About Position:

Persistent is entering its next phase of growth, where AI-native delivery, outcome-based commercial models, and rigorous measurement discipline will define competitive advantage. This role will reposition Delivery Excellence from a traditional quality and governance function into a strategic enabler of growth by driving AI adoption, strengthening delivery assurance, supporting AI-led client engagements, enabling outcome-based commercial models, and building a metrics-led culture across the organization. The ideal candidate will combine deep expertise in quality frameworks, risk management, automation, AI-driven transformation, and executive stakeholder management with the ability to connect delivery outcomes to business value.

- Role: Delivery Excellence leader
- Location: Pune
- Experience: 20+ years
- Job Type: Full Time Employment
- Mandatory Mention 3 skills: IT service delivery, quality management, operational excellence, and process transformation.

What You'll Do:

1. Delivery Excellence & Quality Governance

- Ensure Delivery Assurance across the organization through structured intervention, planning, tracking, governance, and reporting.
- Establish and maintain quality frameworks aligned to CMMI, ISO 9001, ITIL, Agile, Lean, and industry best practices.
- Own and govern the Software Engineering Process Group (SEPG), ensuring process definition, rollout, adoption, and measurability
- across the organization.
- Lead and manage the Agile Center of Excellence (Agile COE) to drive agile maturity and execution excellence.
- Strengthen quality governance through data-driven decision making and continuous improvement initiatives.

2.Risk Management & Executive Governance

- Establish multi-tier governance mechanisms to proactively identify, monitor, and mitigate delivery and operational risks.
- Create strong linkages between delivery performance, quality indicators, business outcomes, and customer satisfaction.
- Lead executive-level escalation management for critical delivery, quality, customer, operational, and transformation-related issues.
- Drive root cause analysis and implementation of preventive and corrective actions across the delivery organization.

3. AI Adoption, Measurement & Governance

- Define and own an enterprise-wide AI adoption framework that measures productivity improvement, quality impact, business value
- realization, and operational efficiency.
- Establish leading and lagging indicators to differentiate meaningful AI adoption from simple usage metrics.




- Build executive dashboards that connect AI adoption to delivery performance, customer outcomes, productivity, margins, and
- quality.
- Drive governance mechanisms to ensure responsible, measurable, and scalable adoption of AI and GenAI capabilities across
- delivery functions.
- Promote innovation through AI-led transformation programs with clearly defined business outcomes.

4. Elevating the Organization for AI-Led Engagements & Outcome-Based Delivery

- Partner with Sales, Delivery, Finance, and Technology leadership to evolve the organization's delivery model for AI-native services.
- Enable the transition from effort-based delivery models toward outcome-based, value-based, and AI-driven engagement models.
- Establish governance, quality controls, delivery assurance frameworks, and risk management practices for AI and GenAI-led client
- engagements.
- Define delivery metrics, SLAs, and measurement frameworks that support outcome-based commercial constructs and make
- business value transparent and auditable.
- Lead initiatives to elevate organizational capability, operating models, talent readiness, governance frameworks, and delivery
- practices to support increased AI engagement opportunities and accelerate the adoption of outcome-based engagements across
- the enterprise.

5. Operational Excellence, Automation & AI-Powered Delivery Excellence

- Lead the development and implementation of automated delivery and governance processes to enhance efficiency, scalability, and
- quality.
- Drive automation initiatives using AI-driven analytics, predictive modeling, and GenAI-based interventions.
- Automate quality audits, risk identification, compliance monitoring, reporting, and governance activities wherever feasible.
- Leverage AI to improve insight generation, decision-making, and operational effectiveness within the Delivery Excellence function.
- Position Delivery Excellence as a model organization for AI-led transformation and operational innovation.

6. Stakeholder Leadership & Capability Building

- Collaborate closely with Delivery, Sales, Technology, Finance, and Business leadership teams to identify and eliminate systemic
- inefficiencies.




- Influence strategic decisions through data-driven insights and delivery excellence expertise.
- Build organizational capability by mentoring teams on delivery excellence, process optimization, quality management, risk
- governance, AI adoption, and operational transformation.
- Develop a strong leadership bench and foster a culture of continuous improvement and accountability.

Expertise You'll Bring:

- 20+ years of experience in IT service delivery, quality management, operational excellence, and process transformation.
- Deep expertise in CMMI, ISO 9001, ITIL, Agile, Lean, Six Sigma, and enterprise quality governance.
- Six Sigma Black Belt or equivalent certification.
- Strong experience with delivery assurance, risk management, executive governance, and escalation management.
- Demonstrated experience driving enterprise-wide AI adoption, automation, digital transformation, and value realization initiatives.
- Working knowledge of commercial models including Time & Material, Fixed Price, Outcome-Based, and Value-Based engagements.
- Experience with AI-driven analytics, predictive modeling, GenAI-based process automation, and performance measurement frameworks.

Advantages:

- Competitive salary and benefits package
- Culture focused on talent development with quarterly growth opportunities and company-sponsored higher education and certifications
- Opportunity to work with cutting-edge technologies
- Employee engagement initiatives such as project parties, flexible work hours, and Long Service awards
- Annual health check-ups
- Insurance coverage: group term life, personal accident, and Mediclaim hospitalization for self, spouse, two children, and parents

Values-Driven, People-Centric & Inclusive Work Environment:

Persistent is dedicated to fostering diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We invite applications from all qualified individuals, including those with disabilities, and regardless of gender or gender preference. We welcome diverse candidates from all backgrounds.

- We support hybrid work and flexible hours to fit diverse lifestyles.
- Our office is accessibility-friendly, with ergonomic setups and assistive technologies to support employees with physical disabilities.
- If you are a person with disabilities and have specific requirements, please inform us during the application process or at any time during your employment

Let’s unleash your full potential at Persistent - persistent.com/careers

“Persistent is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind."

📌 Delivery Excellence leader (Pune)
🏢 Persistent Systems
📍 Pune