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