Practice Manager

Our purpose Here at Datacom, we connect people and technology in order to solve challenges, create opportunities and discover new possibilities for the communities we live in The Nitty Gritty Datacom is Australasia's largest homegrown technology services business of over 6500 people, from humble beginnings as a small family business, we have enjoyed healthy, organic, and sustainable growth to become a large multinational, that proudly holds on to our ‘small family business feel. **At the center of our vision and values are people**: our people. We are guided by what is best for our staff, our customers, and our communities. Growing to dominate the New Zealand government and corporate IT market, we expanded into the Philippines, Malaysia, and Australia in the mid-90s and have been growing in those regions ever since. Do you have what it takes to help us grow? This is your chance to be part of something new, getting on from the ‘ground floor’ and benefiting from all the up-side of a ‘start-up’ initiative with the security of a large multinational (and yet none of the down-side). About the role We are seeking a dynamic Practice Manager with experience in a Professional Services environment, driving growth, innovation, and commercial success within the realm of Azure-based Software Development. This is an exciting opportunity within our Digital Engineering team, where you will play a pivotal role in leading and expanding our Azure Software Development practice. As the Practice Manager - Software Development (Azure), you will report to the General Manager. You will be responsible for building a robust business pipeline, cultivating a high-performing team, establishing strategic customer relationships, managing a multi-million-dollar budget, and leveraging your deep Azure technical expertise and commercial acumen to develop, position, and sell our Azure Software Development services. **General Responsibilities of the Role Include**: - Pre-Sales & Customer Engagement: Assist with pre-sales activities, providing expert support to our sales and new business teams by engaging directly with customers to address their complex Azure development challenges. - Service Champion: Champion our Azure Software Development products and services, leveraging customer relationships to generate opportunities for the broader Digital Engineering Service Line. - Azure Expertise & Innovation: Maintain up-to-date knowledge of the "state of the art" in Azure technologies and software development practices, using these insights to continuously evolve our local offerings. - Strategic Growth: Collaborate with the wider Development practice management team to define and execute a comprehensive growth strategy for the Azure Software Development practice. - Customer Workshops & Value Delivery: Design, facilitate, and improve workshops with customers to drive value throughout the software development lifecycle and deliver tangible outcomes for projects. - Team Leadership & Mentorship: Lead and develop a high-performing team, mentoring Team Leads and Senior Azure Developers, fostering a strong culture focused on customer-centricity, collaboration, and team growth. - Operational Management: Assist with workforce planning and technical hiring decisions within the Azure Software Development practice, with support from your peers. - Delivery Leadership: Provide hands-on delivery leadership across the software development lifecycle, working closely with Datacom and customer teams, with strong support from the delivery practice. - Partner Relationships: Build and maintain strong relationships with relevant Azure partners. - Consulting & Delivery: Occasionally perform billable work as a Lead Azure Consultant, contributing to workshops or software delivery projects as required. - Commercial & Financial Management: Manage the commercial and financial aspects of the local Azure Software Development practice. - Regional Strategy: Assist in setting and executing the regional strategy. - Proactive Leadership: Be a self-starter, driven, enthusiastic, and collaborative. **Skills & Experience**: - Management or equivalent leadership experience of technology teams, particularly in Azure environments. - Proven experience managing and leading IT professionals and leaders, with a focus on Azure development. - Demonstrated expertise in managing client relationships, specifically within Azure projects. - Understanding of budgeting and time and resource constraints in Azure-based projects. - Deep understanding of the Digital Product Lifecycle and software delivery, with a strong emphasis on Azure cloud services. - The ability to assess clients' needs, identify customer requirements, and align them with business outcomes using Azure solutions. - Experience leading teams to develop cohesive product designs, roadmaps, technical architecture, and estimates within the Azure ecosystem. - Strong leadership, management, and organizational skills. - Demonstrated experience