What Does An Implementation Lead Do?

WHAT DOES AN IMPLEMENTATION LEAD DO?

Published: Aug 12, 2025 - The Implementation Lead establishes best practices to optimize merchant onboarding, oversees project timelines, and ensures alignment while becoming an expert in Nacelle and eCommerce integrations. This role involves consulting on complex technology stacks, providing solutions that expedite build time and set merchants up for long-term success, and acting as a key escalation point to address challenges. The lead also collaborates with Engineering, Merchant Success, and Product teams to drive improvements, gather feedback, and enhance onboarding metrics such as NPS and CSAT.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Implementation Lead

1. Implementation Lead Tasks

Product Expertise: Deliver value to clients as a Govini product expert.
Customer Engagement: Partner with Mission Managers to address customers’ most pressing challenges and objectives by appropriately mapping capabilities and associated business benefits.
Training Development: Design and develop mission-specific onboarding, training, and materials based on customer requirements.
End-User Support: Execute end-user support and engagement.
Engagement Strategy: Proactively drive utilization of the product using targeted engagement strategies.
Problem Solving: Address and solve user needs through the use of Govini’s platform and creatively develop solutions to difficult user problems.
Requirements Gathering: Capture client feedback, surface user problems, and elicit user requirements.
Platform Evolution: Support the evolution of the Govini platform.
Customer Advocacy: Serve as a customer advocate in driving industry best practices.

2. Product Implementation Lead Details and Accountabilities

Product Implementation: Accept full accountability and ownership of CDR product implementation, design, and build-out.
Product Strategy: Establish a strong understanding of product strategy and roadmap in working with the product management lead.
Roadmap Contribution: Contribute to the roadmap from a technology-enabled capabilities standpoint.
Technology Leadership: Responsible for providing technology leadership to the engineering team.
Product Delivery: Ensure the product gets built based on defined specs and industry best practices in a timely fashion.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Responsible for working with marketing, pre-sales, and solution implementation leads.
Demo Setup: Set up labs, demos, and solicit feature and technology feedback.
Project Coordination: Work with Scrum masters, project managers, and engineering leads.
Sprint Management: Help articulate sprint scope in the context of the product roadmap and help move the ball forward in an agile, fast, and collaborative fashion.

3. Product Implementation Lead Overview

Technology SME: Act as a technology SME and educate internal and, in many cases, external users about product capabilities, best practices in technology, and software engineering management.
Modular Development: Responsible for ensuring the product is built in a modular, configurable, and service-focused way.
Product Oversight: Oversee design, engineering, testing, and product release.
Release Decision-Making: Provide technology leadership in terms of making a feature release decision.
Issue Resolution: Provide hands-on leadership to resolve post-release issues.
KPI Analysis: Responsible for collecting and helping analyze product KPIs.
Product Collaboration: Work very closely with the Product Management lead to achieve this goal.
Release Planning: Work with the Product Manager to plan future releases, new minimum viable products, and manage GA rollout of product features.

4. Implementation Lead Job Description

Implementation Methodology: Utilize CipherHealth's standard Implementation Methodology.
Lifecycle Management: Manage all phases of the implementation lifecycle, from sales turnover and kickoff to go-live launch and turnover to the Customer Success Management team.
Client Assessment: Meet with client to assess and help form project goals, scope, timeline, and deliverables.
Project Planning: Develop, manage, and routinely publish project plans and related materials with and for stakeholders utilizing CipherHealth standard templates.
Product Consultation: Provide consultative recommendations on product configuration and workflow based on client goals, scope, and expectations, steering the client towards CipherHealth Best Practices and core product capabilities.
Stakeholder Facilitation: Facilitate and lead interaction between internal and external project stakeholders with a bias towards expediting the time-to-value cycle and lowering project risk.
Configuration Assurance: Ensure configured product offerings match client specifications.
Product Communication: Understand and effectively communicate product features, functions, and benefits to the client, emphasizing CipherHealth Best Practices.
Requirement Escalation: Seek support appropriately when client requirements deviate from product capabilities.
Product Demonstration: Demo products to key stakeholders and end users at the client site.
End-User Training: Plan, develop, and conduct end-user training.
Client Transition: Comprehensively transition the client to the Product Support team for ongoing routine support following established processes.
Responsibility Ownership: Accountable for assigned domain of responsibility, even in the face of events outside of one's own control.

