Professional Services Manager

**Listing reference**: adapt_000044**Listing status**: Online-
**Position summary**

**Industry**:Education & Training
- **Job category**:Others: IT and Telecommunication**Location**:Midrand
- **Contract**:Permanent**Remuneration**:Market Related
- **EE position**:Yes**About our company**
- A provider of leading specialised software and digitally-led business solutions that assist clients across targeted industries.**Introduction**
- To lead the divisional Professional Services teams, ensuring acceptable utilisation of the teams, correct skills mix and ensuring successful delivery to the customer. To define a central point of contact for all projects (PMO), while defining and upholding project management standards, processes and governance. To manage the divisional PM office to ensure projects are delivered profitably and meet client commitments across the delivery teams involved. To actively participate in the sales process, by supporting the Sales Team from a Professional Services perspective, to ensure the pipeline is robust and well understood.**Job description**

**Sales and Pipeline Planning**
- Active support of the process of selling to new customers, by providing input on the solution, delivery approach, plan and costs.
- Collaboration on presentations to prospects regarding the proposed delivery approach.
- Participation in the formal handover from Sales to Delivery, taking accountability for new projects on sign off and acceptance.
- Accountable for managing and planning the PS pipeline.

**PM Office**
- Implement and uphold project management governance, processes, and systems.
- Ensure PMO capacity and competency to manage all PS projects.

**Finance**
- Financially accountable for delivering the required margins for PS business month on month.
- Seek and deliver on additional revenue opportunities to ensure utilization

**Delivery**
- Accountable for delivering all projects against the agreed time, cost, scope and quality metrics.
- Lead and audit adherence to Divisional processes and protocols within all projects.
- To be a recognised point of escalation for both the customer and divisional management.
- Accountable for planning the transition to Maintenance and Support for each project.
- To ensure that all risks and exposures are clearly understood, managed and escalated where appropriate, and that risk mitigation strategies are in place at the Divisional level.

**Resources**
- Manage the direct reporting resources as a line manager (including performance reviews, career path, learning & development and motivation).
- Manage the assignment and utilization of project staff against plan.
- Define the capability needs for the division, and take accountability for growing the Professional Services team with the required skill set for our products and projects.
- Take accountability for capacity planning in a timely manner for the Division to meet demand from the sales pipeline and customers.
- Provide on-going leadership to the PS resources, providing direction and building an effective team.
- Mentoring of the PS teams to improve cross-cultural management, driving effective performance, working with virtual teams, promoting collaboration and effective communication.

**Account Management**
- Build and foster strong, long-term relationships with all customers, particularly at the C-level.
- Strategically engage with our customer base to identify and develop revenue earning opportunities on existing projects that will enhance customer success.
- Accountable for building confidence in the division’s implementation ability with the customer such that they will provide positive references.

**Minimum requirements**

**Education & Qualification**
- An applicable undergraduate degree or diploma.
- PMP or other recognised project management certification (or evidence of past completion).
- Knowledge of software development and maintenance is beneficial.
- Experience in managing projects around any ERP, Student, Financial or HR/Payroll system will be advantageous.

**Relevant Skills, Knowledge & Experience**
- Strong financial orientation with P&L experience and accountability.
- Previous experience at a senior level managing a Professional Services or Consultancy department to an external client base, with reference to quality, timescale and budget
- Strong project management discipline and attention to detail.
- Data-driven and highly action-oriented.
- Evidence in fostering long-term C-level customer relationships.
- Excellent interpersonal, people management with strong leadership and communication skills.
- Strong track record in implementing and adhering to process across all project engagements
- Problem solving skills, with experience of managing change and risk.
- Ability to work at a detailed level across multiple project and sales engagements.
- Ability to negotiate commercial contracts, client proposals and deal with legal matters.