale travel projects, a strong technical background, and expert knowledge in integrating travel policy into a seamless digital platform. The ideal candidate will be a strategic leader, an expert negotiator with suppliers, and deeply familiar with the enterprise technology landscape, particularly ERP systems. Required Experience & Qualifications: Experience: Minimum of 15 years of progressive experience in IT/Business Project Mgt. Certifications: At-least one of these certifications PMP / PRINCE2 / Agile / Scrum certification. Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Business Administration, or a related field. Reporting To: Solid line reporting Project Management Office, Functional reporting to Project Sponsors Location: Must be currently available in Noida or Chennai, India. Time Zone coverage: Should be able to cover India and Europe timezones. Linguistic proficiency in English Required Technical Expertise: Domain Expertise: Mandatory experience in leading and successfully delivering at least two end-to-end Travel system implementation/migration projects in a large-scale enterprise environment (5,000+ employees). Technical Integration: Proven, hands-on experience managing the integration of Travel related modules within a major ERP platform (e.g., configuring data flows, interfaces, and master data synchronization). System Design & Digitalization: Possess a fair idea of the end-to-end functionality of a corporate travel system. Utilize technical excellence to effectively translate complex, company-specific travel policies and compliance requirements into the digitalization of the platform. Functional understanding of the integration points between HR and Payroll modules in a major ERP system (e.g., Oracle HRMS). Ability to articulate data flow and process dependencies. Seamless Integration Management: Drive the crucial integration of the Travel management module within the ERP system, ensuring data integrity, process alignment, and data flow Leadership: Demonstrated experience leading and mentoring large, geographically dispersed project teams (internal, consulting, and vendor resources). Financial Acumen: Proven ability to manage large project budgets, forecast resource needs, and perform vendor management and contract negotiation. ERP & System Interfacing: Demonstrate a good understanding of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and possess the technical expertise to define and manage the required levels of interfacing and integration with other critical organizational systems Supplier & Vendor Management: Must have significant experience in strategic supplier engagement to customize and tailor in-house developed or external travel tools. This includes driving competitive enhancements to ensure the tool meets company-specific needs while remaining highly competitive with standard market offerings. Key Responsibilities: Project Leadership & Execution: Lead and manage the full project lifecycle for large-scale payroll system implementation and ERP integration projects, ensuring delivery on time, within budget, and to specified quality standards. Develop detailed project plans, scope definitions, resource allocations, risk management strategies, and communication plans. Manage multi-disciplinary project teams, including internal stakeholders (HR, Finance, IT) and external vendors/consultants. Stakeholder Management: Act as the primary point of contact for executive stakeholders, providing regular, transparent updates on project status, risks, and mitigation strategies. Manage change adoption across the organization, particularly for process shifts resulting from new system implementation. Facilitate workshops and requirement gathering sessions with business process owners. Risk & Quality Management: Proactively identify potential project risks and bottlenecks, developing effective contingency plans. Ensure rigorous testing protocols (UAT, parallel testing) are followed to guarantee data accuracy and system functionality post-integration. Agile Methodology: Strong proficiency in project management methodologies Agile/Scrum and project management tools. Communication: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical issues to a non-technical audience and present to senior leadership. Organizational Change Management (OCM): Develop and execute a robust OCM plan, including training, communication, and readiness activities, to ensure smooth adoption of the new systems and processes by end-users across the organization. If you are interested please submit your CV and we will reach out to discuss further.