Region Solution Area Lead, Data & AI

　　Organization Context

　　The Technology, Avanade X, and Advisory Business Groups (BG) are Avanade’s growth engines responsible for developing market relevant capabilities and solutions to help clients resolve critical business and technology issues. Through Practices they provide sales, solutioning and delivery support to Client Groups and Accounts to help us win and sustain long-lasting relationships with our clients. In addition to direct relationships with clients, each Business Group works closely with Avanade’s most significant partners - Microsoft and Accenture, as well as other alliances - to drive growth of the business group and the practices therein.

　　Technology is the largest business group within Avanade and what our clients, Accenture, and Microsoft seek from us the most. Within the Tech BG are Avanade’s Solution Areas (SAs), which represent our direct connection to Microsoft, Accenture, and key ecosystem partners. The Solution Area Leads are responsible for maintaining our strong interlock with Microsoft, Accenture, and ecosystem partners, growing Avanade’s market share relevant to the solution areas, and building competitive capability, solutions, and assets within their aligned Practices.

　　Each Solution Area has Practices that will help us deliver exceptional value to our clients with repeatable go-to-market services, industry expertise, and marketleading capability, and help Avanade grow through winning bigger and more complex engagements that require specialist skills across pre-sales through to solutioning and delivery (existing text). Practices are where Avanade’s employees are ‘homed’.

　　Practices are responsible for building and evolving capabilities in line with market and client needs; attracting, developing, and retaining talent; managing deployment of practitioners, and creating/evolving assets and solutions to reduce the cost of sales, delivery, and operations. Practices also provide sales, solutioning and delivery support to help us win and deliver projects and services to clients.

　　Role Overview

　　As the Region Solution Area Lead - Data & AI, you are responsible for the relationships in your region with Microsoft and Accenture’s organisational entities responsible for driving Cloud growth (e.g., Microsoft STU/CSU, and Accenture Cloud First), and relevant ecosystem partners as it pertains to your Solution Area (SA). This includes overall accountability for driving aggressive growth of this SA in alignment with set plans and targets across multiple sales channels and IGTM, and building the required competitive capability, solutions, and assets within your practices.

　　Avanade’s alignment to Microsoft’s SAs is one of our key differentiators and a competitive advantage. Region SA Leads are the critical link/interlock to the Microsoft and Accenture organizations and lead the relationships at the region level, connecting Avanade to Microsoft’s and Accenture's growth agenda, agreeing and leading the execution of joint growth plans against region -level target metrics, and ensuring the region has the skills and capabilities to deliver.

　　In this role, you will have overall accountability for a region portfolio of business that delivers significant sales and revenue annually. You will be a member of the relevant Region Solution Area Leadership Team working with your counterparts in the other regions and the Advanced Technology Centers (ATC).

　　The Applications & Infrastructure Solution Area helps clients create new digital models, achieve faster time to market, and increase business agility. We design innovative applications at speed, liberating talent and securely unlocking the value of Microsoft cloud.

　　This role reports directly to the Technology Region BG Lead and has a dotted line reporting relationship to the relevant Area SA Lead. This role manages Region Practice Leads aligned to the SA. As their leader, you will provide leadership and guidance to ensure consistent and relevant build of priority skills in the Practice.

　　Key Accountabilities

　　Solution Area Leadership

　　• Establish and sustain strategic relationships with regional Microsoft leaders. Align region strategies and priorities, including approach to joint pursuits and bring this to life within the region’s portfolio. Drive achievement of shared objectives and goals to ensure Avanade protects its Microsoft-centric competitive advantage. This includes overall accountability for designing, framing, and executing on a joint growth plan with Microsoft.

　　• Establish and sustain strategic relationships with relevant regional Accenture leaders. This includes overall accountability for designing, framing, and executing on joint regional Avanade/Accenture growth plans in Accenture channel for SA solutions.

　　• Establish and sustain strategic relationships with ISV partners. Align regional strategies and priorities, including approach to joint pursuits, and bring these to life within the region portfolio. Drive achievement of shared objectives and goals to ensure that Avanade protects and evolves its market position.

