Business Applications & Cloud Practices Lead

About The Role Essential

• To lead, coach and continuously nurture a team of technical and engineering experts with energy and passion in both day-to-day operation and through change.
• Working closely with the other members of the Technology Practices leadership team to define and implement the overall business strategy.
• Implement and operate successful working practices which deliver both an efficient Business Applications and Cloud practice as well as delivering industry leading services with a high level of customer experience and where appropriate automation
• Ensuring that resource is aligned appropriately to activities across delivery and engineering lifecycle.
• Collaborating with internal stakeholders such as our Propositions teams, Sales Specialists and Customer Success as well as external Partners, vendors and suppliers to evolve our proposition ensuring it remains relevant to both new and existing customers.
• Review and refine KPIs to measure the performance of the Business Applications and Cloud team
• Ensure that technical solutions effectively onboard into In-life managed services where required.
  

People Leadership

• Ensure the Business Applications and Cloud team is clear on direction and expectations by providing clear objectives and regular performance reviews to ensure they are performing in line with the business goals
• Responsible for career development and performance of the direct reports to ensure the team’s capability is in line with the Claranet strategy

Teams to collaborate with

• Portfolio and Propositions - collaborate to provide engineering support to help launch and manage Business Apps & Cloud Portfolio. Provide feedback to improve customer solutions.
• Solutions Architecture – support team with technical expertise to help underpin and translate client need and create a design proposal.
• Strategic Alliances – underpin technical and engineering requirements and maintain agreed technical accreditations.
• Customer Experience and Managed Services – collaborate to ensure a smooth service transition from technical delivery into in-life support where required.
• HR and People – support recruitment and learning and development strategy to develop industry leading product and service skills.

About You Behavioural competencies – Organisational and behavioural fit

• Flexible and creative to take considered risks
• Learn and adapt quickly to changing situations
• Self-motivated and able to work under pressure
• Ability to travel to different sites and locations on a weekly basis
• Manages conflict and challenges in an open and constructive manner.

Critical competencies – Technical fit

• Has proven expertise in leading, managing and developing high calibre technical, engineering and delivery teams.
• Strong awareness of the Cloud and Business Applications services market and an understanding of the technologies and skills needed to deliver high quality customer service
• Substantial experience in the IT Managed Service industry with expert knowledge in areas of Cloud and Business Application solutions
• A strategic thinker with experience in the implementation of engineering and delivery best practice.
• Experienced leader and motivator who can mentor and coach teams working across multiple locations to be the best
• Strong oral, presentation and written communication skills
• Strong interpersonal and relationship management skill with the ability to build credibility quickly at all levels as well as negotiate, influence and persuade where required.
• Experience and proven track record of supporting product development from an engineering perspective • Faces conflict and challenge in an open and constructive manner
• Flexible, creative and innovative, willing to take considered risks and learn and adapt
• Comfortable dealing with a diverse range of people at all levels of the business both internally and externally
• Is self-motivated and able to work under pressure

About Us

About Claranet

Founded at the beginning of the dot.com bubble in 1996, our CEO Charles Nasser had a light bulb moment to develop a truly customer-focused IT business. Since then, Claranet has grown from an Internet Service Provider (ISP) in the UK to being one of the leading business modernisation experts, who deliver solutions across 11+ countries.

At Claranet, we’re experienced in implementing progressive technology solutions which help our customers solve their epic business challenges. We’re committed to understanding their problems, delivering answers quickly, and making a lasting impact to their business.

We are agile, focused and experienced in business modernisation. Our approach helps customers make genuine, significant shifts in their business strategy, to deliver financial savings, boost innovation, and create a resilient business. We continually invest in our people and the latest technologies, so our customers get peace of mind knowing that they have access to the best talent and services.

In the UK we have over 500 staff working in London, Gloucester, Warrington, Bristol, and Leeds, or as homeworkers.

Working for Claranet

Here at Claranet we pride ourselves on going the extra mile for and with our employees (yes, we really mean with). We offer an extensive benefits package that you can tailor to your needs, inclusive of a matching contribution pension scheme, healthcare, insurance, dental, discounted gyms and app supported benefit access.

But what we think makes us different is ‘Team Claranet,’ our dedicated internal part of the business that supports you with matters close to your heart. We proudly support local charities in each of our office locations, support employees with paid charity leave, organise key charity fundraising event per year and have a dedicated committee responsible for supporting employee’s fundraising efforts.

Claranet are one of the 10 founding members of TC4RE (Technology Community for Racial Equality.) Being a part of a group of leading UK technology organisations, we are dedicated to building a more diverse and inclusive workforce. We are also very proud members of Tech Talent Charter, a government supported, industry-led membership group created to address the UK’s tech talent shortage and diversity gap through collective action.

Our Vision

Our vision is to become the most trusted technology solutions partner; renowned for being the best and brightest, having lasting impact with our customers and delivering exceptional returns to our stakeholders.

Position Summary The Business Applications and Cloud Practice Lead’s role is to ensure that within their individual practice there are the skills, capacity, methodology and processes to ensure we can technically deliver the Business Applications and Cloud products and services that make up Claranet UK’s customer facing propositions. The role will need to extend and enhance a culture of solution and design excellence to create award winning customer solutions across our technical practices Role Mission
Claranet’s strategy is to build long-term, trusted relationships with its customers by delivering market-leading,integrated managed services. We are seeking a senior leader to run our Business Applications and Cloud Practice and work as a cohesive group of practices to take us forward in the solutions we design and deliver. Objectives and Key Results

• Contribute to the target of 70% of services are scalable and repeatable.
• Ensures that solutions are delivered in a manner that is scalable and repeatable to optimise delivery efficiency and commercial cost effectiveness
• Ensure design and delivery methodologies are using industry best practice and consistent where possible across the team.
• Ensure that products and services are engineered and delivered to the leading market standards, using where possible repeatable designs
• Manage to agreed team utilisation and capacity targets to ensure that Claranet can balance the skills and volume of resource it needs to match forecasted customer demand, alliance and industry accreditations at a sustainable cost level.
• Drive simplified ways of working and processes with clear accountabilities for their team