At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the growth and success of our Cloud & AI Platforms Practice.
- Company: Join a forward-thinking tech company with a focus on innovation.
- Benefits: Enjoy 25 days holiday, flexible working, and top-notch tech.
- Other info: Opportunity for career progression in a dynamic environment.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a senior leadership role with autonomy.
- Qualifications: Extensive IT services experience and strong leadership skills required.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
The Practice Director – Microsoft Cloud & AI Platforms is a senior leadership role with full accountability for the growth, profitability, and long‑term success of the Cloud & AI Platforms Practice Group. This Practice Area comprises Azure Migrate, Modernise & Manage, Fabric Unified Data Platform, and Foundry AI, and exists to operate this combined portfolio as a single, high‑performing business unit within Nasstar.
Acting as the general manager and owner of the Practice Area, the Practice Director holds end‑to‑end P&L responsibility and is accountable for building a profitable, scalable business. This includes setting the commercial strategy, shaping and continuously evolving the service portfolio, driving pipeline development, and ensuring that delivery quality and customer outcomes translate into sustained financial performance.
The role is an active, front‑line leadership position, expected to engage directly with customers, work alongside sellers, and maintain a visible presence in the London office to influence deal progression and practice growth. The core purpose of the role is to own and grow the business: to accelerate pipeline development, enable sellers and marketing with clear, differentiated propositions, and ensure offerings across cloud platforms, data, and AI remain commercially relevant.
This requires continuous evolution of services informed by customer demand, delivery insight, and market change. Ultimately, the Practice Director – Microsoft Cloud & AI Platforms is accountable for revenue growth, margin performance, and predictable outcomes, while developing strong Practice Leads and teams who can deliver at scale. The role represents the Practice Area at senior level internally and with Microsoft, ensuring the practice operates as a franchise business within Nasstar.
What does Success look like:
- Growth & Financial Targets Achieved: The Cloud & AI Platforms Practice consistently meets or exceeds its combined revenue, margin, and pipeline targets. Growth is driven through close, active partnership with Sales leadership and sellers, with the Practice Director directly supporting pipeline development, opportunity shaping, and deal progression.
- Excellence in Delivery & Client Satisfaction: Projects and managed services across cloud, data, and AI platforms are delivered on time, within budget, and to high‑quality standards, resulting in excellent customer feedback, repeat business, and positive references.
- Integrated & High‑Performing Practice: All three Solution Areas operate in a unified and synergistic way, guided by a clear strategy and complementary offerings.
- Empowered Leadership & Capability Development: Practice Leads and their teams are high performing, engaged and continuously developing.
Key Responsibilities
- Commercial Performance & P&L Accountability: Own overall P&L responsibility for the Practice Area. Set and monitor revenue, margin, and pipeline targets. Work closely with Sales leadership and sellers to drive pipeline growth, shape opportunities and support strategic deals.
- Go-to-Market Alignment & Partnership Management: Define and maintain a consistent go‑to‑market narrative across the Practice Area. Enable Sales and Marketing with outcome‑led propositions.
- Practice Strategy & Portfolio Leadership: Set the strategic direction and continuously evolve the service portfolio across AI adoption, productivity and communications.
- Delivery Oversight & Service Integration: Accountable for delivery quality and customer outcomes across all projects and managed services.
- People Leadership & Capability Development: Lead, coach and develop the three Practice Leads. Build a high‑performance culture, address capability gaps, sponsor training and recruitment and ensure succession planning across the Practice Area.
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
- Extensive experience in IT services/consulting, including senior leadership of a practice or service line (e.g., Head of Practice, Practice Lead, Service Line Director or similar).
- Deep understanding of Microsoft’s Cloud, Data/AI or Modern Workplace solutions, with experience shaping go‑to‑market strategies and service offerings.
- Strong leadership track record – managing teams and developing talent.
- A strategic, entrepreneurial outlook – eager to ‘run their own business’ within a larger context.
Benefits
- 25 days’ holiday (excluding bank holidays) + Your Birthday Off
- Flexible working – it’s important to maintain a work/life balance
- Top tech – Leading services and solutions aren’t just for our clients; we supply best‑of‑breed software and hardware for all our staff too
- 4x annual salary life assurance
- Health cash plan
- Retail discounts and other perks from major brands
Practice Director – Microsoft Cloud & AI Platforms employer: Nasstar
At Nasstar, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic and supportive work culture that fosters professional growth and innovation. As a Practice Director in the Microsoft Cloud & AI Platforms team, you will enjoy flexible working arrangements, a competitive salary, and access to top-tier technology, all while leading a high-performing team dedicated to delivering excellence in cloud solutions. Our commitment to employee development and well-being ensures that you can thrive in your career while making a meaningful impact in the tech industry.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Practice Director – Microsoft Cloud & AI Platforms
✨Join the IT Consultancy Buzz
Get involved in local or virtual IT consultancy meetups and forums. This is where we can rub shoulders with industry professionals, get insights into what Nasstar values, and even spot unadvertised opportunities. Don't miss out on these chances to make a name for ourselves in the IT world!
✨Show Off Your Skills
Create a personal project or case study relevant to the challenges Nasstar might face. Use platforms like GitHub or Medium to share your findings. This not only demonstrates our consulting skills but shows a proactive attitude, making us stand out from the crowd when applying for that full-time gig.
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Follow and engage with the relevant thought leaders and influencers in IT consultancy on LinkedIn. Share insightful content and join discussions to gain visibility. A well-placed comment or shared article could catch the attention of someone at Nasstar!
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We think you need these skills to ace Practice Director – Microsoft Cloud & AI Platforms
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills:In IT consulting, it's all about problem-solving, so make sure your CV highlights your analytical skills and any relevant projects you've tackled. Mention specific technologies or methodologies you've used to resolve issues or improve processes; this shows you can think critically and deliver results, which is vital for us at Nasstar.
Highlight Relevant Certifications:Certifications like ITIL, PMP, or even specific tech stack qualifications can really make you stand out. Make sure to include these in your CV, as they not only demonstrate your expertise but also your commitment to staying current in the field. We love seeing candidates who are proactive about their professional development!
Tailor Your Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to connect personally with us at Nasstar. Share stories about your experiences in IT consulting, and how they shaped your desire to join our team. Mention why you’re excited about this particular role, and how you see yourself contributing to our projects.
Keep It Clear and Concise:We're all busy, so make sure your application is easy to read. Use bullet points for key achievements, and don’t overload us with jargon. A clean, professional layout goes a long way. Remember, the clearer your application, the more likely we are to invite you in for an interview!
How to prepare for a job interview at Nasstar
✨Brush Up on Your Technical Skills
For an IT consulting role, be ready to demonstrate your technical prowess. You might face questions on systems integration, cloud technologies, or even troubleshooting specific software. If you have experience with tools like AWS, Azure, or even specific programming languages, make sure you can talk about them fluently.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Approach
IT consulting is all about solving problems for clients. Think about how you can illustrate your approach to a past challenge using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). It's a great way to show how you tackle complex issues and come up with effective solutions.
✨Know the Business Impact of IT Solutions
When discussing your experiences, focus not just on the tech solutions you implemented, but also on their business impact. Employers want to see that you can connect IT with organisational goals. Prep examples that highlight how your tech contributions improved efficiency or reduced costs for past clients or projects.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
Since IT consulting often involves teamwork and client interactions, expect behavioural questions that assess your interpersonal skills. Be prepared with examples that demonstrate your adaptability, communication skills, and how you handle client feedback. Before the interview, think of situations where you worked closely with clients to create effective IT strategies or changes.