　　• Own and execute the go-to-market plans for the SA in the region working closely with other Region SA Leads, BGs, IGTM, Client Group, and Sales

　　• Be the voice of the Microsoft SA to the IGTM in the region to influence LOBs and integrated plays

　　• Cultivate the reputation of the SA in the region to ensure we can attract and retain the right talent with the capabilities we need to differentiate us, deliver superior client results, continue to win, and serve as a partner of choice and trusted advisor

　　Practice Assets and Solutions

　　• Customize global practice assets and solutions across the relevant SA (in alignment with the SA strategy and IGTM) to address client needs in the region

　　• Contribute to the relevant SA’s innovation agenda in partnership with Microsoft and Avanade’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO). Activate Avanade’s innovation agenda within the region SA in partnership with OCTO and in alignment with the Portfolio Council, Global/Area SA, and Global/Area BG Sales Support

　　• Work with regional Sales and Marketing to effectively position the relevant SA in the region portfolio

　　• Represent the relevant SA in the region and support deal pursuits, deal solutioning and solution QAs as required, reviews, and approvals with deep technical expertise in domains relevant to the SA

　　• Collaborate with Accenture Microsoft Business Group (AMBG) and other relevant Accenture teams to help clients navigate their journey with a focus on maximizing business value utilizing Microsoft SA technologies Delivery:

　　• Implement solutioning standards for the SA and contribute to the evolution of global solution methods and guidelines for the SA

　　• Accountable in addressing Delivery Quality Escalations and contributing to the creation of ATC Delivery Offering Strategies for clients • Ensure lighthouse success stories throughout project offerings

　　• Maximize involvement of ATC in solution planning Capabilities:

　　• Build business cases for investments in the SA to help grow the required capabilities, solutions, and offerings to meet strategic growth objectives People & Culture

　　• Support people activities, including attracting, hiring, staffing, skills forecasting, and career development in the region

　　• Build, agree, and execute on a joint headcount and capability plan with both Accenture and the global/area that supports the evolution of SA and its practices

　　• Partner with Tech leaders to drive Avanade’s I&D, employee engagement, and EVP goals and promote wellbeing in the region

　　• Ensure regional practitioners have SA-relevant MSFT certifications

　　• Assist with determining priorities for staff positioning and ensure employee utilization and chargeability targets are met in the region

　　Key Performance Indicators

　　Owned KPIs:

　　Market utilization and chargeability, including personal MU & chargeability

　　SA sales and revenue targets

　　Headcount Management per agreed plan

　　MSFT certifications

　　MSFT KPIs (e.g., Azure consumption)

　　Employee engagement

　　Voluntary attrition

　　Inclusion, Diversity, & Wellbeing

　　Shared KPIs:

　　Sales Mix (LOB, BG, SA) 

　　% Growth in New Business

　　Target market share

　　Solution Architect & Delivery certifications

　　Design and execution of Avanade strategic priorities 

　　A2025 program delivery measurements

　　Competencies

　　Leads Others: Drives Vision & Purpose, Develops Talent Transforms the Business: Demonstrates Strategic Mindset, Cultivates Innovation Runs the Business: Plans & Aligns, Drives Results Builds Our Culture: Client Focus, Instills Trust

　　Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

　　Business leadership experience:

　　• Experience growing a technology business through strategy and sales contribution

　　• Experience establishing a presence in the target market and in the minds of key clients through client interactions and executive presence

　　• Experience with sales principles and practices, including business development, marketing, and complex channel management

　　• Ability to effectively team with peers in a large, matrixed organizations

　　• Excellent leadership and communication skill, especially strong influencing, and negotiation capabilities • Track record in developing and growing long term, high value client relationships Consulting & Delivery experience:

　　• Deep technical expertise Microsoft and in domains relevant to the SA

　　• Experience delivering solutions for client organizations through complex solutions / project with heavy client interaction

　　• Strong consulting / project-based background, including assessing and managing opportunity and risk associated with large scale, complex projects

　　• Ability to guide and direct leadership teams in development, product, and promotion of solutions offerings

　　• Significant experience with offshore teams and delivery

　　• Ability to drive complex processes, implementation and stakeholder management at speed and possess ability to handle ambiguous and escalated situations

　　• Ability to build partnerships with organizations of a scale, complexity, and sophistication like Accenture and Microsoft

　　Education, Certifications and Experience

　　Education and/or experience in the relevant field/business

　　You likely have 10+ relevant technology business leadership experience, including solution sales, creation, delivery, and business management.

　　Managerial experience particularly in tech consulting for a region

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　　Avanade® is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Avanade prohibits discrimination and harassment against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, age, religion, sex, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, veteran, military or marital status, genetic information, or any other protected status.

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