5. Implementation Lead Functions

LIMS Leadership: Provide leadership about the best utilization of Labware LIMS and associated systems in newly onboarded labs.
IT Asset Management: Maintain IT inventory and assets.
Desktop Support: Assist in Desktop/Laptop Support, including fault diagnosis.
Server Support: Support for Microsoft Windows Server.
OS Maintenance: Maintain Microsoft Operating Systems.
Account Creation: Creation of a new hire email account.
Mobile Support: Support for users’ mobile devices.
Internet Management: Manage the Internet delivery.
Networking Maintenance: Update and maintain the IP Networking Principles.
Printer Management: Manage the Network Printers, Scanners, and peripherals etc.
Software Maintenance: In charge of the Software patches and backups.
System Monitoring: Perform system infrastructure monitoring and maintain stability.
LIMS Support: Provide the LIMS support role.

6. Implementation Lead Accountabilities

Project Leadership: Manage, plan, monitor, and administer a large project independently.
Client Satisfaction: Ensure client/internal customer satisfaction.
Resource Coordination: Utilize and manage resources and coordinate effectively with stakeholders and colleagues.
Meeting Management: Setting up and running weekly client meetings.
Vendor Coordination: Coordinate internal resources and third-party vendors.
Cross-Department Communication: Communicate with Customer Success, Product Management, Development, and other relevant departments.
Client Support: Responsible for client support to achieve client and/or department objectives.
Business Analysis: Analysis and communication of the client's business and reporting requirements.
Data Evaluation: Work with Solovis Data Analysts to evaluate client data.
Portfolio Mapping: Model and map a client's portfolio so it can be entered in Solovis.
Project Compliance: Ensure the project plan obligations are met regarding specifications, quality, costs, timeframes, etc.
Technology Implementation: Manage implementations of technology and services utilizing established Project Management methodologies.
Matrix Management: Deliver project management responsibilities within a matrix environment.
Multi-Project Delivery: Deliver and complete simultaneous projects of varying complexity according to standards, meeting or exceeding expectations.
Complex Delivery: Manage projects for multi-faceted delivery.

7. Implementation Lead Job Summary

Website Setup: Establish websites in preparation for new customer or conversion-related activities.
Product Demonstration: Provide demonstrations of web application functionality to prospective customers.
Implementation Consulting: Consult with customers in all phases of the implementation process and may serve as the project/implementation lead on small- to medium-sized projects.
Product Guidance: Articulate web product capabilities and guide the customer in best practices for use of the web-based product solutions.
Customization Identification: Identify web product customizations and/or process changes to meet customer requirements.
Inquiry Resolution: Address customer inquiries and provide best practice guidelines for customizations.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work with other functional groups (e.g., development teams, applications analysis, technical support, etc.).
Functionality Delivery: Deliver existing functionality or new application enhancements for customers.
Project Oversight: Provide oversight to any assigned project resources, delegate work assignments, monitor progress, develop project schedules, define project deliverables, and produce status reports.
Project Planning: Develop and maintain applicable project plans and reporting to execute project tasks.
Expectation Management: Manage customer expectations and cultivate the customer relationship.
Milestone Management: Ensure the timely completion of project milestones.
Outcome Assurance: Ensure project outcomes are successfully meeting customer expectations during the implementation process.

