Job Description
At the heart of every great technology solution is great management, always making sure that the project delivers what it set out to do and matches expectations.
About you
You balance a strategic outlook with a practical focus on day-to-day activities and changing needs, and your business knowledge matches your excellent teamwork, communication and negotiating skills.
As a Group Manager, Delivery Management Lead, (Project Manager) for Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML), you will lead complex project teams and/or programs of our AI/ML offerings and will be accountable for the overall planning, management, and delivery of assigned projects/programs. You are responsible for the successful delivery of projects as measured by contracted scope, schedule, financials as well as overall deliverable quality and customer satisfaction. This role will actively support sales and delivery and will be accountable for planning, mobilization, execution, and successful closure of projects. During project life-cycles, you will communicate status with regular frequency, manage risks as well as monitor and manage financial performance according to in place agreements made between Avanade and the customer.
Day to day you will:
- Manage delivery of a portfolio of AI/ML projects - monitoring, escalating, managing, and resolving issues
- Understand and manage the data dependencies for the ML Models, Test and Validation cycles, Model Accuracy requirements
- Develop, implement, and maintain a detailed project work plan, including appropriate controls, governance structures and monitoring to ensure on-time, on-budget, and quality outcomes.
- Ensure understanding of stakeholder goals and expectations, address any misalignment, and monitor and control the program to meet/exceed the agreed expectations
Manage the AI/ML expectations and the iterative nature of ML model tuning
- Develop and manage client relationships and perceptions to achieve mutual goals
- Manage client expectations, updates and buy-in, including representing Avanade at governance meetings
- Manage overall project/program risks, adjusting as necessary and obtaining buy-in from senior stakeholders.
- Provide strategic direction to all change management processes throughout project duration
- Obtains buy-in from senior stakeholders for all critical project plans, commitments, and changes
- Provide project leadership to appropriate onshore, offshore and near shore workforces
- Ensure accurate development and traceability of requirements during project lifecycle
- Manage Avanade and subcontractor staff assigned to the project.
- Adhere to Avanade Managed Delivery guidelines and processes.
- Accountable for compliance with corporate standards (legal, commercial, methodology, etc) throughout the delivery process
- Actively participate in key sales pursuits - engage customers in meaningful dialogue about their business to mutually explore opportunities
Key Role Skill & Capability Requirements:
- Experience successfully managing multiple AI/ML projects/programs, high risk, high revenue interrelated projects to achieve a specific set of customer business goals.
- Demonstrated ability to think and work systematically and logically
- Solid understanding of contract terms and interpretation
- Demonstrated understanding of key Project/Program Management disciplines (estimating, work planning, contract management, scope management, user acceptance, etc.)
- Experience in customer expectations management
- Demonstrated experience employing project management methods, tools, techniques
- Track record of establishing and maintaining successful relationships with C-suite level customers.
- Able to articulate value delivered in a manner that drives and influences customer commitment and future partnership
- Advanced level understanding of financial management practices as relate to projects and programs
- Significant experience managing risks, issues and change effectively
Other skills and knowledge
Excellent communication and negotiation skills, including the ability to:
- Masterfully negotiate sensitive situations and multifaceted contracts
- Nurture complex relationships beyond immediate customer team with a broad range of target customers and with internal experts and senior executives
- Engage customers in meaningful dialogue about their business to mutually explore opportunities
- Outstanding business acumen within the AI/ML offering domain
- Proven ability to become a trusted advisor to clients
- Customer oriented attitude and excellent interpersonal skills
- Outstanding people management skills, including ability to lead a team and mentor individuals in career growth.
Scope of Work:
- Creates and implements work plans for assigned projects, programs, and/or clients against established operational objectives; supports translation of group strategy into objectives and work plans; manages to completion.
- Provides delivery leadership of AI/ML projects for complex, strategically critical work efforts requiring continual alignment to internal and external business stakeholders to deliver expected results.
Company Info.
Avanade
Avanade is a global professional services company providing IT consulting and services focused on the Microsoft platform with artificial intelligence, business analytics, cloud, application services, digital transformation, modern workplace, security services, technology and managed services offerings. HQ in Seattle, the company has 50,000 professionals in 26 countries. Avanade serves 34% of the Fortune 500 and 46% of the Fortune Global 500.