Modernisation- Cloud Specialist & GTM Lead

Job Description

Avanade is growing rapidly in Microsoft’s Mid-market and Corporate space (the upper end of what Microsoft calls its SME&C segment) and has embarked in a journey to transform the IT Services market in that space.

Avanade is already serving hundreds of SME&C clients across AI Business Solutions, Cloud & AI Platforms, and Security. Our focus now is structure and repeatability — packaging 25 years of enterprise experience into scalable, predictable motions designed specifically for SME&C. To enable this- we have launched a dedicated SME&C Business Unit which will have Solution specific ‘Catalyst Squads’ which will be virtual teams taking an opportunity for prepackaged and repeatable ‘Catalyst Solutions’ from qualified lead through to delivery completion .

The Modernisation- Cloud Specialist & GTM Lead brings deep domain and industry knowledge to their Catalyst Squad – and uses it to move mid – market customers from uncertainty to commitment fast. They know the Frontier Solution catalogue, know what works for a 600 – person manufacturer or 1,000 – person financial services firm, and walk into customer conversations with conviction. They bring genuine innovation – practical agentic AI and platform capability that changes outcomes at this scale – not aspiration.

They lead a geographically distributed squad across the full customer lifecycle: outcome definition, readiness, delivery, adoption and operate /improve. They actively identify IP and reusable assets from squad delivery and collaborate with global squads to scale what works.

~50–60% of capacity is customer – facing. Reports to Area Catalyst Squads Lead.

Domain and industry – led customer engagement

Bring opinionated, domain – deep and industry – relevant point of view to every customer conversation – know what good looks like for a mid – market customer in their sector and say so directly

Identify what is blocking the customer from moving (confidence, capacity, readiness, sponsorship) and sequence the right Frontier Solution entry point to remove that blocker fast

Bring innovation into the conversation where it matters – practical application of agentic AI, automation and platform capability that changes the outcome for a business at this scale, not theoretical roadmaps

Move from first meeting to signed engagement in weeks, not months – designed for 2–4 – week deal cycles with empowered decision – makers

Full lifecycle outcome ownership

Define business outcomes and value metrics at engagement start; own their realisation through delivery, adoption and into operate /improve

Lead readiness and assessment solutions where required – fast, opinionated diagnostics that get customers to a decision, not extended discovery

Stay engaged through operate and improve phases – identifying the next constraint, the next Frontier Solution opportunity and the next wave of value

Run QBR cadence with customers; validate outcome achievement and build the forward roadmap

Squad leadership and IP creation

Lead a geographically distributed squad of balanced capability – architects, delivery consultants, change and adoption specialists across market units

Build squad capability: develop team members, manage utilisation and ensure the squad has the domain depth and industry knowledge required to deliver Frontier Solutions with conviction

Actively identify reusable patterns, assets and IP from squad delivery – accelerators, playbooks, outcome models, agentic components – and collaborate with global squads and Catalyst Solutions to scale what works

Contribute innovations from the field: new solution patterns, industry – specific approaches and agentic applications that sharpen the global Frontier Solutions portfolio

Microsoft co – sell and commercial execution

Co – sell directly with Microsoft ATU/STU – connecting Frontier Solutions to the customer's Microsoft investment and platform roadmap in language the customer and Microsoft field both understand

Configure the commercial bundle with the CSP Specialist; ensure pricing and co – investment structure removes friction to proceeding

Brief the Solution Architect on transformation context and outcome priorities, work as a unit on pre – sales and delivery

Key Performance Indicators

Win rate: >45% on qualified opportunities pursued

Customer advocacy (NPS): >40 per engagement

Net Revenue Retention: >120% across managed customer base

Expansion rate: >30% of customers purchasing next – wave Catalyst Solutions within 12 months

% deals solutioned with AI: proportion of deals with SP51 AI efficiency tag ( EvolveAI )

Microsoft co – sell contribution

Qualification

Craft & technical

Deep domain knowledge in the squad's primary domain

Industry fluency in the sectors that matter to the squad – knows the business model, the pressure points and the Microsoft platform patterns that work for those customers

Outcome definition, value modelling and ROI/TCO construction for mid – market buyers

Full lifecycle capability: assess and readiness, implementation, adoption, operate and improve

Agentic AI practical application – knows where it genuinely changes outcomes at mid – market scale and positions it with conviction

IP identification and productization from squad delivery

Behavioural

Opinionated and direct – tells customers what to do based on experience, doesn't over – facilitate

Brings innovation with pragmatism – introduces what's new where it genuinely matters, not for its own sake

Velocity oriented – optimised for fast cycles, iterative execution and momentum over perfection

Commercially sharp – sequences engagements for long – term value and NRR, not just deal close

Leadership

L eads distributed, balanced – capability squads across geographies with clear outcome accountability

Develops domain and industry depth in the squad through visible craft standards and collaborative delivery

Builds relationships at MD/Director/VP level in SME&C customer organisations – trusted because of what they know, not just who they are

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Domain and/or industry depth: Genuine expertise in the squad's primary CSA domain and the industries that matter to the squad — knows the business model, pressure points and Microsoft patterns that work for those customers.

Transformation advisory with pragmatism: Removes customer blockers fast using Frontier Solution patterns; doesn't over-discover or over-design. Opinionated and direct.

Full lifecycle capability: Personally capable across the full arc: assess and readiness, implementation, adoption, operate and improvement .

Innovation application: Knows where agentic AI and platform innovation genuinely changes outcomes at mid-market scale; positions it with conviction, not as aspiration.

IP identification: Recognizes reusable patterns in squad delivery and drives their productization into the global Frontier Solutions catalogue.

Player-coach squad leadership: Leads a distributed, balanced-capability squad with clear outcome accountability while remaining personally active in customer delivery.

Education, Certifications and Experience

8+ years in technology consulting with a strong transformation and delivery track record in at least one Microsoft CSA domain

Demonstrable domain depth and industry knowledge – not generalist; can walk into a sector-specific customer conversation with immediate credibility

Track record of owning NRR and customer expansion – accountable for what happens after delivery, not just the engagement itself

Experience leading distributed squads or teams across geographies, with utilization and outcome accountability

Mid-market client experience strongly preferred – comfortable with faster cycles and more direct customer accountability than large enterprise

Active Microsoft certifications in the relevant CSA domain preferred