Business Relationship Manager

CRH's Americas Materials, a division of CRH, is the leading vertically integrated supplier of aggregates, asphalt, ready mixed concrete and paving and construction services in North America. Our operations span North America with over 28,000 employees at close to 1,600 locations in 43 US States and 2 Canadian provinces.

Position Overview

The Business Relationship Manager (BRM) is an IT leader that is responsible for engaging with a defined portion (e.g. set geographies, LOBs, functions) of the business to ensure an effective and productive relationship between that part of the business and the IT Organization. The BRM must understand the IT organization, operating model, processes and solutions so that they can help maximize the value information and technology bring to the business. They need to understand the business organization, business strategy, business objectives, business plan and business operations which they represent so that they can bring this insight to bear on the IT strategy, operations and service delivery.

The BRM will help the business develop strategy and implement solutions that make use of available and/or potential information and technology. They must continually educate the business as well as actively provide guidance and support to help the business leverage available and potential information and technology solutions and capabilities of the IT organization to help derive maximum value for the business.

Within IT the BRM represents the voice of the customer, for their respective portion of the business. In their role, they will provide guidance and insight to the IT Leadership, functions and teams as to the technology needs of their constituency. The BRM will facilitate appropriate business/IT engagement and collaboration. They will drive successful delivery of service, projects and solutions to address the business needs, which includes ensuring that IT has a solid understanding of the portion of the business they represent, their business value drivers and their information and technology needs. The BRM must influence the IT strategy, facilitate the identification, prioritization and execution of IT projects and help define IT solutions that support the business strategy. The BRM should provide input and guidance to the IT organization, on behalf of the business, contributing to the continual improvement of IT services.

Key Responsibilities (Essential Duties and Functions)

• Act as the voice of IT within the business.
• Facilitate IT communication within the business.
• Maintain a high degree of visibility within the business, attend business meetings and appropriate management forums, and be a central point of information for all related IT activities.
• Initiate, foster and lead partnerships with and between business stakeholders and members of IT.
• Develop a strong understanding of the strategic direction, operational needs, trends, constraints, and opportunities of the business and convey this effectively to within IT.
• Develop relationships that promote trust and increase efficiency and effectiveness; balance the needs of the business they represent with broader business priorities facilitating alignment between the business and IT strategies and objectives; proactively seek ways to improve collaboration.
• Collaborate with business stakeholders and contribute to the business case development process by analyzing business value, benefits, risks, and estimated costs.
• Assist in creating business requirement documents that accurately reflect both strategic and tactical business needs.
• Work closely with the business leaders to support them through technology planning, advising on how to exploit existing and emerging technologies, and ensuring alignment with the IT strategy.
• Be the advocate and champion of the business within IT.
• Envision and influence future IT solutions and capabilities; be a change agent to drive technology related business changes, support solution delivery and improve the ways of working together to ensure genuine, tangible benefits.
• Formulate and guide process improvements to services and programs which enhance IT capabilities and effectiveness.
• Manage business demand and assist with project prioritization by focusing on cost / benefit analysis and identifying measurable business value.
• Oversee execution of key account plans and a relationship management strategy for assigned business LOBs, functions and/or geographies.
• Influence the design and development of product roadmaps and solution architecture by providing business perspective, requirements and insights.
• Champion and oversee IT programs/projects being deployed within the business footprint they represent:
• Identifying scope, success criteria and cross-project dependencies.
• Acting as a sounding board for ideas and approaches to addressing project risks/issues.
• Ensuring that projects receive adequate resources/management by following governance processes and procedures.
• Monitoring and reporting on service levels and project status.
• Acting quickly to manage urgent issues and championing them until resolution, escalating when required.
• Ensure that expected outcomes are achieved.

Qualifications

Education/Experience

• MS/BS degree in Computer Science, Engineering or equivalent is preferred; five plus years of related experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience is preferred
• Experience in a business relationship management or business leadership role.

Work Requirements

• This position requires travel to customer and non-customer sites (estimated at 40%).

Knowledge/Skills Requirement

• Skilled at leading teams, both with direct staff and indirect project teams, for purposes of delivery and development
• Strong verbal, written, formal and informal communication skills.
• High business acumen.
• Knowledge on how to define, develop and execute strategic plans and initiatives
• A solid understanding of the business and significant knowledge in subject matters pertaining to both IT and the business.
• Skilled at working effectively with cross functional teams in a matrix organization
• Ability to communicate IT objectives and direction to the business
• Capability to work with the business to shape, develop and execute strategic plans and initiatives
• Ability to assess the current state environment, capabilities and performance of business and IT
• Monitor and recommend improvements to IT processes.
• Working knowledge of organizational change management methods and practices.
• Ability to understand and enforce IT policies and procedures compliance.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• Able to communicate with others by telephone and in person.
• Able to utilize a computer for word processing, email communication, and preparation of documents and presentations.
• May require sitting for extended periods of time.

Work Environment

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions; moving mechanical parts; outside weather conditions; and extreme cold and/or heat. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate.

The statements included in this job description are not intended to be all-inclusive. They represent typical elements and criteria necessary to successfully perform the job. Other duties may be assigned as required. Requirements for this job are subject to modification by the Company and its designees, and reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

What CRH Offers You

• Highly competitive base pay
• Comprehensive medical, dental and disability benefits programs
• Group retirement savings program
• Health and wellness programs
• A diverse and inclusive culture that values opportunity for growth, development, and internal promotion

About CRH

CRH has a long and proud heritage. We are a collection of hundreds of family businesses, regional companies and large enterprises that together form the CRH family. CRH operates in a decentralized, diversified structure that allows you to work in a small company environment while having the career opportunities of a large international organization.

If you’re up for a rewarding challenge, we invite you to take the first step and apply today Once you click apply now, you will be brought to our official employment application. Please complete your online profile and it will be sent to the hiring manager. Our system allows you to view and track your status 24 hours a day. Thank you for your interest

CRH Americas Materials Inc. is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer.

EOE/Vet/Disability