8. Implementation Lead Responsibilities

Project Coordination: Maintain project plans, coordinating team assignments and tracking progress, tracking issues/risks and escalating, creating and resolving change requests.
Manufacturing Environment: Responsible for functioning well in a dynamic plant floor manufacturing environment while maintaining IT process disciplines.
Application Familiarization: Quickly come up to speed on the application so as to communicate effectively with plant and business resources, as well as team subject matter experts.
Requirements Gathering: Gather customer systems requirements and assess the impact on Plant Floor Systems for New Model Program implementation.
RFQ Preparation: Prepare Request for Quotes (RFQs) for hardware installation and third-party controls integration.
Work Assignment Management: Manage daily work assignments with controls engineers.
Hardware Coordination: Coordinate physical installation of hardware and equipment with third-party vendors or plant trades.
Plant Floor Work: Work for long hours on the plant floor, including climbing stairs/ladders to overhead mezzanines, etc., where equipment may be located.

9. Implementation Lead Details

System Implementation: Lead the implementation of complex systems and process deployment for the primary functional area.
Process Consistency: Ensure consistent implementation of system configuration and processes throughout the organization are reviewed and approved by process sponsors.
Optimization Leadership: Identify and lead complex optimization activities, partnering with subject matter experts and business leaders across many areas and promote process change in the organization.
Business Knowledge: Use deep knowledge of business and accounting principles and practices.
Strategic Planning: Define the strategic plans and improve processes.
ERP Deployment: Meet specific business functional area requirements during the deployment of new enterprise resource planning systems and enhancements.
Control Alignment: Ensure that implemented design and process changes are aligned with the internal control framework and the global process organization.
Global Synergy: Identify places where synergies can be aligned globally.
Project Planning: Develop the integrated project plan and ensure organizational readiness and commitment to ongoing enhancements, optimization, and realization activities.
Objective Definition: Define deployment objectives and scope, measure and monitor project progress.
Variance Management: Identify variances from the plan and make needed corrections for implementation, resolving issues independently.
Metrics Management: Implement, maintain, and communicate metrics.
Solution Stabilization: Track solution stabilization and value gained through optimization initiatives.
Thought Leadership: Provide expert thought leadership in the field and work with limited direction, using additional research and interpretation to identify issues or problems.
Team Direction: Provide direction to supporting team members and be a strategic contributor.

10. Implementation Lead Duties

System Deployment: Lead the implementation of system and process deployments to enable business capabilities.
Requirements Gathering: Gather and document business requirements, validate system configurations, and ensure processes meet the business needs.
Technical Collaboration: Partner with technical teams to ensure the design, build, and delivery of all in-scope business processes to enable business capabilities.
Change Execution: Support the execution of the change plan and promote process change in the organization with collaboration from the change, communication, and education team.
Progress Tracking: Provide regular progress measures to identify variances from the plan and take corrective actions for timely implementation.
Objective Definition: Define deployment objectives and scope utilizing knowledge of project management practices and procedures.
Business Results Delivery: Lead efforts in collaboration with the process implementation lead to delivering the desired business results.
Complex Issue Management: Independently handle complex issues with minimal supervision, while escalating only the most complex issues to appropriate staff.

11. Implementation Lead Roles and Responsibilities

Brand Development: Develop an overarching narrative and branding for the PCI that can be used for internal and external audiences.
Internal Communication: Develop internal tools/materials to communicate internal messaging about PCI.
External Communication: Develop a standard set of external tools/materials to communicate internal messaging about PCI.
Change Communication: Support change management communication.
Announcement Management: Lead the development and dissemination of project announcements.
Stakeholder Support: Provide support to the regional and project managers about the relations between PCI Service Plans and Urban and Away from populations.
Executive Reporting: Directly report to the Executive Director of Primary Care and e-Health and have a functional reporting line to the Chair of its corresponding Work Stream.
Work Plan Development: Develop a Work Stream Work Plan for approval by the Work Stream chair.
Work Plan Implementation: Implement Work Stream Work Plan.
Meeting Coordination: Coordinate and support regular Work Stream implementation meetings.
Documentation Delivery: Deliver and provide paperwork as may be reasonably required by the client from time to time to fulfill the purposes of this project.

