Role Overview:
As Avanade's second largest practice by sales and revenue, this role reports directly to the global IDP practice leader to support an accelerated level of growth across the practice. The role focus is on working across Avanade, Microsoft and Accenture to ensure we have a complete and differentiating suite of technical and sales assets, which are fit and ready to use by the solutioning, sales and account communities. As a commercial technologist with deep understanding of the Microsoft Data taxonomy of products and services, the role will form, manage and lead dynamic teams across onshore/nearshore/offshore locations to deliver MVC, industry and functional offerings, assets and accelerators. They will build and leverage trusted relationships in Microsoft to ensure Avanade is the included early, and when we can exclusively, in strategic projects in Microsoft's Data & AI (example, Project Trident, which eventually released Microsoft Fabric).
Key Role skills & responsibilities:
Interface with Microsoft Global Black Belt community to align on best practices and evolving needs of key potential clients for new business, and our MVC's and focus industries.
Interface with Microsoft on their R&D, Private Preview, Public Preview and General Available products and services to ensure the IDP practice has plans in place to sell, solution and deliver.
Be responsible for the technical catalog of industry and functional solutions and supporting technical accelerators and assets that IDP offers
Lead regular auditing and reviews of our assets in Avanade
Lead regular oversight and reviews of partner technical assets that can be onboarded / shared into Avanade
Lead regular oversight and reviews of Accenture technical assets that can be onboarded / shared into Avanade
Identify and sponsor the development functional (e.g. Finance & Accounting department) blueprints
Act as a focal point of the backlog of missing technical/ delivery and sales assets
Support and write detailed business cases for investment allocation
Align with colleagues in other practices and business groups to develop end-to-end client propositions and assets, in particular Security.
Champion and lead a stronger relationship between Accenture (Cloud First, AMBG, Data & AI), Avanade and Microsoft for Data & AI across all go geographies.
Support our alignment to the Microsoft IDP strategy and quickly adapt to changes and its evolution
Support a consistent sales cadence with all the MUs/Regions, leveraging the global Accenture and Avanade joint Data Modernization sales & solutioning desk.
Aligning the external focus and voice of IDP in the market with the needs of Avanade Marketing
Supporting the budget allocation of IDP in external activities (account investment, marketing, events).
Undertaking regular reviews with executives across Avanade to ensure their needs are being met
Clearly communicate and address any gaps in understanding our IDP s go-to-market strategy
Regularly review and communicate existing services, offerings, accelerators, assets and our developing backlog of work to ensure alignment across Accenture, Avanade and Microsoft.
Assessing the risks to the business of any new sales strategy and commercial opportunities.
Developing and maintaining an excellent understanding of the key business assets, specifically the Microsoft Data Hub, Data Studios and Avanade's Integrated CoE.
Maintaining an awareness of external factors (including Microsoft's strategy, competitors, etc.) which impact the business.
Communicating with all major stakeholders (internal and external) to achieve business goals and objectives.
Ensuring that all commercial activities meet or improve on budget, cost, margin and efficiency targets in line with business objectives.
Representing the company externally - e.g. at networking events and conferences to enhance and strengthen the company's profile to optimise market opportunities.
Deputise for the global practice lead where appropriate.
Key metrics
Support the generation of pipeline for IDP global, and regions
Win/ Loss ratio
Sales and revenue targets for IDP global, and regions
Individual goals that are agreed with IDP global practice lead
Education and/or experience in the relevant field/business
Likely has a Bachelors degree in a relevant field (or equivalent)
10+ years of technical experience in Microsoft Data & AI products/ services
5+ years experience in senior stakeholder management
Microsoft MVP ambitions, or already a Microsoft MVP.
Existing strong network in Microsoft's Data & AI Go-To-Market function and/ or Microsoft's Data & AI Product & Engineering function.