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 market-leading capability, and help Avanade grow through winning bigger and more complex engagements that require specialist skills across pre-sales through to solutioning and delivery.
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 theRegion Solution Area Lead – Security, you are responsible for the relationships in your region with Microsoft, Accenture, 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 for the SA in the region, agreeing and leading the execution of joint growth agendas 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 generation 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 Security Solution Area helps clients to develop a robust cyber security strategy that we deliver through consulting and managed security service to protect the trust of everyone that they serve against advanced threats.
This role reports directly to the Technology Region BG Lead and has a dotted line reporting relationship to the relevant Area SA Lead. 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 regional Microsoft.
Establish and sustain strategic relationships with SA-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:
1. Market utilization and chargeability, including personal MU & chargeability
2. SA sales and revenue targets
3. Headcount Management per agreed plan
4. MSFT certifications
5. MSFT KPIs (e.g., Azure consumption)
6. Employee engagement
7. Voluntary attrition
8. Inclusion, Diversity, & Wellbeing
Shared KPIs:
1. Sales Mix (LOB, BG, SA)
2. % Growth in New Business
3. Target market share
4. Solution Architect & Delivery certifications
5. Design and execution of Avanade strategic priorities
6. 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 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