AddressThe Solution Architect is client facing, pre-sales technologist that works with designated accounts and acts as a value- added technical advocate for CDW clients. A solution architect is responsible for understanding clients’ business requirements as they pertain to Mainframe infrastructure solutions, qualifying opportunities and creating designs that match the requirements with appropriate products, managed and professional services.
This role builds the required presales collateral to represent the solution including, but not limited to, At-A-Glance documents, HLDs (High Level Design), BOMs (Bill of Materials), Product Quotes (with pricing), LOEs (Level of Efforts), Client Proposals and SOWs (Statement of Work). This role entails the following responsibilities; collaborating with other Line of Business (LOB) experts as required to address client needs, presenting the proposed solution to the client, ensuring the sale is made and overseeing the delivery of these solutions all while maximizing profit to CDW. Lastly, the solution architect role requires the person builds and maintains a healthy relationship with key business partners (OEMs, subcontractors, service providers) in the assigned districts and regions they support.
The Solutions Architect – Mainframe has subject matter expertise of solutions in a single LOB and has a basic awareness of technology solutions in adjacent LOBs. In addition, a Solutions Architect is competent at positioning implementation services within their LOB.
Primary Duties & Responsibilities
- Client Facing Sales Support – Works with sales account team, interfacing directly with CDW clients. Builds trusted advisor relationships, understanding client’s business challenges and proposing solutions
- Develops High Level Designs and Architectures – Creates and documents architectures that address client business problems which can be used to ensure a smooth transition from presales to delivery
- Create Proposals – Develop BOMs (Bill of Materials), Product Quotes, SOWs (Statements Of Work), At-a- glance documents, business cases and RFP responses
- Sales Planning – Work with management and sales teams to develop account prioritization and support strategies that will ensure a long term trusted relationship status
- Partner Relationship Management – Develop healthy and trusted relationships with key partners in the geography
- Billable Consulting – Provide services as part of client projects that are billable. Usually in a project oversight mode
- Intellectual Property Development – Contribute to the development of CDW intellectual property and industry recognition (white papers, speaking engagements etc.
- Administrative Overhead – Respond to email, phone calls, complete time cards in a timely manner, expense reports and status reports as required Administrative Overhead – Respond to email, phone calls, complete time cards in a timely manner, expense reports and status reports as require
- Training – Develop and execute a professional plan that will enhance skills
Basic Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Management Information Systems, Information Technology, Engineering, Mathematics or a related field
- At least five (5) years of IT engineering experience with IBM mainframe solutions
Other Position Requirements
- Demonstrated ability to apply technical background and knowledge to business direction by developing service offerings, go-to-market strategies, business planning, and other activities important to building business
- Demonstrated ability to drive sales, sequencing activities and deliverables to the client to value sell, earn trust and enhance margin
- Proven experience articulating technical viewpoints to diverse audiences, including technical and business decision makers
- Proven ability to evaluate information and make sound technical risk judgements
- Demonstrated ability to multitask and to prioritize workload under tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment
- Demonstrated ability to develop longer-range project plans and schedules to complete complex projects or new solution/product development
- Demonstrated ability to perform technical skills/knowledge transfer to client
- Demonstrated attention to detail and follow-up skills
- Demonstrated leadership, delegation, and personnel management skills
- Demonstrated communication and presentation skills, including formal and informal presentations to large and small audiences
- Demonstrated ability to work independently with minimal direction
- Technical writing experience
Preferred Qualifications
- At least three (3) years of experience in pre-sales engineering and/or sales in a Systems Integrator, OEM, or similar environment
- Four (4) years billable consulting experience
- Three (3) years of experience with leading teams in a Client or consulting project environment
- Four (4) years of experience with Client, OEM or VAR based partner management
- Demonstrated experience in the selling and delivery of multi-million dollar enterprise-size, complex projects
- Experience within SaaS, IaaS, PaaS, and other cloud environments
Data Privacy and Security:
- All CDW employees are responsible to safeguard the information and information systems that they use or handle in the execution of their duties. Employees are obligated to know and perform their duties in accordance with CDW policies, standards, and procedures related to security and report security violations to the appropriate CDW authority.
- Participate at hire and annually in the Information Security Awareness training as well as other required training identified by the Human Resources department. Other data privacy and data security related regulatory training may be required based on your role or assignment
Essential Functions
The position exists to provide presales technical consulting solutions to customers and as such requires the ability to travel to and from customer sites and interact with customers on an ongoing and regular basis
The above primary duties, responsibilities, and position requirements are not all inclusive.
