Head of Professional Services (Projects)
- Hire, professionally develop, and retain a high-quality, high-intensity team that ensures on-time, on budget, high quality delivery;
- Develop and execute a strategic vision for the professional services department, aligned with the company's overall objectives and growth plans.
- Constantly assessing and monitoring performance and proactively taking steps to improve the department performance.
- Collaborate with sales and business development teams to support the growth of professional services business, including participating in client meetings, proposals, and contract negotiations.
- Drive operational efficiency by implementing best practices, process improvements, and automation initiatives within the professional services department.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define service offerings, pricing models, and contractual agreements for professional services, ensuring profitability and customer satisfaction.
- Monitor and analyse key performance indicators (KPIs) to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the professional services and support operations, identifying areas for improvement and implementing corrective actions.
- Establish and maintain strong client relationships, acting as a trusted advisor and escalation point for key clients, addressing their concerns and ensuring their needs are met.
- Attend management meetings, annual events, and other activities directed by the CEO.
- To look outwards towards the market and industry for key trends in delivery methodology and technology, and consider how these could benefit the team and the business.
- To lead the PS teams capability and manage the supplier relationship, ensuring solutions are high quality and satisfy the expectations of our customers.
- To be responsible for all functional and non functional delivery of projects and programmes.
- To support projects in resource management including where there are conflicts.
- To liaise with customers with regards their delivery expectations.
- To manage deliveries to agreed criteria and own and report on KPIs to the broader business.
- To act as product ambassador to key partners and customers.
- To produce metrics and analyse these metrics to identify areas for continuous improvement.
- To provide high quality estimates in line with the timescales of the project.
- Where applicable management of customer and partner engagement on key programmes.
- To work, on occasion, at customer and commercial partners' sites to expedite agreed project tasks.
- To assist in Pre Sales support where appropriate.
- To manage budget for the PS team including salary reviews, overtime approval, training requirements, travel requests.
- Awareness and compliance of ISO9001, ISO27001, ISO22301, PCI and Daat Protection regulations.
- Portfolio Contribution
- Support portfolio IP Bootcamps with lesson learnt use cases.
- Provide support for M&A Due Diligence if called upon.
Skills
- Strategic mindedness with a view on future strategy, balanced with tactical delivery, at all times with advanced level in complex strategy, approach and management
- Advanced level in systems integration test approach and management
- Advanced level in user acceptance test approach and management
- Experience of both waterfall and agile delivery approaches
- Highly customer outcome focused with a solution orientated mind-set
- Excellent presentation and communication skills
- Meticulous, structured with excellent attention to detail
- Adaptable, can conform to shifting priorities, demands and timelines whilst retaining control
- Ability to elicit cooperation from a wide variety of sources, a strong negotiator
- Strong interpersonal skills with a professional attitude
- Commercially aware and politically astute
- Work estimation and planning
- Resource management
- Conflict management and resolution
- Budget management
Originally posted on Himalayas