Position Overview

The Regional Practice Leader (RPL) provides the overall professional services leadership and management for a designated region. All professional services staff in a region will report to the RPL. The RPL will also carry a personal utilization target, based on the size of the practice. Generally 1 day per week is assigned to management responsibilities for every 5 employees, with the remaining time expected to be billable.

Responsibilities

Leadership. Provide overall branch leadership for the professional services team, providing direction through business plans in line with the overall services goals and representing the agreed values of the services organization. Promote and support brand attributes of Objective Corporation in every staff and customer engagement.

Customer Satisfaction. Ensure complete customer satisfaction across region through successful delivery of project outcomes and provision of ongoing support services in a timely high quality manner. Provide local leadership for each customer engagement. 

Staff Management. Recruit the best staff is line with the growth of the region.  Establish a deep understanding of your staff’s desired career outcomes, align them with Objective’s business outcomes, and ensure they are met. Ensure staff are motivated and staff turnover minimized.

Project oversight and delivery. Implement strong project governance and implementation disciplines to ensure project risk is minimized and successful project delivery. Engage in all projects at Steering Committee level and leverage personal experience to mentor project teams through project issues and challenges.

Revenue growth. Grow the services business in line with half yearly and annual revenue targets. Ensure growth is maximized through active support and engagement with the sales team, throughout the sales cycle, as well as a developed understanding of all sales opportunities and Services role in ensuring Sales success.

Financial Management. Deliver profitable (Gross Margin Level) growth of professional services organization whilst maintaining exceptional levels of customer and staff satisfaction. Ensure prompt and accurate billing for all services and expenses.

Practice development. Ensure ongoing practice improvement through the implementation of methodologies and best practice approaches in all areas. Work closely with Global Practice to develop Best Practice processes and to consistently capture project IP for the betterment of future staff, customer, and shareholder outcomes.

Personal Utilization. Meet personal billable utilization targets through direct engagement on customer assignments.

Competencies

Business Management and Planning. Have a highly developed understanding of the professional services business model. Is able to develop business plans and manage a business against this plan. Ensures that the required systems, tools, and processes are in place to support implementation of operational business plans and goals.

Team Building. Have well developed people management skills. Able to build a highly motivated team, and ensure the core culture reflects the company culture. Able to work with individuals and identify coaching opportunities in a positive manner.

Business Development. Strong business development skills, with a detailed understanding of the business development lifecycle. Ability to work collaboratively with sales management to develop great business opportunities. Collaborates with appropriate stakeholders at high levels in the client organization to define information strategies that support key business objectives.

Performance Management and Development. Able to develop and communicate targets for individual and team, use them as a motivation tool, and monitor performance against the targets. Well developed financial management acumen.

Project Management. Strong project management skills with a clear understanding of all of the key elements of the Project Management Discipline. Manages, using advanced techniques, large complex projects.

Customer Focus. Thoroughly understands the customer’s business environment, practices, and core processes. Works collaboratively with customers to determine their needs and identify appropriate solutions. Builds significant, long term relationships with key customer contacts.

Judgment and Decision Making. Demonstrates balanced judgment and decisiveness when the consequences of the decision involve some risk to business results, self, or the team. Anticipates problems and obstacles before they arise and plans accordingly.

Communication. Expresses and articulates key elements of ideas or concepts (both written and verbal) in a logical, descriptive, and comprehensible manner. Anticipates reactions and responds appropriately. Probes and listens for information from others, without interrupting or judging, in order to understand underlying issues.

Knowledge Management. Strong orientation toward process and methodology. Actively pursues and champions improvements in efficiency, services, processes, and product offerings.

Strategic Awareness and Vision. An innovator and change leader. Selects the appropriate goals or strategies to work on from a range of high potential alternatives.

Personal Attributes

• Leadership
• Intelligence
• Integrity
• Enthusiasm
• Professionalism
• Customer Focused
• Resourceful
• Teamwork

Experience

• University Degree Qualified, ideally in Business and/or Technology
• Professional services background in computer software implementation
• A minimum of 18 months IT Project Management experience with projects ranging from $400k to $2m+ (£250K to £2m+) as well as experience directly leading and mentoring large project teams.
• Highly developed people management experience. Demonstrated ability to manage consulting professionals.
• Experience in formal Project Management and Implementation Methodologies and processes.
• Business/Financial management and forecasting exposure and understanding.
• Hands on experience as a Consultant within a Professional Services Environment.
• A minimum of 12 month experience managing people as direct reports.
• Strong understanding of the sales process and ability to engage at senior management level.