Manager - Delivery Excellence

ZS is a place where passion changes lives. As a management consulting and technology firm focused on improving life and how we live it, we transform ideas into impact by bringing together data, science, technology and human ingenuity to deliver better outcomes for all. Here you'll work side-by-side with a powerful collective of thinkers and experts shaping life-changing solutions for patients, caregivers and consumers, worldwide. ZSers drive impact by bringing a client-first mentality to each and every engagement. We partner collaboratively with our clients to develop custom solutions and technology products that create value and deliver company results across critical areas of their business. Bring your curiosity for learning, bold ideas, courage and passion to drive life-changing impact to ZS.
Manager - Delivery Excellence
ZS is a professional services firm that works side by side with companies to help develop and deliver products that drive customer value and company results. From R&D to portfolio strategy, customer insights, marketing and sales strategy, operations and technology, we leverage our deep industry expertise and leading-edge analytics to create solutions that work in the real world. Our most valuable asset are our people-a fact that's reflected in our values-driven organization in which new perspectives are integral and new ideas are celebrated. ZSers are passionately committed to helping companies and their customers thrive in industries ranging from healthcare and life sciences, to high-tech, financial services, travel and transportation, and beyond.
Role Summary
The Delivery Excellence Manager would be responsible for driving delivery maturity, operational discipline, and predictable outcomes across programs and portfolios. This role establishes and embeds delivery governance frameworks, strengthens risk management, modernizes delivery practices through digital and AI-enabled tools, and enables teams to consistently achieve high-quality results. The Manager acts as a trusted advisor to delivery, technology, and business leaders-helping reduce delivery risk, improve performance, and elevate client confidence.
Key Responsibilities

1. Delivery Excellence Strategy & Governance

• Develop and evolve delivery frameworks, maturity models, processes, and standards across the organization.
• Partner with leadership to drive accountability, delivery discipline, and adoption of best practices.
• Lead modernization of delivery practices, including platform-led and AI-enabled delivery capabilities.

1. Lead the Delivery Excellence (4A) Model

• Assess: Evaluate delivery maturity, risks, challenges, and readiness for high-impact programs.
• Activate: Establish foundational delivery governance, ways of working, and KPIs for new or complex programs.
• Assist: Provide targeted coaching and support to resolve delivery issues and improve execution.
• Audit: Conduct periodic delivery audits and maturity reviews to ensure standards compliance and performance improvement.

1. Risk, Governance & Compliance Integration

• Strengthen delivery risk management and align practices with broader governance and compliance functions.
• Collaborate with Legal, Finance, Security, and PMO teams to shape cross-functional governance and controls.
• Support unified risk assessment methodologies to ensure consistent evaluation across programs.

1. Quality & Framework Development

• Enhance delivery frameworks, SOPs, playbooks, templates, and operating models.
• Promote quality assurance practices-peer reviews, coding standards, test hygiene, automation, and defect management.
• Drive digital and AI-enabled delivery improvements such as automated reviews, planning insights, and risk forecasting.

1. Stakeholder Engagement & Change Leadership

• Serve as a senior advisor to delivery and business leaders, guiding adoption of delivery excellence practices.
• Lead enablement programs-training, workshops, playbook rollouts, and communication initiatives.
• Champion delivery governance, quality culture, and proactive risk management.

1. Measurement & Reporting

• Define delivery KPIs and success measures, including predictability, quality, and risk indicators.
• Produce dashboards, insights, and maturity assessments to inform leadership decision-making.
• Quantify the impact of delivery excellence initiatives on program health and client outcomes.

Skills, Experience & Qualifications
Professional Experience

• 10-12 years in delivery excellence, program management, quality, operational excellence, or governance roles.
• Experience leading governance for large, multi-vendor, multi-team, or complex transformation programs. Exposure to large-scale delivery modernization or operational excellence initiatives.
• Strong background in delivery audits, readiness assessments, risk evaluation, and CAPA cycles.
• Experience collaborating across enterprise functions such as Legal, Finance, IT, Security, and PMO.
• Working knowledge of ISO 9001, CMMI, ITIL, ISO 27001, and other delivery/quality governance frameworks.

Technical & Methodological Skills

• Strong grounding in Agile, Hybrid, and SDLC methodologies; planning, estimation, backlog management, and QA.
• Proficiency in delivery governance tools (e.g., JIRA, ServiceNow, Confluence, project management tools, risk platforms).
• Understanding of AI-enabled delivery approaches (AI-assisted planning, automated review, risk sensing).
• Ability to design governance processes, metrics frameworks, dashboards, and reporting models.

Change Leadership & Communication Skills

• Demonstrated ability to drive behavior change and uplift delivery maturity across global teams.
• Strong facilitation skills-able to lead workshops, training sessions, and leadership briefings.
• Outstanding communication and influence skills with senior stakeholders.

Behavioral Competencies

• Structured, disciplined, and able to bring clarity in complex situations.
• Strong analytical and risk-sensing capability; proactive and solution-oriented.
• Consultative mindset-able to define "what good looks like" and guide teams toward it.
• Commitment to fostering a culture of accountability, quality, and continuous improvement.

Education & Certifications

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree preferred (MBA, Engineering, Operations).
• Preferred certifications: Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, CQE/CQA, Scrum Master/Agile Coach, CISA/CISM, ISO 9001/27001 Auditor/Implementer.

How you'll grow:

• Cross-functional skills development & custom learning pathways
• Milestone training programs aligned to career progression opportunities
• Internal mobility paths that empower growth via s-curves, individual contribution and role expansions

Perks & Benefits:
At ZS, your growth matters. We offer a comprehensive total rewards package that supports your health and well-being, financial future, time away, and professional development. With robust skills-building programs, multiple career progression paths, internal mobility, and a deeply collaborative culture, you'll have the opportunity to do meaningful work, expand your capabilities, and thrive as part of a global community. For details on total rewards in India , visit ZS India office locations | Where we work | ZS .
Hybrid working model:
We are committed to giving our employees a flexible and connected way of working. A flexible and connected ZS allows us to combine work from home and on-site presence at clients/ZS offices for the majority of our week. The magic of ZS culture and innovation thrives in both planned and spontaneous face-to-face connections.
Travel:
Travel is a requirement at ZS for client facing ZSers; business needs of your project and client are the priority. While some projects may be local, all client-facing ZSers should be prepared to travel as needed. Travel provides opportunities to strengthen client relationships, gain diverse experiences, and enhance professional growth by working in different environments and cultures.
Considering applying?
At ZS, we honor the visible and invisible elements of our identities, personal experiences, and belief systems-the ones that comprise us as individuals, shape who we are, and make us unique. We believe your personal interests, identities, and desire to learn are integral to your success here. We are committed to building a team that reflects a broad variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. Learn more about our inclusion and belonging efforts and the networks ZS supports to assist our ZSers in cultivating community spaces and obtaining the resources they need to thrive.
If you're eager to grow, contribute, and bring your unique self to our work, we encourage you to apply.
ZS is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment and advancement opportunities without regard to any class protected by applicable law.
To complete your application:
Candidates must possess or be able to obtain work authorization for their intended country of employment. An on-line application, including a full set of transcripts (official or unofficial), is required to be considered.
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Find Out More At:
www.zs.com