Role Overview
Bristlecone is seeking a Director of Presales to lead the technical selling motion for its Cloud Engineering and Product Engineering Services practice. This is a practice-defining role: you will be Bristlecone's primary technical voice in competitive pursuits, the architect of winning proposals, and the strategic bridge between client business problems and Bristlecone's engineering capability.
You will work in close partnership with Account Managers, Practice Heads, and Delivery Directors to shape opportunities, respond to RFPs, lead solution workshops, and build the repeatable presales assets that scale Bristlecone's pipeline across named strategic accounts and new logo acquisitions alike. The ideal candidate combines deep cloud and engineering solutioning expertise with executive-level presence, sharp commercial instincts, and a hunger to win
.
Key Responsibiliti
esDelivery Governance & Client Management (35
- %)Own the end-to-end delivery lifecycle for multiple concurrent client engagements spanning discovery, implementation, and post-go-live managed servic
- esMaintain rigorous delivery governance including Steering Committee cadences, weekly/monthly status reviews, risk registers, and executive dashboar
- dsEnsure all delivery commitments are being met on scope, schedule, quality, and budget; proactively surface risks and implement mitigation actions before they become escalatio
- nsServe as the primary delivery relationship owner with key stakeholders (Internal & Client side) Directors, VPs, and CXOs across Bristlecone's named strategic accoun
- tsTranslate complex client business challenges into actionable delivery strategies and ensure tight alignment between client expectations and Bristlecone delivery outcom
- esDrive financial accountability across the Accounts including revenue recognition, profitability targets, margin improvement, and cost optimizati
- onEnsure continuity of services through robust transition planning and operational resilience protoco
ls
Technology Leadership & Innovation (3
- 5%)Champion the adoption of cloud-native architectures (AWS, Azure, GCP), low-code platforms, and AI/GenAI capabilities within client deliv
- eryLead the evaluation and productionization of AI-augmented engineering practices across delivery teams, including AI coding assistants (GitHub Copilot, Amazon Q), intelligent test generation, and automated code review tooling to improve delivery velocity and code qual
- ityHands-on delivery oversight of full-stack engineering programs spanning frontend frameworks (React, Angular, Vue), backend services (Java/JEE, Node.js, Python), and cloud-native runti
- mesExperience leading delivery of custom application development programs for digital transformations for both internal enterprise users and external customer-facing products, including web applications, mobile platforms, portals, and self-service to
- olsExperience governing delivery across the full SDLC from requirements and architecture through engineering, QA, UAT, and production release for complex multi-stakeholder progr
- amsPromote engineering best practices across delivery teams including DevOps pipelines, test automation, CI/CD, microservices patterns, and clean core princip
- lesDrive continuous improvement through retrospectives, delivery framework enhancements, and adoption of emerging technologies that create measurable client value, support account growth and competitive advant
age
People Leadership & Team Development (
- 20%)Lead, mentor, and develop large, distributed teams of 100 to 150+ engineers across onshore, nearshore, and offshore delivery locat
- ionsDesign and execute workforce planning and talent optimization strategies to ensure the right skills are deployed against the right delivery n
- eedsBuild new capabilities and leadership pipelines by identifying new areas and developing next-generation Development managers and QA Mana
- gersManage performance, resolve resource conflicts and escalations, and maintain high team engagement and reten
- tionCreate a culture of accountability, continuous learning, and client-first thinking across all delivery t
eams
Business Development & Growth
- (10%)Proactively identify upsell and cross-sell opportunities within named accounts and develop structured growth strategies in partnership with account and sales
- teamsContribute to RFP responses, SOWs, and business proposals by providing delivery credibility, effort estimation, and risk fr
- amingLeverage strong delivery track records to support new logo acquisition conversations and capability showcase e
- ventsWork with the PES practice head to ensure delivery outcomes feed into Bristlecone's go-to-market narrative across targeted vert
icals
Expe
- rience18 to 22+ years of IT program delivery experience, with a minimum of 6 to 8 years in senior delivery leadership roles (Delivery Director, Senior Delivery Manager, or equiv
- alent)Demonstrated track record managing multi-million-dollar client accounts and global delivery port
- foliosDeep experience with onshore-offshore delivery models across India, US, and nearshore loc
- ationsDomain exposure in one or more of: Life Sciences, Consumer Goods, Manufacturing, Retail, Agribusiness, or other related ver
ticals
Technical Compe
- tenciesCloud Platforms: Hands-on familiarity with AWS, Azure, or GCP delivery programs and cloud-native application architectures, Lift & Shift strategies (Experience with any of the
- cloud)Engineering Practices: Proficiency in Agile (Scrum, SAFe), DevOps, CI/CD, microservices, and modern test automation fra
- meworksAI-Augmented Engineering: Familiarity with AI coding assistants (GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Amazon Q, Codex, Claude) and their impact on developer productivity, code quality, and delivery velocity within engineerin
- g teamsAI Integration Patterns: Experience overseeing delivery of AI-powered features embedded within enterprise applications, including chatbots, intelligent document processing, recommendation engines, and predictive analytics
modules
Leadership & Commercia
- l SkillsExceptional executive-level communication and stakeholder management skills; able to command credibility in CXO conve
- rsationsStrong commercial acumen with experience managing P&L, margin optimization, and revenue recognition for large delivery po
- rtfoliosProven negotiation and conflict resolution skills for managing complex multi-party delivery envi
- ronmentsAbility to thrive in ambiguity, navigate organizational complexity, and drive results under challenging t
- imelinesStrong analytical mindset with the ability to synthesize delivery data into executive-level insights and recomme
ndations
Preferred Quali
- ficationsCloud certifications: Good to have (any of the certifications) AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Azure Solutions Architect Expert, or GCP Professional Cloud
- ArchitectPMP, PgMP, or equivalent program management cert
- ificationExperience working in a professional services environment with billable delivery accou
ntability