The Solutions Architect is a senior technical and consultative member of the Professional Services team responsible for translating client business needs into secure, scalable, supportable, and cost-effective technology solutions. The Solutions Architect leads technical discovery, defines architecture and implementation strategies, and develops clear, accurate scopes of work for clients’ technology needs. The Solutions Architect owns solution design quality and delivery readiness, while engineering owns implementation.
In partnership with Account Management, vCIOs, engineering, project management, procurement, vendors, and client stakeholders, the Solutions Architect guides opportunities from initial discovery and pre-sales consultation through solution approval and delivery handoff. The position requires sound technical judgment, strong business acumen, disciplined documentation, and the ability to communicate complex recommendations clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Responsibilities
- Lead technical discovery and current-state assessments to understand client business objectives, operational requirements, existing environments, technical debt, dependencies, constraints, risks, and future-state goals.
- Translate business and technical requirements into secure, scalable, supportable, and cost-effective solution architectures across Microsoft cloud services, infrastructure, networking, identity, cybersecurity, business continuity, and related managed services.
- Incorporate security, privacy, compliance, resiliency, data protection, monitoring, scalability, licensing, supportability, and technology lifecycle requirements into solution designs.
- Develop accurate and detailed Statements of Work, solution diagrams, bills of materials, implementation approaches, effort estimates, assumptions, dependencies, exclusions, deliverables, timelines, and acceptance criteria.
- Partner with Account Management and vCIO teams during pre-sales activities, client presentations, solution reviews, roadmap discussions, and proposal development to communicate recommendations, value, tradeoffs, and technical considerations clearly.
- Establish and maintain architecture principles, approved technology standards, reference architectures, design patterns, documentation templates, and exception processes aligned with CompassMSP’s service catalog and strategic direction.
- Conduct or participate in peer and architecture reviews for complex or high-risk solutions to confirm design quality, standards alignment, delivery readiness, and appropriate risk mitigation before client approval.
- Coordinate structured handoffs to project management and engineering teams, document key architectural decisions and risks, and serve as an escalation resource for design questions, scope gaps, and technical blockers during delivery.
- Engage vendors and distributors to evaluate technologies, validate technical fit, confirm pricing and availability, assess product roadmaps and lifecycle status, and coordinate complex solution requirements.
- Review completed engagements, delivery feedback, technology changes, and project outcomes to improve estimating accuracy, architecture quality, service offerings, reusable standards, and internal processes.
- Provide technical guidance and knowledge transfer to sales, account management, vCIO, engineering, project management, and service delivery teams while managing multiple opportunities and priorities with accountability, urgency, and consistent follow-through.
Success Indicators - Solution designs and Statements of Work are complete, technically accurate, aligned with documented client objectives, security requirements, architectural standards, and budget expectations, and delivered within established turnaround targets.
- Projects are scoped with appropriate detail, labor hours, costs, risks, and margin assumptions, enabling delivery on time, within budget, and at or above targeted profitability with minimal corrective change after approval.
- Project management and engineering teams receive clear, complete documentation and structured handoffs that minimize scope gaps, avoidable escalations, rework, and implementation delays.
- Clients and internal partners receive timely, credible technical guidance that supports informed decisions, strengthens proposal quality, and contributes to qualified revenue growth.
- Standards, templates, reference architectures, estimating practices, and service offerings are continuously improved based on delivery results, technology changes, and stakeholder feedback.
- Internal teams and clients consistently demonstrate confidence in the Solutions Architect’s responsiveness, communication, technical judgment, accountability, and follow-through.
Requirements
- 8+ years of progressive IT experience, including at least two years in a Solutions Architect, Sales Engineer, Senior Systems Engineer, or comparable client-facing architecture role.
- Demonstrated experience in a Managed Service Provider environment and a strong understanding of recurring services, project delivery, supportability, and client lifecycle considerations.
- Broad technical expertise across Microsoft 365, Azure, Windows Server, virtualization, identity, networking, security, backup, disaster recovery, and endpoint technologies.
- Proven ability to conduct discovery, evaluate complex environments, and design solutions that balance technical requirements, business outcomes, risk, cost, and operational readiness.
- Experience in creating detailed Statements of Work, solution diagrams, bills of materials, project estimates, and executive-ready proposals.
- Strong commercial acumen, including familiarity with solution costing, licensing, procurement, margin considerations, and the factors that influence successful project delivery.
- Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and facilitation skills, with the ability to explain complex concepts clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
- Strong analytical, organizational, and decision-making skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and produce accurate work under deadlines.
- Ability to collaborate effectively across sales, account management, vCIO, engineering, project management, procurement, finance, vendors, and client stakeholders.
Benefits
- Competitive Salary
- Quarterly bonus opportunities
- Progressive PTO
- Medical, dental, vision, life, and disability coverages
- 401k with company match
- Career development, coaching, and professional growth opportunities
- Collaborative and engaging work environment