What is a Delivery Lead?
The vision of Source Allies is to be the preferred place of employment for technologists seeking mastery. A technologist can take several forms and includes roles beyond engineering. The role I fill is a delivery lead, but a common question I’m asked is “What is a Delivery Lead?”
A Day in the Life of a Delivery Lead
As a Delivery Lead at Source Allies, I am responsible for leading high-performing teams and delivering exceptional results that exceed client expectations. I consider myself successful if my clients are achieving their goals and the teams I lead are having a positive experience. I work with a large client and primarily support three different teams. Each team has a different focus: analytics, backend work, and frontend work.
One of my main focuses is to develop a strategic roadmap for each team. This can be challenging because work comes from multiple different sources. A large portion of my time is spent negotiating priorities with stakeholders to ensure each team is working on the right thing at the right time. I also ensure that dependencies for each feature on the roadmap are being managed appropriately and that each team is exceeding stakeholder expectations. I have regular one-on-ones with both client contacts and Source Allies team members to ensure everyone is on the same page.
In addition to aligning roadmaps to company goals, a large amount of time is spent coaching and providing feedback. This can take many different forms. I often provide feedback and coaching to clients on methods to improve delivery, whether that be different planning methods or communication strategies that would improve the experience for each team. I also coach and give feedback to teammates on consulting skills. This feedback can range from preparing for difficult conversations to making a stellar first impression.
What Skills Make a Delivery Lead Successful?
There are many skills that make a delivery lead successful. Leadership is part of our title and Delivery Leads are expected to have exceptional leadership skills. Servant leadership is highly valued as we want to empower our teams to be successful. Leadership skills like communication and emotional intelligence are critical for a delivery lead to be successful. I would not be able to coach or provide the feedback necessary to do my job well without strong listening skills and the ability to adapt my communication style to different audiences.
It is necessary that a Delivery Lead be able to thrive in ambiguity. A core component of our job is to clarify ambiguous situations. We are often tasked with asking difficult questions to clarify priorities and requirements. It is rare that we will be told exactly what needs to happen and often must collaborate with a wide variety of stakeholders to figure out what is the best course of action for each team.
Adaptability is also very important. We regularly work with different teams and for different clients. Every client and person on our teams has different needs and preferences. We must adapt our methods and communication styles to each situation. We often talk about developing a toolbox of skills and applying critical thinking to decide which tool is right for the situation. I have found that clients do not appreciate a templated approach and prefer tools that are customized to their situation. Being able to quickly identify gaps and adapt to fill those gaps is an imperative skill for a Delivery Lead.
Interested in becoming a Delivery Lead?
Being a Delivery Lead at Source Allies is a highly rewarding and challenging career. If you are interested in applying, please review our job description and contact one of our recruiters to begin the application process.
