Head of Application Delivery

Atkins is part of the SNC Lavalin Group of companies, the delivery of its IT is via a function called Group IS which is organized as a global operation with significant presence in India (India Shared Service Centre). 

Group IS has developed an operating model (IS2020+) to evolve the way IT services are provided to the company, moving from a ‘Business as Usual’ focus to an organization driven by joint technology roadmap with the business and enabling business value. 

Key concepts include:  getting the basics right, being a true partner to the business, information assurance & security, career management for our staff, and supporting the organization on its digital journey.

Purpose of the Role:

• This role leads the delivery of IS services from India and is responsible for providing leadership and line management to the India based Application Delivery Teams in a matrix management structure.
• The role is expected to manage the Corporate Systems & Bespoke Applications delivery teams in India and provide delivery assurance for the work these teams are delivering.  The role will be responsible for liaising with the IS Functional Heads of these services based in our other global locations, understanding the work priorities and helping teams translate these to actions on the ground.
• The role will ensure that the Corporate Systems teams that provide services to maintain and manage the various ERPs and IT systems used by HR, Finance, Legal and Sales functions are given the guidance and coaching to deliver consistently. The role will help the team leads plan and execute their work, in line with the expectations of the Functional Managers and the stakeholders in the business.
• The role will ensure that the management of the portfolio of bespoke applications and off-the-shelf products that are used by different business teams. Here, the role is expected to drive simplification of the portfolio, adopt a right sourcing approach, embed the concepts of Agile and DevOps in the team, and manage an extended 3rd party supply chain that supports the internal team and/or products. The role will support the team leads and the team managers plan and execute their activities in a consistent fashion, aligning with the technology roadmap of the organization.
• The role will also face the Atkins business to understand the business requirements to address the software requirements of our Design and Engineering teams. The role will provide support to the business on bids and proof-of-concept work for the end customers of Atkins / SNCL, playing the role of an enabler to the business teams.
• In general, this role is required to provide support to the teams to be successful and oversee how the teams are working together and collaborating to deliver the desired outcomes. The role will be responsible for delivery assurance, people management, process management, performance management, employee engagement and employee development for the staff in India.
• The role will represent the India delivery teams in Operational Reviews and provide the necessary input for the Operational and Senior Leadership Teams to drive decisions. The role will also anchor and drive the actions coming from the Operational Reviews that have a bearing on the India delivery teams.
• Liaise with the Functional Managers globally, to understand the services / work packages that needs to be delivered by the India Delivery teams, ensuring clear understanding the objectives and priorities so that they can be translated to actions on the ground.
• Manage highly skilled Applications Delivery Teams in India (from a work and people management perspective) and provide delivery assurance for the services delivered.
• Liaise with the business to provide the necessary technical support required from the team, to support bids and other project activities.
• Lead and manage the delivery teams, including hiring, mentoring, appraisal and professional development.
• Manage the team in supporting foundational components and providing high service quality through proactive planning and operational excellence.
• Create an environment for innovation, where team members contribute meaningful ideas aimed at service improvement and automation.
• Drive the right behaviors in the team including customer focus, cross-team collaboration, proactive communication and adherence to established policies, processes and procedures
• Create long-term and short-term plans to address issues and develop a program of continuous improvement for the organization.
• Jointly review team KPIs with the Global Functional Managers and drive corrective actions and continuous improvement of the same
• Represent the delivery teams in the Operational Reviews, presenting key metrics on operational performance and actions taken to address risks and issues.
• Work with senior management during the budgeting process to ensure that all requirements are captured. Participate in budget reviews to ensure adherence to committed budget and reduce variance.
• Experience gained over many years of experience in Application Development & Maintenance, dealing with both ERP systems and bespoke applications
• Working knowledge of the Microsoft development stack for both on-premises and cloud- based delivery models.
• Practitioner level knowledge of Agile and DevOps, with experience of having implemented these in teams
• Degree educated (or equivalent) in Information Technology or related subject or significant relevant experience. An MBA degree is a plus.
• Excellent communication skills across varying levels of management.
• Extensive experience working in an Information Technology environment that delivered application development projects globally from India.
• Experience of managing global stakeholders at the senior and executive level, with sound articulation and communication skills to engage an executive audience.
• Sound people management experience with proven ability to manage large cross-functional teams of highly skilled IT professionals
• Well-connected in the local IT landscape in India, including strong business relationships with IT service providers, Consulting Organizations and Industry bodies

Key Behaviors:

• Consultative & Collaborative Leadership style
• Proven ability to work in a matrix environment, bringing the right balance between functional management and line management.
• Proactive in managing the customer, stakeholders and teams.
• Continuous improvement focus, to constantly raise the bar for self and the teams and improve the ways of working
• Manage change effectively, with the right balance between process adherence and speed of implementation
• Agile mindset focused on adapting to change and delivering working solutions to the business.
• Articulate and effective communication skills, with the ability to engage senior stakeholders in meaningful business conversations
• Relationship oriented, build healthy partnership with the customer, the business, teams and vendors.