12. Implementation Lead Duties and Roles

Professional Development: Provide regular professional development and coaching.
Partnership Management: Develop and maintain relationships with partners, employers, and the Earn and Learn ecosystem as a whole.
Model Development: Collaborate with the program team to develop replicable models.
Work Plan Management: Manage partner work plans. Coordinate on-site training and remote training.
Training Delivery: Deliver a portion of the on-site training (now primarily via the web, but also on-site).
Leadership Coordination: Coordinate with the Leadership Team, align presentations and materials.
Teaching Standards: Apply applicable local teaching standards and complementary instructional programs.
Program Refinement: Contribute to refining program elements and evaluation methods to improve organizational outcomes.
Results Communication: Communicate program results to leadership, funders, and other key stakeholders.
Regional Collaboration: Participate in regional working groups to enhance Earn and Learn's presence and impact.
Educational Partnerships: Develop and manage partnerships with district leaders, school administrators, and faculty/teachers.
Program Implementation: Ensure effective implementation of Earn and Learn.

13. Implementation Lead Responsibilities and Key Tasks

Onboarding Best Practices: Establish best practices that optimize the onboarding experience.
Platform Expertise: Become an expert on Nacelle and the eCommerce application and integration ecosystem.
Project Planning: Develop project timelines and responsibilities to increase visibility, alignment, and accountability.
Integration Consulting: Consult on a merchant's eCommerce technology stack, advise on best practices around complex integrations, and provide solutions.
Build Acceleration: Expedite build time while setting merchants up for long-term success.
Escalation Management: Act as an escalation point for new merchants.
Performance Consultation: Provide effective consultation based on merchant needs by identifying performance improvement opportunities.
Engineering Collaboration: Collaborate with Engineering teams.
Product Feedback: Ensure product feedback from merchants is shared and incorporated into a product roadmap.
Merchant Success Support: Work closely with Merchant Success Managers to ensure merchants continue to be successful and are retained.
Voice of Merchant: Represent the voice of the merchant to inform the sales process and marketing content.
Onboarding Metrics: Maintain and enhance overall onboarding metrics, including NPS and CSAT surveys, customer feedback, etc.

14. Implementation Lead Roles and Details

Field Oversight: Responsible for contractor field oversight.
Design Review: Review basic design concepts/drawings to support field oversight responsibility.
Constructability Review: Responsible for project constructability reviews.
Plan Evaluation: Evaluation of construction, safety, and project execution plans.
Risk Mitigation: Identify and mitigate risk items that may jeopardize safety, cost, schedule, quality, or environmental compliance.
Project Performance: Promote and oversee positive project performance.
Status Reporting: Responsible for daily construction status reports.
IM Reporting: Responsible for weekly IM reports.
Safety Observation: Conduct Behavior-Based Safety Observations.
Contractor Interface: Lead the construction interface with the Contractor Superintendent.
Safety Meeting Participation: Attend Contractors' daily Pre-Job Brief/Daily Safety meetings.
Stakeholder Coordination: Interface with Project Managers, Project Engineering, and System Owners/CCP O&M.
Project Turnover Support: Responsible for addressing/supporting project turnover.

15. Implementation Lead Key Accountabilities

Scope Review: Review project scope of work, specifications, and contracts to obtain a good working knowledge of the project prior to installation kick-off.
Planning Participation: Participate in project planning meetings.
Constructability Input: Provide input on constructability and past experience.
Meeting Support: Support Readiness Review, Installation Kick-off, Installation, and Outage meetings with project status and updates.
Permit Verification: Confirm with the Project Lead that all appropriate permits and state notifications are in place and issued for construction activities to begin.
Safety Verification: Responsible for final verification of contractor safety, equipment, and LOTO training and qualifications.
Schedule Development: Work with the Project Lead and the installation contractor on schedule development.
Compliance Planning: Responsible for planning and ensuring compliance.
Site Contact: Act as the primary site contact for the installation contractor.
Field Observation: Perform frequent field observations to ensure project installation success.
Safety Orientation: Provide or arrange for site safety orientation to the contractor.
Brief Participation: Participate in daily pre-job and mid-shift briefs with the installation contractor.
Work Area Walkthrough: Conduct walk-throughs of work areas.

