Solutions Architect

• A deep understanding of network protocols, topologies, security, routing, switching, wireless networks, and IP addressing.
• Broad product knowledge with an integrated understanding of technology.
• Familiarity with the Internet of Things, big DATA, network management, quality of service, cloud computing, and virtualization.
• Extensive experience in professional technical roles, including software development, systems design and deployment, or networking and infrastructure within large-scale, multinational technology services environments.
• Proficiency in project management methodologies.
• Strong client engagement skills and solid technical consulting aptitude.
• Effective collaboration and communication skills, contributing to team success.

Key Responsibilities:

• Analyzes, develops and recommends long-term strategic plans to ensure network technology and capacity meets current and future network requirements.

• Viewed as a trusted technical advisor to the client.

• Responsible for solution design, business development, and transition of projects from presales to delivery and sales support.

• Provides pre-sales technical support and expertise in analyzing client requirements, in conjunction with the client’s current network and system capabilities.

• Ensures technical solutions will accomplish the client's objectives.

• Works with internal stakeholders to produce a technical specification for the custom development and systems integration requirements for the solution.

• Develops or produces the technical design document to match the solution design specifications.

• Working with the relevant internal stakeholders, participate or lead in scope of work determination, product pricing and rFP/rFI responses.

• Assists with the determination of outsourcing, product pricing and collaborates with others to develop an implementation solution.

• Responsible for influencing and guiding members of the Sales team and to ensure that they are equipped to close deals and maintain visibility of forecasting and sales pipeline in order to influence potential deals.

• Manages client proof of concept (POC) initiatives, which will require the involvement of the appropriate resources, and setup and delivery of the POC.

• On all assigned engagements, owns the proposed solution and transitions the build / implementation to the delivery team.

• Specifically relating to opportunity pursuit this role will evaluate each opportunity for alignment with organizational capabilities and business policy, prepare the executive summary that outlines all of the information gathered from the client in regard to their needs, as understood, document the proposed technology solution, document the statement of work along with all labor requirements, work with the relevant internal stakeholders to prepare the pricing format that will be supplied to the customer, perform the actual solution design and prepare a parts list outlining equipment to be provided, develop and manage a proof-of-concept as such may be required, engage all technical resources required for an accurate solution design, prepare a network diagram outlining the proposed solution, document all deliverables and what constitutes a successful completion, review the final parts list as supplied and submit all information to the applicable bid team for final assembly, verify the proposal’s accuracy and sign off on the final documents to be presented to the client, assist during the final presentation to the client as appropriate.

• Drives innovation by looking at automating internal process as well as products and services.

Knowledge and Attributes:

• Solid client engagement skills coupled solid technical consulting aptitude.

• Ability to collaborate and communicate effectively with team members, contributing to their success.

• Broad product knowledge integrated with technology understanding.

• Understanding network protocols, topologies and security.

• Understanding of routing and switching, wireless networks and IP addressing.

• Understanding of internet of things, big DATA, network management, quality of service, virtualisation, cloud computing and AI.

• Basic understanding of key vendor subscription models such as Cisco.

Academic Qualifications and Certifications:

• Relevant technical qualifications and certifications
• Certification of Enterprise Architecture methodologies (e.g., TOGAF, ITIL, COBIT), advantageous.
• Vendor product, sales, and technology certifications, advantageous.
• Proficiency in software and programming languages such as C++
• SAFe Scaled Agile, advantageous

Required experience:

• Seasoned professional technical experience related to software development, systems design and deployment, or networking and infrastructure within a large scale (preferably multi-national) technology services environment.

• Seasoned experience in a professional technical role.

• Seasoned network management experience, including fault and performance management systems.

• Seasoned experience in project management methodologies.