About the position
The Senior Solutions Architect is responsible for creating a comprehensive architecture for a solution and providing strategic direction throughout the design and deployment process. After determining a clear understanding of the client’s business needs, the Solutions Architect will map out the product, vendor and overall end-to-end design that will constitute the solution, and how they are going to work together to ensure success of the Customer’s requirements. This role will be accountable for the solution design approval at customer pre-order stage.
You will partner with Customers, sales, engineering, and product teams to craft scalable, flexible and resilient architectures that address Customer business problems and accelerate the adoption of our clients products and solutions. In collaboration with sales, you will drive revenue growth across a broad set of Customers.
The role will also involve the RFP/RFI process as well as bespoke solutions in collaboration with Product, commercial and sales teams from the quote to delivery processes, ensuring accurate verification, technical design vetting and overall quality for the correct design and implementation. This role will be leveraged as a key stakeholder for both the development and delivery lifecycles to plan and execute on scalable solutions and products.
A Junior Solution Architect will report into this role.
Key Performance Area
- Customer Engagement 20%
- Pre-Sales 25%
- RFP / RFI document design 25%
- Attend internal / External stakeholders 20%
- Leverage and influence cross functional teams 10%
Competency
Knowledge
- Excellent understanding of the architectural principles for software defined networks (SDN/ SDWAN) and cloud-based platforms
- Familiar with Enterprise and Industry Architecture frameworks
- Understanding of contract management and governance models
Skills
- Technical expertise in network services solution and product and including SDN, Cloud, MPLS and IP
- Design, implement and manage advanced architectures in a networking domain and integrate multiple systems or platforms
- Able to present architecture concepts, designs, and goals to Customers at all levels.
Behavioural
- Able to build business relationships, able to simplify complex concepts into compelling customer proposals
- Results driven
- Out-of-the-box innovative thinking, excellent problem- solving skills
- Passionate about researching current and emerging technologies and developing innovative solutions
Minimum Qualifications
- TOGAF
- Minimum of a CCNP qualification (CCIE or CCDA would be ideal)
- Business related degree would be an advantage
Minimum Experience
- 5 or more years of proven success in influencing senior technology leaders to drive change in a pre-sale, customer, or solutions focused role.
- Experience with Enterprise Architecture or Network Architecture pre-sales in a Network vendor or professional services environment.
- Good understanding of Cloud based solutions, Hyperscale and Private cloud
- Experience with sd-wan overlay vendors, such as Juniper, Velo, FortiGate etc
Other Requirements
Key Stakeholder Relationships
Internal
- Sales
- Projects
- Quality Assurance
- Product
- Procurement
- Commercial Management
External
- Customers
- Service Providers
Key Performance Areas and Indicators
Customer Engagement
- Engage with Customer executives to identify pain points and opportunities - Ensure customer satisfaction in managing expectations
- Understand the business strategy of the customer, effectively articulate how the company can enable and deliver value to their organization - Contribute to the Product Roadmap, articulate scalable value in line with customer requirement and technical architecture.
Pre-Sales
- Lead architecture and design engagements to ensure the company products and solutions meet Customer needs and expectations Support internal teams to deliver correct product and solutions, ensuring technical validation on sold solution versus solution to be delivered - Complex heterogenous solutions - Digital Transformation - Cloud Products/Services - Enterprise Service Management
- Continue to maintain technical executive relationships with customers throughout their journey - Accurate and efficient communication between all stakeholders
- Complete technical templates for customers. - Address customer technical queries and complaints (Pre-deployment only) – Accurate - Increase ARPU
RFI/RFP proposal solution diagrams and proposal design
- Ensure all solutions are documented - Positive feedback from Operations / delivery team on solutions sold
- Assist in Sales technical and solution training - Solutions to be stored on Intranet folder per Customer
Attend internal and external meetings
- Attend client meets, present new product and technology offerings - In-depth understanding of the company and vendor products & solutions
- Support Product team on technical queries based on presentation - Orders placed by Customers
- Positive feedback from attendees
- Facilitate change management where applicable (internal and customer facing)
Engage cross- functionally
- Engage all departments relevant to customer lifecycle to influence outcomes in favor of delivering value to the company and its customers - Decreased lead time and increased conversion rate
Desired Skills:
- Senior Solutions Architect
- RFP / RFI document
- CCNP
- sd-wan overlay vendors