16. Implementation Lead General Responsibilities

Hazard Prevention: Ensure that all hazard prevention measures are in place prior to allowing installation contractors to begin work.
Contractor Sponsorship: Install a contractor as the Contract Work Leader Site Sponsor (Business Unit dependent).
Timesheet Review: Review installation contractor time sheets for T&M contracts for accuracy (Business Unit dependent).
Contract Enforcement: Enforce contract requirements and site security guidelines.
Issue Escalation: Alert the project lead immediately to impending issues and needs.
Change Coordination: Coordinate any Field Changes and Extra Work Authorizations with the Project Lead.
Policy Compliance: Monitor and ensure installation contractor compliance with Energy Safety, LOTO, NERC CIP, FME (foreign material exclusion), and environmental policies.
Housekeeping Enforcement: Ensure housekeeping standards are enforced.
Safety Observation: Perform and record behavior-based safety observations.
Critical Lift Communication: Ensure critical lifts are communicated well in advance to station personnel and the Project Lead.

17. Implementation Lead Role Purpose

Lift Plan Compliance: Follow critical lift plans and stop work if a variance is encountered.
QC Monitoring: Monitor installation contractors' QC program and identify compliance issues (Business Unit dependent).
Meeting Attendance: Attend daily meetings with station management to provide updates and a plan for the week.
Station Coordination: Ensure coordination with the Station Representative.
Planning Participation: Participate in weekly planning meetings with station personnel to coordinate with the appropriate planner.
Daily Update Reporting: Provide project updates to the project lead on a daily basis via the daily installation report log.
Written Reporting: Provide a daily written report to the project lead for the department's weekly report inclusion.
Emergency Plan Implementation: Implement emergency action plans.
Emergency Plan Communication: Ensure installation contractors understand Emergency Action Plan details prior to starting work.
Event Reporting: Report all events, including injuries, first aids, environmental events, near misses, and LOTO violations.

18. Implementation Lead Essential Functions

Punch List Management: Assist Project Lead with the development of the field project punch-list, and maintain the punch-list.
Punch List Completion: Ensure that the installation contractor adequately completes the punch list.
As-Built Documentation: Ensure the installation contractor maintains accurate red line as-built drawings throughout the project.
Lessons Learned Logging: Maintain an electronic log of lessons learned and provide it to the Project Lead at the completion of the project.
Post-Project Debrief: Participate in Post-Project Debrief.
Punch List Execution: Project punch list development and completion.
Quality Walkdowns: Responsible for quality walkdowns and actions in all weather and terrain conditions.
Field Communication: Daily communications with site PMs, especially when field issues arise.
Environmental Compliance Coordination: Coordinate with Environmental, ensure that Contractors are executing work in absolute adherence to all environmental requirements.
E&SC Inspections: Perform required Erosion and Sediment Control (E&SC) inspections.
Organizational Interface: Interface with the various organizations that support a Project within CCP.

19. Implementation Lead Additional Details

Lessons Learned Documentation: Document lessons learned and operational experience for project and fleet continuous improvement.
Safety Plan Evaluation: Evaluate project safety plans, execution plans, readiness reviews, etc.
Engineering Review: Evaluate engineering documentation.
Submittal Review: Review and provide comments on Contractor submittals.
Schedule Review: Perform a schedule review and integrate comments.
Project Coordination: Coordinate with the site Project Controls representative and the project manager.
Task Assignment Management: Responsible for leveraging work/task assignments.
Coverage Responsibility: Responsible for providing coverage.
Superintendent Interface: Responsible for the primary interface with the site superintendent.
Contractor Coordination: Coordinate with the Contractor Project Manager, in tandem with the Project Manager.
Construction Leadership: Lead the construction effort, providing invaluable insight and schedule/safety/construction analysis to the Project Manager throughout the duration of a Project.
Project Plan Development: Engage in the development of project plans for field implementation.

