Systems Implementation Lead / CIO (Remote, Philippines)

About the role

Smart Suites, a short-term accommodation and property management business undergoing a major technology transformation, wants one person to own it from now until completion and beyond. The role is in two equal phases: first, taking full ownership of an ongoing implementation of Mews PMS, Akia, SiteMinder, Zoho Books and CRM, then becoming the permanent technology leader who leads AI deployment and owns the technology stack. The position is fully remote, based in the Philippines (Filipino citizenship required), paid as an independent contractor at up to AUD 4,000 per month, aligned to Australian business hours.

Key responsibilities

• Phase 1: Take full ownership of the Mews, Akia and SiteMinder implementation and drive it to go-live, assessing status, gaps and risks within 30 days and delivering a revised project plan.
• Complete the integration architecture between all platforms and Zoho Books and CRM, and manage the integration vendor and other platform vendors.
• Own the go-live plan (testing, UAT, training, cutover, stabilisation) and evaluate the Stage 2 cleaning and rostering platform.
• Phase 2: Own the technology stack, lead AI deployment across all functions, develop a technology roadmap, own vendor relationships and the technology asset register, and report regularly on technology health and strategy.

Required profile

• Hands-on experience leading a PMS, ERP or equivalent SaaS implementation end-to-end.
• Experience designing and managing integrations between multiple SaaS platforms.
• Project management capability: building the plan from scratch and owning it.
• Understanding of hospitality or short-term accommodation operations.
• Ability to work autonomously in a remote environment and communicate clearly with non-technical senior stakeholders.
• Genuine interest in AI tools and an ownership mindset.
• Preferred: direct experience with Mews, Akia or SiteMinder, Zoho ecosystem, third-party integration vendor management, hospitality technology background, API-based SaaS integration, and prior technology lead or CIO experience in an SME.

Required skills

• PMS or SaaS platform implementation (proficient to expert)
• Mews PMS, Akia, SiteMinder (functional minimum; proficient to expert preferred)
• Zoho ecosystem (Books, CRM, Flow, One) (functional to proficient)
• System integration design and management (expert)
• API and SaaS integration management (proficient)
• Project management, vendor management, technical documentation (proficient)
• Cleaning and rostering platforms (functional)