Director, Tech Advisory - West

Want to build new value with digital and turn your ideas into human impact? So do we!

There’s one in every group—the person who dreams big and has the motivation to bring their ideas to life, even as others might roll their eyes and prefer to play it safe. Are you that person? One who isn’t afraid to break the mold and who gets passionate about the power of digital to transform organizations and ways of working? Because we are building teams of people like that to help our clients unlock the power they need now and own what’s next.

At Avanade Advisory, we are breaking apart the traditional process of setting strategies and goals first, then finding technologies to achieve them. In the digital age, there’s no time for that linear process. We partner with clients to accelerate value from digital innovation by being ambitious, imaginative – and fast. We believe big and deliver personally. We relentlessly challenge, encourage, and support our clients and each other.

Want the agility and energy of a start-up, backed by the resources of Accenture, Microsoft and the Center for Information Systems Research at MIT Sloan School of Management? Here you will find a team of people who thrive on turning ideas and innovations into breakthrough results for leading organizations around the globe. Ultimately, we’re not just making business better. We’re making life better for our clients and their customers.

If that sounds like you, you sound good to us! Find your next opportunity at Avanade Advisory.

Avanade’s Advisory Practice focuses on the Identification, Formulation and Realization of technology and business strategy objectives utilizing Best Practices Methodology while crafting an outstanding Client experience.

Overview:

Avanade is seeking Director to expand its Advisory capabilities in the West. You will lead and run multiple engagements, advising clients at the highest strategic level with big-picture and tactical mentorship on how technology enables a wide range of business outcomes. You must possess exceptional analytical, interpersonal and creative thinking capabilities. You will need to be entrepreneurial, enterprising and personable, possessing exceptional leadership skills, that allows you to assume a meaningful role in the Advisory Practice with an ability to scale over time.

Key Role Responsibilities:

Collaborating with senior client executives (C-levels, VPs, Directors), you will assist our clients in successfully defining their technology strategy, investments and operating models to support their business priorities. As a successful Director, you will:

• Manage and lead the delivery of a broad range of IT strategy and multiple technical advisory engagements, with previous experience in several key vertical markets: Financial/Banking; CPG/Manufacturing; Energy; Pharmaceuticals/Medical/Healthcare or Life Sciences; Retail
• Identify and bring to bear approaches, appropriate tools and methodologies
• Possess deep understanding of trends and strategies for identifying solutions to meet client business, financial and technical objectives
• Conduct detailed analyses to understand and explain client problems and utilize standard consulting management skills such as facilitation, interviewing, gap analysis, etc.
• Identify, develop and document issues, perform analysis, draw conclusions and formulate strategic recommendations
• Build clear and measurable strategic roadmaps and supporting business cases that both delineate a broader end-game, while also prioritizing quick wins with near-term measurable impact
• Actively develop and maintain client relationships at senior levels
• Enthusiastically contribute towards industry specific offerings/ thought leadership development
• Steer & Drive sales efforts including development of client proposals and pitch mechanics while training others in sales, RFP responses and go-to-market strategies

Required Skills & Experience:

• 15+ years of Management Consulting experience from a top management or IT professional services firm
• Demonstrated experience in selling/delivery/solution leadership - interfacing with executive level clients, driving revenue between $2-10+ million annually
• Willingness to travel 50-80% throughout North America
• Previous experience working on multiple workstreams/engagements in a highly matrixed external client facing environment, with Talent & Project & Budget Management responsibilities
• Excellent communication, presentation and facilitation skills
• Aptitude for critical and analytical thinking as well as the capacity to accept out-of-the box solutions
• Autonomous, positive problem solver, highly flexible and willing to work independently as well as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Experience discussing a wide range of strategic imperatives across functional, operational and technological issues
• Bachelor’s degree in related field, MBA preferred

Preferred Experience and Skills:

The following skills and capabilities are central to the role, depending on Service Area expertise:

• Cross-sector and functional experience highly desirable (Financial Services/ Healthcare/ Life Sciences/ Manufacturing/ Retail / Utilities / Energy/ Media/ Communications/Supply Chain/Business Applications)
• CIO Strategy and IT Strategy
• IT Operating Model & Governance
• Significant IT/Technology industry understanding and/or experience
• Digital Strategy and Transformation, Customer Experience Strategy and Experience Design
• Emerging Technology Strategy and Assessments (RPA, Blockchain, AI/ Bots, AR/VR, etc.)
• Technology Cost and Value Optimization
• Cloud Transformation Assessments (Microsoft Azure preferred)
• Best of Breed Working methodologies (Agile, DevOps)
• Data & Business Intelligence Strategy, Insight and Analytics (using Microsoft technologies)