20. Technology Implementation Lead Roles

Requirements Gathering: Gather and document business system and functional requirements, which influence system design.
Solution Optimization: Optimize support and ensure solutions meet the business objectives and requirements.
Implementation Coordination: Complete and/or coordinate implementation of design and requirements, testing, operational readiness, and transition to the appropriate production support team.
Executive Advising: Advise executives to develop functional strategies (often segment-specific) on matters of significance.
Independent Decision-Making: Exercise independent judgment and decision making on complex issues regarding job duties and related tasks, and work under minimal supervision.
Analytical Judgment: Use independent judgment requiring analysis of variable factors and determining the best course of action.
Business Development Support: Help win new business, retain existing customers, and lead implementation efforts predominantly on the Genesys Cloud platforms.
Service Transition: Help execute transitions to BAU services and offer support.
Team Collaboration: Work as tightly aligned, culturally diverse, autonomous professionals who pride themselves on being good team players.
Geographic Flexibility: Work from different geographies with a mix of office and remote locations, giving their best time and talents to the team and customers.
Service Delivery: Deliver world-class services and maintain flexibility in approach.

21. Implementation Lead Tasks

Healthcare Experience Improvement: Improve the healthcare financial experience.
Patient Engagement Enhancement: Improve the overall experience of patient billing and engagement, enabling providers to thrive in a constantly evolving environment while helping patients understand the cost of their care.
Implementation Leadership: Conductor of the Client product implementation.
Team Coordination: Coordinate key internal team members to drive project development, coordination, and implementation.
Client Partnership: Act as a key partner to the Client's project team to facilitate full alignment on project expectations, timeline, strategy, and SLAs.
Responsibility Alignment: Ensure internal team members are fully aware of their project responsibilities and set them up successfully to deliver on project requirements.
Technical Project Management: Manage complex technical projects, possibly supporting one or both of Panorama's surveys or Student Success platforms.
Fast-Paced Execution: Implement leads operate in fast-paced, novel, and highly complex situations.
Internal Collaboration: Collaborate mostly internally with Engineering and client-facing project teams.
Process Improvement: Improve processes and execute client projects on time and error-free.
Technical Communication: Communicate with clients around the technical elements of implementation.

22. Implementation Lead Details and Accountabilities

Project Delivery: Partner with Client Success Managers and Account Directors to understand, design, and deliver the technical elements of a project on time and error-free.
Specification Presentation: Present technical specifications to ensure a clear understanding of expectations and requirements.
Roadblock Resolution: Identify and work through technical roadblocks preventing clients from meeting project requirements.
Solution Collaboration: Collaborate both internally and externally to troubleshoot client needs and explore solutions.
Technical Expertise: Represent Panorama as the technical product expert, problem-solving and executing solutions for complex client requests.
Team Collaboration: Collaborate with the Engineering and Product teams.
Client Experience Enhancement: Enhance the client experience, both with incremental improvements and game-changing innovations.
Implementation Leadership: Lead all aspects of the development and execution of implementation project plans.
Quality Delivery: Ensure on-time, on-budget, efficient, and high-quality delivery.
Implementation Execution: Partner with Solution Architects and Engineers to execute implementations.
Tool Development: Use implementation experience to actively build and refine tools and resources to support Cedar implementations.
Feedback Management: Build strong feedback loops and serve as the voice of the customer to internal partners.
Platform Improvement: Advise improvements to Cedar's platform and delivery approach.

Relevant Information

What Does An Implementation Engineer Do?