South Region Data & AI Solution Area Lead

Solving large Data-related business challenges or driving creative AI-based solutions are what we are known for in the market; they are the areas on which our clients most frequently seek our guidance during their digital transformation. By specializing in and formalizing these select Offerings, we can deepen our relationships with our clients across their entire portfolio, expanding into new areas, helping us to grow our market share and the clients' positive outcomes. This role focuses specifically on building Microsoft Data & AI ecosystem go-to-market, pre-sales alignment, and some client delivery oversight. In summary, this role is all about that! This is an exciting time to be part of the Microsoft Family as they have a unique value proposition in AI that is the envy of the hyperscalers!

• You have a successful leadership track record of developing and growing long term, high value client relationships make you a standout with Customer Satisfaction and happy clients.
• Experience leading Delivery Practices of professional services.
• You exhibit honed communication, influencing and negotiating capabilities have helped you establish and grow solutions with key clients.
• You enjoy advising leadership teams in the development, production, and promotion of your solution offerings to grow a technology services line of business.
• Your core solution sales skills include Azure, Synapse, OpenAI Services, GenAI, Databricks, ADLS, ADF, and the whole host of Microsoft data solution landscape.
• You are a leader in the data ecosystem in the market.
• Vendor management or relationship experience (Microsoft preferred)
• A bit of Strategy & Roadmaps in your background would make us super happy and make you even more successful in this key leadership Go-to-market sales role.
• Collaborate with and educate the territory account and sales teams to drive Data & AI solutions to target clients, including all stages of the deal pursuit, review, and approval. If you're looking for an impactful, client-facing role, it doesn't get better than this!
• Position offering and cross-offerings with local partners, primarily Microsoft and Databricks, as you develop strong beneficial relationships and ensure Azure data solutions are considered as part of proposed solutions with clients.
• Work closely with our Accenture Colleagues to help them apply Microsoft Technology against some of the most challenging business conditions that their Fortune 500 Clients face daily
• You are passionate about all the aspects of Analytics, Generative AI, Data-driven decision-making systems and about supporting direct selling teams, from origination and crafting solutions through proposal. There will be regional business travel as needed.

To Learn more about the types of projects our teams work on check out these case studies:

• VentilatorChallengeUK manufactures 20 years' worth of ventilators in 12 weeks to help save lives.

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• Avanade Insights - exchange ideas that drive tomorrow's innovation
• Inside Avanade - explore what life is like working at Avanade Compensation for roles at Avanade varies depending on a wide array of factors including but not limited to the specific office location, role, skill set and level of experience.

Some of the best things about working at Avanade

• Opportunity to work for Microsoft's Global Alliance Partner of the Year (14 years in a row), with exceptional development and training (minimum 80 hours per year for training and paid certifications)
• Real-time access to technical and skilled resources globally
• Dedicated career advisor to encourage your growth
• Engaged and helpful coworkers genuinely interested in you

Find out more about some of our benefits here.

As a Data & AI Solution Area Lead, you will lead sales/presales go-to-market activities of the Data & AI practices. You will be responsible for the AI and Data modernization practices along with your practice leads to ensure a healthy robust and growing business from solution design through delivery. In this key role, you get to focus on driving the Data & AI offering every day; serving as the "face" of that offering internally and externally, support sales and key relationships with the practice alliance partners, and of course working closely with Microsoft. You get to define and manage full-spectrum, cross-offering solutions delivery for our clients. You will also be a member of the South Region Leadership team that is focused on growing our half billion-dollar business. You will partner with the staffing and Regional Capability Leads on resourcing and skill needs to maintain effective business operations and project outcomes for the South Region with our large US based delivery professionals and our Global Delivery Network (Offshore capabilities) as needed.

• Experience growing a 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.
• 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 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 in addition to having significant experience with offshore teams and delivery.