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Your Role and ResponsibilitiesThe IBM-Apptio Americas Customer Success – Managed Services (MS) team is a high performing team of technical and business consultants with deep expertise in the configuration and deployment of Apptio’s SaaS solutions for enabling Technology Business Management (TBM) within IT organizations. With backgrounds ranging from Management Consulting to Business Analysis, Enterprise Software Configuration and Deployment, to Business Intelligence modeling, this diverse group is focused on delivering wildly successful customers through high quality deployments and enablement of our customers to adopt and realize the full value of the Apptio TBM solution.
We are seeking seasoned candidates who have led and managed teams working with enterprise level technical application solution (preferably SaaS) teams and has a passion for customer success and value realization. To succeed, this individual must have the passion, energy, and innovation to work in an entrepreneurial and fast paced environment.
You
The MS Consulting Sr. Manager is responsible for the leadership and management of a team of highly skilled consultants and leaders including the selling, enablement, staffing, and professional development of the team. This is a mission-critical role that requires strong client facing, sales positioning, and project management skills with an ability to identify and develop internal talent and leaders. The Consulting Sr. Manager will support MS team managers/leaders and project teams in a technical oversight role to reduce risk where appropriate, most often on complex solutions and configurations. Additionally, the MS Sr. Consulting Manager will take a lead in sales efforts and client escalations, working in collaboration across IBM-Apptio departments (Product & Engineering, Product Support, Customer Success, and Sales).
Reporting to the Regional Customer Success Services Director, the MS Consulting Sr. Manager will be looked upon to achieve corporate targets for the team for utilization, growth, and profitability metrics. As well, ensuring the successful positioning and selling of the teams’ capabilities, utilization of the team’s talents, effective delivery of technical solutions by enabling the managers, team leads and consultants, educating on methodology and technical architecture, collaborating closely with other Managers to achieve client satisfaction and business objectives.
What we expect you to do:
- Directly lead and manage a team of Consulting Managers, Team Leads, and consultants – provide mentoring and support individual career development, including coordinating quarterly and annual performance and bonus reviews, manage administrative tasks (timesheet reviews and approvals, expense reports, team forecast and utilization/reporting, etc.)
- Collaborate with Regional Director and other Consulting Managers (US and COE based) to appropriately staff and utilize consultant team members to align with customer and project needs, plan for new customer engagements, and address escalations
- Involved and leading/managing the sales process (across Product Sales, CS Sales) to position Customer Success and Managed Services, and build relationships and early credibility with customers, including scoping, sizing, and SOW development for future projects
- Achieve corporate annual P&L targets and metrics, including as utilization, forecasting bookings and revenue, revenue attainment, capacity planning, and profitability
- Accountable for ensuring high quality of technical deliverables with regard to system architecture, performance, scalability, usability, and meeting client’s business objectives
- Accountable for adherence to and innovation of technical solution delivery methodology and best practices
- Provides best effort scope and estimates related to major changes or timelines of technical deliverables during project delivery or in support of sales opportunities
- Works with teams to formulate and drive innovation for the betterment of the global Customer Success processes, programs, and organization
- Promotes and embodies a team culture that aligns with IBM-Apptio’s and global Customer Success values
- Provides delivery expertise and oversight/guidance to MS Consulting leaders and staff to ensure timely, high-quality delivery of implementation projects
- Serves as an escalation point from the team for questions or concerns from internal stakeholders or customers, including customer governance, scope management, best practices, internal project reviews, and escalations
- Ensures delivery and operational excellence through a high degree of rigor and attention to detail on consultant activities and project execution
- Clearly communicates to executive management any issues that affect success of staff or customers
- Team Development:
- On-going leadership and enabling of Managers, Team Leads, team members on their respective career paths thru promoting growth through constructive and critical feedback
- Consistent focus on maintaining and raising the bar for new consultants with a goal of compressing time between start date and successful productivity
- Supports the hiring pipeline via candidate screening, interviews, and decisions on new hires
- Provides new hires with a positive employee experience in all aspects from on-boarding and development to familiarization with the work environment and team
- Supports continual improvement of recruiting, hiring, and on-boarding processes, identifying deficiencies and suggesting or implementing appropriate changes
Required Technical and Professional Expertise
- Education in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, MIS, Finance, or equivalent experience
- 5+ years of leadership/management experience in professional services and positioning/selling of services, technical consulting, or another similar type of solution delivery team
- At least 5+ years of technical consulting or software applications/SaaS experience in IT services delivery and project management
- Technical knowledge and experience in deploying enterprise-level and/or SaaS software solutions
- Essential Skills:
- Ability to quickly translate business requirements into an effective technical approach
- Resilience and resourcefulness when solving complex problems
- Pride in personal achievement and deliverables
- Comfortable providing and receiving upward/downward feedback
- Strong relationship building skills
- Excellent time management, delegation, and organizational skills
- Client-focused attitude – a client advocate
- Strong leadership qualities: positive attitude, adaptable, high integrity, and team focused
Preferred Technical and Professional Expertise
- Functional knowledge and application of IT Applications in Financial Management including Budgeting, Cost Allocations, Capital & Operating Expense handling, Program Portfolio Management, and Application / Infrastructure support
- Operational knowledge of IT infrastructure domains including data centers, network / communications, server utilization, virtual environments, storage, and application development & maintenance
- Knowledge and application of relational database concepts and/or strong MS Excel skills
- Previous experience in leading, managing, selling, and managing a P&L/metrics for professional services, technical consulting, or other similar type of solution implementation teams