Cloud Lead Architect

Company Description

Company Description

Wavenet is a managed services provider offering cybersecurity, communications, and connectivity that grows with our customers’ businesses – no matter what the future holds.

Since 2000, we’ve been keeping businesses connected.

At Wavenet, we don’t just provide solutions for today but for tomorrow, too. We’re always thinking ahead of the technology curve, so our customers feel confident that when they work with us, we’re striving to make their business future-proof.

Customer success is our success. We go the extra mile in providing superior service quality and unparalleled customer experience, becoming an extension of your business, and always delivering on our promise to make their business brilliant.

Job Description

Purpose of the role

The Lead Architect role is responsible for leading a team of Cloud Solution Architects, ensuring the successful and efficient delivery of projects and Professional Services to Wavenet’s internal and external customers, ensuring that best practices are followed as outlined in the Technical Delivery Procedure (TDP) document.

This is a leadership position in a player (80%) /coach (20%) model, managing a remotely distributed team of specialist architects within the UK.  You will also provide support and response to escalated complex 3rd line technical issues within your area of expertise along with effectively managing business and customer expectations.

The role spans across both Public & Private cloud infrastructure and Modern Workplace utilising multi-vendor Cloud products and solutions that are delivered internally and/or externally via chosen strategic partner. The role will be responsible for ensuring end-to-end technical ownership of cloud customer solutions throughout the project lifecycle.

What you will be doing

• Ability to lead and coordinate others through all design and delivery activities. Accept ownership and accountability.
• Ensure the low level designs produced by the Solution Architects are adhering to the latest technological features.
• Continually defining & delivering Low Level Architecture documentation to meet the client deliverables.
• Ability to produce Sow and HLD as and where required

• Deliver customer facing projects in line with the latest best practices outlined in the Technical Delivery Procedure (TDP) document, first and foremost.
• Providing technical support to the Cloud Presales and Sales Specialist teams when engaging with customers and producing solution proposals and tender responses.

• Managing the technical evaluation and introduction of new Cloud products and services in line with Wavenet’s product strategy, liaising closely with the Cloud Product team and other key stakeholders across the organisation.
• Continually improve effective working relationships with key stakeholders across the business, and externally with our customers. Encourage stakeholder engagement and drive high quality working relationships.
• Drive culture change and integration of people, processes, and systems across the operational departments in an ever-changing environment.

• Establish & develop Service & Solution design standards, in line with portfolio, technology & supplier strategies.

• Continually manage risks, issues, and dependencies internally and for customer services you are accountable for and look for ways to develop and continually improve these activities. 
• Support the Product, Sales and Marketing Teams with their Go To Market (GTM) activities, and sales opportunities as appropriate.
• Support the Pre-Sales teams by ensuring the SVP process is adhered too.
• Maintain a social media presence representing the technology areas where required.
• Participate in recruitment for new team members and ensure all new recruits receive full induction and support during their transition to full competence.
• Keep up to date with the latest trends and advancements in delivery operations and implement improvements to processes and procedures accordingly.
• To be compliant with health and safety company policy and legislation.
• Ensure Operational processes and procedures comply with relevant Regulatory, ISO accreditations and support ISO and other relevant Audits
• Flexibility to work outside of normal business hours if required.
• Have commercial awareness and understanding. Can challenge constructively for better outcomes.
• As a team Cloud Lead Architect you will be require when necessary to:
  • provide direction on the day to day running of the engineering team
  • provide mentoring of the junior engineers in the team
  • provide training materials
  • provide workshops based on the activities within the team
  • managing the on-call rota where applicable, participate where necessary within the rota.
  • be a go to resource for trouble shooting and providing direction in matters relating to the function of the department
  • provide a presence at meetings, both with peers and other managers & Directors.
  • provide operational cover for the Department Manager, i.e. on leave, or otherwise on other business matters.

Qualifications

What you need to have done already

• Strong experience in designing, implementing and automating solutions on both Public (Azure, GCP, AWS) & Private Cloud platforms
• Specialist in Cloud (IaaS, PaaS and SaaS), Compute infrastructure (Storage, Hypervisor and Servers) and End User Compute related technologies.
• Strong experience of at least one of the public cloud platforms (AWS, Azure and GCP)
• Strong experience of at least one of the private cloud platforms (Vmware and Hyper-V)
• Demonstrable technical understanding of Core Networking and Hosting technologies & solutions that form part of shared platforms or dedicated solutions. 
• A strong proven track record of leading a technical team(s) with direct reports ideally in a Managed Service Provider (MSP) or large enterprise organisation.
• Demonstrable ability to work closely with peers and other business units, good personnel management experience, strong leadership.
• SME in at least one of the following areas:
  • Azure Security
  • Azure Identity
  • Citrix Cloud/Citrix XenDesktop
  • Virtualisation - VMWare/Hyper-V
  • MS Active Directory/MS Exchange
  • M365 - Exchange Online/OneDrive/SharePoint Online
• Demonstrable ability to work to tight time scales, manage and motivate technical teams.
• Highly motivated and self-sufficient, but also a Team Player.
• Writing reports and proposals, planning for long-range changes.
• Giving presentations to customers and mentoring people internal & external.
• Supporting managers when negotiating with vendors and providers of services.
• Deliver specialist skills to the Specialist team and be a trusted advisor and problem owner.

Skills you will need to excel

• Strong technical documentation skills, presentations, and architectural diagrams.
• Ability to manage multiple activities and projects simultaneously and prioritise accordingly.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills with an ability to extract, translate and communicate meaningful information at all levels of executives, management, and peers.
• Ability to establish and maintain positive relationships with customers, stakeholders, and team members.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Have a positive outlook with the ability to be flexible and adaptable.
• People’s skills and emotional intelligence
• Broaden IT & communications industry knowledge.
• Willingness to travel.

Other qualifications

• Educated to degree level or equivalent in an IT, communications, or related subject.  Or be able to demonstrate a similar ability through experience.
• Understanding/awareness of Project methodologies such as Agile, ITIL, Prince2
• Security Clearance (SC) mandatory
• AZ-305 Azure Solutions Architect desirable
• MS-100/101 Enterprise Administrator desirable
• VMware Certified Professional (VCP)
• Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE)

Additional Information

Additional Information

At Wavenet, we offer more than just a job – we provide an exceptional environment and a wide range of benefits to support your success from day one. With us, you’ll enjoy a generous starting annual leave allowance, private medical coverage, discounted health plans, an eye care scheme, and comprehensive health and wellbeing programs, all backed by a dedicated in-house Wellbeing Team.

We believe in a strong work-life balance, rewarding your commitment with an additional day of annual leave each year, reaching up to 28 days. Here’s a closer look at what we offer:

• Hybrid Working: Flexibility matters. Our hybrid model lets you choose a blend of home and office-based working, so work fits seamlessly with your life.
• Annual Leave: Begin your journey with 25 days of leave, increasing by one day per year up to 28 days – our way of saying thank you for your dedication.
• Health & Wellbeing: Your wellbeing is a priority. Enjoy private medical coverage, discounted health plans, virtual GP access, an eye care scheme, and a comprehensive employee assistance programme, all supported by our internal Wellbeing Team.

Ready to join the UK’s largest managed service provider? 

Apply today or contact our friendly Talent Acquisition Team for more information.