Pre-Sales Solutions Architect - ADMS

Company Description

Version 1 has celebrated over 26 years in Technology Services and continues to be trusted by global brands to deliver solutions that drive customer success. Version 1 has several strategic technology partners including Microsoft, AWS, Oracle, Red Hat, OutSystems and Snowflake. We’re also an award-winning employer reflecting how employees are at the heart of Version 1. 

We’ve been awarded: Innovation Partner of the Year Winner 2023 Oracle EMEA Partner Awards, Global Microsoft Modernising Applications Partner of the Year Award 2023, AWS Collaboration Partner of the Year - EMEA 2023 and Best Workplaces for Women by Great Place To Work in UK and Ireland 2023. 

As a consultancy and service provider, Version 1 is a digital-first environment and we do things differently. We’re focused on our core values; using these we’ve seen significant growth across our practices and our Digital, Data and Cloud team is preparing for the next phase of expansion. This creates new opportunities for driven and skilled individuals to join one of the fastest-growing consultancies globally. 

Job Description

1. Solution Architecture and Proposal Management

• Architect solutions and lead the proposal and bidding process, including solution strategy, win theme alignment, proposal writing, effort estimation, and costing for Application Development and Managed Services opportunities.
• Produce end-to-end business architecture, systems architecture, and application modernization and integration solution designs as deliverables of pre-sales solutioning artifacts.
• Define and optimize legacy application modernization and architecture transformation strategy roadmaps, demonstrating business value/ROI of investments in the IT/software stack/application stack/platform evolution/transformation solutions.
• Understand and articulate non-functional requirements, design, and architectural concerns related to security, performance, scalability, observability, and user experience.

2. Customer Engagement and Requirements Gathering

• Lead competitive dialogue with customers and be comfortable leading workshops and presentations.
• Conduct high-level functional requirements gathering/clarification sessions with potential customers and internal sales/account management teams.
• Have a solution mindset to understand client pain points and address them by showing impact and value add. Work with the customer and internal sales teams to understand requirements, objectives, and business justification to respond with a viable solution.

3. Technical Evaluation and Knowledge Maintenance

• Evaluate functional/non-functional, architectural, technical, and commercial aspects of third-party software platforms and COTS products.
• Maintain knowledge of emerging technology, software trends, architecture styles, and design patterns covering end-to-end software development.
• Fully understand the functionality and limitations of multi-cloud architectures.

4. Solution Validation and Optimization

• Conducted successful customer demos/Proof of Concepts to aid in solution defence at the pre-sales stage.
• Influenced and optimized software test strategies in solution and delivery strategy at the pre-sales stage.
• Influence and optimize delivery phase sequencing, high-level planning, and resource loading in the program plan at the pre-sales stage.
• Work closely with practice and delivery leads to validate the solution and hand over for project delivery.

5. Collaboration and Capability Building

• Identify necessary capabilities within the organization. If capability is not available, work with practice teams to get external help (collaboration with vendors, partners, etc.).
• Create compelling propositions by pulling together technology and business capabilities, customer stories, intellectual property, accelerators, industry insights, and common customer challenges.
• Develop collateral like case studies, practice decks, client presentations, and sales pitches to support sales teams.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in the services industry.
• 6+ years Proven experience in end to end solutioning in Application Development and Managed Services opportunities in Tier 2/Tier 3 customer base.
• Experience of leading complex deals in application development and managed services, from solution definition through to pricing.
• Experience in managing end to end managed services deals, tickets analysis, process optimization , giving directions in automation opportunities etc.
• Strong understanding of bid processes and commercial experience with an understanding of bid finance and creating cost models.
• Has evolved from a development / test / technology architect background with project leadership / service delivery management experience in application development / managed services project.
• Strong technical experience, working across different cloud technology stacks.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to effectively communicate technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Highly driven, proactive, team player, and a natural people leader.

Nice to Have:

• Willingness to work in flexible, hybrid teams and travel on an agreed basis to support wider commercial and customer engagement.
• Strong commercial awareness and focus on customer success outcomes.
• Thought leadership capability and expertise in delivering insightful and differentiating customer-focused content (blogs, webinars, white papers, etc.).
• Experience in one or more of the following business sectors – Banking , Financial Services, Insurance, Manufacturing.

Additional Information

At Version 1, we believe in providing our employees with a comprehensive benefits package that prioritises their well-being, professional growth, and financial stability. 

One of our standout advantages is the ability to work with a hybrid schedule along with business travel, allowing our employees to strike a balance between work and life. We also offer a range of tech-related benefits, including an innovative Tech Scheme to help keep our team members up-to-date with the latest technology. 

We prioritise the health and safety of our employees, providing private medical and life insurance coverage, as well as free eye tests and contributions towards glasses. Our team members can also stay ahead of the curve with incentivized certifications and accreditations, including AWS, Microsoft, Oracle, and Red Hat. 

Our employee-designed Profit Share scheme divides a portion of our company's profits each quarter amongst employees. We are dedicated to helping our employees reach their full potential, offering Pathways Career Development Quarterly, a programme designed to support professional growth. 

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