Head, Technology Solutions

The Head Technology Solutions is accountable for MCLs technical strategy solution architecture presales quality delivery assurance service reliability and technical talent across Communication & Connectivity Data Centre Infrastructure Cybersecurity and Managed Services. Reporting to the Group Chief Operating Officer the role must combine deep technical credibility with commercial judgement disciplined operational leadership and the ability to build an enduring technical institution.

The mandate is to ensure that MCL wins the right opportunities with solutions that are differentiated implementable cost-accurate secure and supportableand then delivers those commitments to scope time quality margin and service-level expectations. The role is expected to raise presales conversion standardise reusable architectures improve OEM technical leverage and build a stronger technical leadership bench.

Define MCLs technical direction. Maintain a practical 24-month roadmap across networking collaboration data-centre infrastructure cybersecurity hybrid cloud and managed services.

Create reusable architectures. Establish reference designs standards bills of material assumptions implementation patterns and quality checklists for priority offerings.

Modernise the portfolio. Integrate automation observability SASE zero-trust cloud/hybrid patterns and secure-by-design principles where commercially relevant.

Guide investment choices. Recommend which capabilities labs certifications and partnerships MCL should build buy or partner for based on market demand and expected return.

Own presales operating discipline. Set intake prioritisation qualification design-review costing and approval standards for material opportunities.

Improve conversion. Lead or sponsor solution shaping for strategic pursuits and work with Sales to raise qualified-opportunity win rates toward 3540%.

Ensure implementability. Validate architecture scope effort skills timelines dependencies acceptance criteria support model and transition requirements before commitment.

Improve proposal quality. Ensure SOWs solution narratives compliance matrices assumptions exclusions and deliverables are clear and internally consistent.

Protect solution economics. Engineer solutions to achieve the approved gross-margin threshold through design optimisation reusable assets skills planning and OEM leverage.

Validate total cost. Ensure BOMs and estimates capture licences support freight taxes exchange exposure subcontractors travel implementation effort warranty and lifecycle obligations.

Control scope risk. Identify ambiguity change exposure integration risk and hidden delivery dependencies before pricing and contracting.

Support deal governance. Provide an explicit technical risk rating and recommendation for major bids and exceptions.

Set delivery standards. Establish project quality gates from solution handover through design implementation testing acceptance documentation and support transition.

Oversee strategic programmes. Sponsor complex multi-site or high-risk engagements and intervene early when milestones scope cost or customer confidence are threatened.

Strengthen handover. Ensure complete transfer of commercial and technical commitments to project and service teams before mobilisation.

Drive lessons learned. Convert project outcomes defects and customer feedback into improved architectures estimates runbooks and delivery methods.

Own service-quality architecture. Define service catalogues SLAs/OLAs support models escalation paths capacity plans and service reporting standards.

Mature ITSM practices. Improve incident problem change configuration knowledge and continual-improvement processes using pragmatic ITIL principles.

Lead major-incident governance. Ensure timely technical command stakeholder communication root-cause analysis and corrective action for severity 1 and 2 incidents.

Increase recurring value. Work with Sales and Operations to productise support and managed services that are repeatable measurable and profitable.

Act as trusted technical adviser. Engage customer CIOs CTOs CISOs and infrastructure leaders on roadmaps architecture choices risk and investment priorities.

Translate business needs. Connect business outcomes operational constraints and regulatory requirements to practical technology decisions.

Strengthen market credibility. Lead executive briefings technical workshops solution showcases and selected thought-leadership activities.

Support customer recovery. Provide senior technical leadership where solution delivery or service issues threaten strategic relationships.

Lead technical partner strategy. Own solution alignment competency roadmaps escalation channels and joint technical initiatives with priority OEMs.

Improve technical leverage. Use OEM architects labs proofs of concept competitive support and specialisation programmes to strengthen pursuits and delivery.

Maintain partner readiness. Ensure certifications and specialisations required for market access rebates and delivery credibility are achieved and sustained.

Resolve escalations. Lead technical engagement with OEMs on product defects interoperability support and architecture exceptions.

Build a strong leadership bench. Clarify accountabilities across Practice Leads Architects Presales Engineers Delivery Leads and Service Leads.

Develop critical skills. Create role-based capability plans certification pathways mentoring succession and practical knowledge-sharing.

Optimise capacity. Maintain visibility of skills utilisation workload subcontractor dependence and upcoming demand.

Set performance standards. Use measurable technical delivery customer and people KPIs; recognise strong performance and address gaps promptly.

Embed security and compliance. Ensure solutions meet contractual regulatory data-protection resilience and customer control requirements.

Maintain technical documentation. Set standards for architecture records as-built documentation configurations runbooks asset information DR/BCP and knowledge artefacts.

Manage technical risk. Maintain a visible register of material architecture delivery service and lifecycle risks with owners and remediation dates.

Support audit and governance. Provide evidence and corrective action for technical service and partner-compliance reviews.

Partner with the GCOO. Translate MCLs operating strategy into clear technology delivery and capability priorities; provide transparent performance information challenge unimplementable commitments and escalate material technical or service risks early.

Partner with the Head of Sales. Shape strategic pursuits agree presales priorities and ensure commitments remain both competitive and executable.

Partner with the GCFO and Supply Chain. Improve cost accuracy margin vendor terms asset planning and investment decisions.

Represent Technology. Provide concise EMT and Board-level reporting on presales delivery service quality capability OEM status and material risk.

Bachelors degree in Computer Science Engineering or a related discipline; MSc MBA or equivalent executive education is advantageous.

Minimum 12 years experience delivering enterprise technology solutions including at least five years in a senior technology architecture presales or delivery leadership role.

Deep practical experience across at least two of MCLs core domainsenterprise networking and collaboration data-centre infrastructure cybersecurity and managed serviceswith sufficient breadth to govern the full portfolio.

Demonstrable leadership of architects presales engineers delivery leads and technical teams on complex multi-site enterprise programmes.

Strong managed-services ITSM/ITIL SLA and major-incident experience.

Credible C-level customer advisory experience and the ability to translate business requirements into technology roadmaps and executable designs.

Strong OEM technical engagement with vendors such as Cisco Fortinet HPE Huawei Nutanix Microsoft VMware/Broadcom NetApp or equivalent ecosystems.

Relevant advanced certificationssuch as CCIE/CCNP Fortinet FCP/FCSS CISSP ITIL cloud virtualisation storage or data-centre credentialsare strongly preferred; certification mix should reflect the candidates principal domains.