Interim Global Head of Professional Services (SaaS)

Job Title: Interim Global Head of Professional Services (SaaS)
TR Ref:  13516
Location: Work from Home
Start/Duration: Starting asap, for an initial 6-month term

An exciting opportunity to join the leadership team of a rapidly expanding SaaS business, driving delivery of their complex ‘ERP type’ solutions, which use AI and advanced analytics to manage, analyse and optimise many of the key sales, finance and operations processes for enterprise customers across the globe.

Reporting directly to the MD you will contribute significantly to the strategic direction and growth of the business, whilst also leading and scaling a geographically dispersed, multi-cultural PS team of about 200 software implementation and support specialists (internal + external partners), reporting through Heads of Service Engagement, PMO, Delivery Partners and Regional Directors.

You will be accountable for: Providing a world-class customer experience; Overseeing the quality and margin of all PS engagements; Developing long-term services strategy and offerings; Driving operational best practices; Building high-performing teams; Establishing and supporting a robust PS partner ecosystem.

CAPABILITIES & EXPERIENCE:

• Experience leading a global software PS team of 100+ with c.€20m budget.
• Experience in a fast-growth B2B SaaS company, shaping and running multi-$m System Integration business line, developing best practices, operational excellence and building effective relationships with PS resource partners. [They’re growing 30% YoY and are doubling their tech and sales teams to accommodate continued growth]
• Senior customer-facing skills inc. influencing, validating, negotiating, understanding and execution.
• Extensive experience leading complex, highly integrated SaaS implementations for a software vendor or SI.
• Experience working with SI / consulting partners, jointly implementing solutions.
• Commercially driven, managing quality and delivery to budget, whilst maintaining margins.
• An authentic, trusted leader, with excellent interpersonal skills; Strong service delivery and PM skills; Able to influence and engage with different business cultures and styles across multiple regions; Experience working within fast-paced multi-layered international matrix environments.

DELIVERABLES REQUIRED FROM THIS 6-MONTH ASSIGNMENT:

Identify areas to reduce time and cost onboarding new clients and lowering their client’s total cost of ownership, specifically:

• Understand and benchmark the strengths and weaknesses of their operation, from an organisation, talent and operating practices standpoint. Suggest quick wins and a longer-term implementation/change roadmap.
• Understand the opportunities to improve key operational metrics, from a client standpoint (TCO and time to go-live) and internally (revenue, gross margin, changeability etc).
• Define a mid to long-term strategy for their System Integration practice.