Strategic Delivery & Operations Manager

About the Role

The Strategic Delivery & Operations Manager is a key leadership role responsible for overseeing service delivery excellence, operational efficiency, client engagement, and strategic workforce planning.

This individual bridges the gap between delivery execution, talent strategy, and business growth, ensuring that client outcomes, delivery maturity, and hiring strategies are aligned to organizational objectives.

The role requires a strong mix of technical depth (across Cloud, DevOps, Application Delivery), business acumen, and strategic thinking to manage multi-tower delivery while driving scale and profitability.

Key Responsibilities

1. Service Delivery & Operational Excellence

• Own end-to-end service delivery governance for multiple client engagements (Applications, Infrastructure, Cloud, DevOps, and SRE).
• Ensure SLA, KPI, and SLO adherence across projects focusing on uptime, performance, and quality metrics.
• Define and implement best practices in operations, leveraging ITIL, Agile, and DevOps frameworks.
• Partner with delivery leads and engineering managers to drive automation, observability, and cost optimization.
• Establish operational dashboards for real-time visibility into performance, productivity, and efficiency.

2. Client Engagement & Relationship Management

• Act as the strategic offshore partner for client technology and operations teams.
• Conduct governance meetings, QBRs, and executive reviews to ensure continuous alignment and satisfaction.
• Identify growth opportunities within existing accounts through innovation, new service offerings, and value delivery.
• Collaborate with account managers and sales teams to develop proposals, expand scope, and support renewals.
• Represent offshore delivery during client visits and executive steering committees.

3. Strategic Workforce & Hiring Alignment

• Partner with recruitment and HR teams to align hiring strategies with delivery growth and pipeline forecasts.
• Influence talent acquisition priorities based on business projections and technology trends (Cloud, AI/ML, FinTech, Security).
• Forecast resource demand, manage utilization, and ensure balanced workforce planning (onshore/offshore mix).
• Support in identifying and nurturing future delivery leaders and technical SMEs.
• Drive initiatives for upskilling, cross-skilling, and capability building in emerging technologies.

4. Growth & Business Operations

• Translate business strategy into delivery and operational roadmaps for growth and scalability.
• Participate in pre-sales and solutioning activities for new bids — defining delivery models, transition plans, and SLAs.
• Track and improve key operational metrics — margin, utilization, attrition, and delivery health.
• Work with finance and leadership teams to drive cost efficiency and profitability across accounts.
• Champion continuous improvement and innovation programs within delivery.

5. Technology & Industry Insight

• Maintain a strong understanding of industry trends across Banking, FinTech, and Cloud ecosystems.
• Stay current on technologies such as AWS, Azure, Kubernetes, Terraform, Observability (Datadog, Splunk), and AI Ops.
• Influence technology adoption strategies that enhance delivery agility and client value.
• Support modernization and transformation programs across client environments.

Required Skills & Experience

• 12–20 years of experience in IT Delivery and Operations, with at least 5 years in a leadership or strategic management role.
• Proven background in Service Delivery, Client Management, and Operational Governance.
• Strong understanding of Application Development, Cloud Infrastructure, and DevOps ecosystems.
• Experience managing offshore delivery for BFSI, FinTech, or Digital clients.
• Demonstrated experience in workforce planning and talent alignment.
• Excellent communication, executive presence, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution

Preferred Qualifications

• ITIL v4 / PMP / Agile / DevOps Certified Professional.
• MBA in Technology Management / Operations preferred.
• Exposure to multi-location or global delivery models (Onsite-Offshore-Nearshore).
• Experience in pre-sales solutioning and transformation programs.
• Understanding of AI/ML, FinOps, or automation-led operations is a plus.