Engagement Director (German language skills required)

United Kingdom

12/19/2024

Summary

Engagement Director (DACH)

The Engagement Director (ED) has a division of labor within the full portfolio. For GWCP programs, the Engagement Director will support the Principal on the largest Guidewire engagements, leading and managing the program, ensuring successful execution, alignment with company objectives, and coordination across teams. This includes overseeing project timelines, deliverables, and stakeholder communication to drive project success. For our most important self-managed customers, the Engagement Director will continue to act as their trusted advisor and provide strategic direction and executive delivery oversight. They will own and develop long-term client relationships on behalf of Guidewire, cultivating business with clients to achieve revenue growth, profitability, and customer satisfaction. The ED ensures that all project/program interdependencies are efficiently managed and that internal teams and external partners work cohesively toward common goals.

Responsibilities

Job Description

• Customer Success and Program Management
• Sales Support and Opportunity Management
• Account and Resource Management
• Internal Advocacy and Collaboration
  
  

Customer Success and Program Management

• Accountable with the Principal for the success of assigned GWCP project(s). Serve as the primary liaison with their counterpart on the customer side for assigned customers, owning the overall relationship and ensuring that Guidewire’s services align with their long-term strategic objectives.
• Develop and execute engagement strategies that drive customer success and satisfaction across all Guidewire implementations.
  
  

Sales Support and Opportunity Management

• Engages as client lead for one or a maximum of two GWCP clients at any given time, leading
  
  

primarily Guidewire-owned projects, including strategic engagements and implementation

programs.

• Lead all projects to success on time, on value to scope and budget, while meeting quality
  
  

standards.

• Take full responsibility for the financial performance of customer engagements, including
  
  

budgeting, forecasting, and profitability analysis.

• Monitor financial metrics and implement strategies to achieve or improve projected engagement
  
  

Profitability.

Account and Resource Management

• Establish and lead governance frameworks for customer engagements.
• Proactively identify, assess, and mitigate risks at project and strategic levels.
• Collaborate with practice leadership to develop resource plans aligning customer needs and
  
  

Guidewire's strategic objectives.

• Work closely with internal teams, such as Product Development, Professional Services, and
  
  

Support, to ensure cohesive service delivery.

• Advocate for customer needs and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives.
• Build and nurture trusted relationships with C-level executives and key stakeholders within
  
  

customer organizations.

Internal Advocacy and Collaboration

• Facilitate strategic discussions to support business growth, value realization, and innovation
  
  

opportunities.

• Collaborate with Sales and Business Development teams to drive Value Roadmap engagements
  
  

during sales cycles and then translate those engagements into compelling services proposals.

• Oversee the estimation process to develop those proposals and Statements of Work (SOWs) or Change Orders.
• Define and manage project management accountability for using regular status reporting: work management, budget management, risks/issues management, etc.
• Develop strong working relationships with our Principal, sales team, customers, and partners to become their trusted advisors.
• Establish and lead governance frameworks for customer engagements (EMEA Regions)
• Proactively identify, assess, and mitigate risks at project and strategic levels.
• Proactively identify opportunities to reduce or eliminate administrative activities within the
  
  

Program/Project Management practice

• Act as an escalation point for customers and project team members.
• Reviews, approves, and in smaller engagements, will draft Work Orders (WOs) and Statements
  
  

of Work (SOWs) within a certain threshold for self-managed projects in the portfolio.

• Reviews, approves, and in smaller engagements, drafts WOs, SOWs, Proposals, and RFP
  
  

estimates for self-managed projects in the portfolio within a certain threshold.

• Proactively develops and communicates escalation mitigation plans when customers are off track with schedule, scope, and budget.
  
  

Competency/Skills Requirement

• Executive Communication and Influence: Exceptional ability to communicate with and
  
  

influence C-level executives.

• Strategic Thinking and Planning: Strong capability to develop and execute long-term strategic plans that align with customer goals and drive mutual success.
• Business Acumen: Deep understanding of business operations, financial management, and
  
  

organizational dynamics. Skilled in identifying business development opportunities and driving

growth initiatives.

• Leadership and Team Management: Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and foster a collaborative environment. Experience in mentoring and developing talent within the organization.
• Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills: Strong analytical abilities to assess complex situations and devise effective solutions. Proactive in identifying potential issues and implementing preventative measures.
• Sales Support: Strong sales acumen with an entrepreneurial mindset, capable of identifying and creating new sales opportunities through strategic thinking and proactive engagement.
• Guidewire Knowledge: Understands the Guidewire catalog and capabilities at a high level and maintains certification
• Cloud Knowledge: Understand Guidewire Cloud, Surepath (Guidewire Methodology) and maintain certifications
• DACH Insurance Industry Knowledge: Understand the Insurance Industry for on or more countries in the DACH region. Knowledge of other EMEA Insurance Industry regions an advantage.
• DACH Insurance Industry Knowledge: Experience in P&C Lines of Business (Home, Car, General Liability, etc), experience with the regulatory environment in one or more countries in the DACH region.
  
  

Required Qualifications & Skills

• Education: B. Tech or M. Tech degree in Computer Science or equivalent. Agile methodologies and project management credentials/certifications.
• Experience: Minimum of 10+ years of work experience in professional services /consultancy/Full SaaS platforms leading core transformation programs in the Insurance industry.
• Fluent in English and German (must have). Other EMEA languages (optional)
• Ability to travel to onsite within the DACH region and EMEA generally.
  
  

About Guidewire

Guidewire is the platform P&C insurers trust to engage, innovate, and grow efficiently. We combine digital, core, analytics, and AI to deliver our platform as a cloud service. More than 540+ insurers in 40 countries, from new ventures to the largest and most complex in the world, run on Guidewire.

As a partner to our customers, we continually evolve to enable their success. We are proud of our unparalleled implementation track record with 1600+ successful projects, supported by the largest R&D team and partner ecosystem in the industry. Our Marketplace provides hundreds of applications that accelerate integration, localization, and innovation.

For more information, please visit www.guidewire.com and follow us on Twitter: @Guidewire_PandC.

Guidewire Software, Inc. is proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. We are committed to an inclusive workplace, and believe that a diversity of perspectives, abilities, and cultures is a key to our success. Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, citizenship, marital status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, or disability. All offers are contingent upon passing a criminal history and other background checks where it's applicable to the position.