Senior Cloud Solution Architect

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Job description

The Senior Cloud Strategy Architect (CSA) role focuses on pre-sales solution design with an emphasis on professional and managed services. This role is responsible for working with internal and external sales teams to plan and organize solution sales strategies. The incumbent analyzes the sales environment including customer expectations, competitive environment as well as the customer's technical environment and define actions to be performed in the sales cycle timeframe. The Senior Cloud Strategy Architect is responsible for identifying and closing multi-cloud solution and services opportunities in their assigned territory. This position will require presenting and selling CDW's full stack services capabilities with an emphasis on cloud solutions through customer-facing meetings or events either virtual or onsite. In addition, the Cloud Strategy Architect role fosters relationships with key vendors and suppliers to position our solutions and services as industry leading within their specific region. In this position, the CSA will not only help drive individual project and services opportunities but will also have a keen focus on ongoing customer success to drive long term value aligned to both our customers and CDW's key outcomes. The Sr. CSA develops and maintains strategic relationships with Sales Management of the teams they support and seen as a trusted advisor to grow business. The Sr. CSA is expected to be subject matter expert in multiple families of cloud solutions including AWS, Azure and GCP using both hybrid and cloud native patterns to meet the needs of our customers business objectives. The CSA will be leveraged by sales to showcase CDW's cloud capabilities, and help our customers achieve their business and technical needs. They do this by focusing on pre-sales solution design aligned to their assigned solution area. They are responsible for qualifying, supporting, and positioning the appropriate services options relative to those solutions. In this position the CSA will be responsible for forecasting their aligned services and solutions opportunities, while providing oversight to Statement of Work (SoW) development. In addition, they will be responsible for understanding and aligning partner programs as part of the total solution. The incumbent in this role operates independently using standard approaches, existing tools, templates, and resources; shares knowledge and information that may benefit the team and our customers. Key Areas of Responsibility. Sales: Follows up on implemented solutions and identifies new opportunities that complement the work that was completed. Researches and reviews customer profile information; applies knowledge of the vertical to develop customer intimacy prior to sales calls and/or sales strategy sessions. Assists customers in understanding the overall solution investment; analyzes the most cost-effective approach for the customer. Uses various tools to calculate the Total Cost of Ownership and/or Return on Investment and explains to customers and Sales the business value of a solution and its benefits. Articulates audience-centric version of the value proposition to customers, account managers, and partners and uses it to generate additional revenue opportunities for CDW. Guides (compares and contrasts) customers in their vendor selection for their specific solution and supported partners; influences, guides, and partners with customers to develop their IT strategy. Plans and executes events in territory by replicating plans from other successful events; secures funding to support CDW customer events; drives attendance to sponsored events. Leads business-focused technology solution presentations at CDW, Customer, and Partner events and meetings in their territory. Uses technology assessments and demos as a sales tool for furthering sales opportunities; identifies cross-sell and/or up-sell opportunities for an engagement; equips/assists FSAs and Sales to pursue it. Collaborates with Partners, ISAs, and AEs to drive mapped opportunities; fine tunes strategies and approaches to achieve greater sales results. Operates in a regular cadence with multiple partners to educate, plan, and execute on joint strategies in collaboration with multiple stakeholders (ISA, AE, SM, and Field Sales); understands partner alignment in geography and leads customer opportunity mapping exercises; coordinates on-site partner visits. Develops a detailed and ambitious Territory Plan in collaboration with Partners, AEs, and ISAs and uses it to manage their business. Understands profit margin and how to increase profitability; works cooperatively with field sales to ensure healthy profitability. Leverages and maximizes partner pricing, partner registration programs, incentive programs, and special pricing, to win business and ensure healthy profitability; provides input on pricing to Account Managers, Field Sales, ISAs, and Partners to increase margin and deal size and position CDW for future opportunities; negotiates pricing with Partners. Produces marketing-type documents and materials (e.g. presentation) for customers in territory. Sales Support: Responds to questions about partner programs, such as deal registration (if applicable) or other funding/incentive programs, and customer engagement history. Prioritizes time spent on opportunities based on potential return on investment. Produces Bills of Materials, including product maintenance; writes Statements of Work, (including work estimates), RFPs, RFIs, and proposal content. Independently maintains pre-sales pipeline data, develops creative and/or effective plans, and takes actions to move opportunities to closure. Partners with sales to meet their needs in the solution areas they support. Technology Leadership: Is a passionate learner who demonstrates continuous learning by proactively expanding technical depth in products, solutions, and services. If pertinent, achieves advanced technologies technical certifications for CDW's Partner Certification Requirements. Operates with the perspective and insight that business needs, not just technology, establish the limits on what can be achieved. Designs technical solutions using standard approaches, considering the customer's infrastructure limitations and opportunities; analyzes, interprets, and presents assessment results. Determines and defines services that complement and/or round out proposed hardware and software engagements crossing multiple technologies; estimates required engineering effort. "Uses team tools, templates, resources, and processes for maximum efficiency, productivity, consistency, and high-quality execution. Provides feedback to technology leaders where opportunities exist to improve offerings, design, and delivery execution.". Conducts technology/solutions training for CDW audiences (e.g. Sales, ISAs) using developed material. Contributes to the team's knowledge base and readily shares knowledge with other FSAs, ISAs and Sales. Assists new team members by answering questions and sharing expertise on the tools of the job. Proactively assists new hires by sharing information and answering questions. Education and/or Experience Qualifications: Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience. Four-year minimum technical pre-sales or technical architecting experience. Other Required Qualifications: Stay up to date on products, applications, technical service, market conditions, competitive activities, advertising, and promotional trends through the reading of pertinent literature, seminars, and online training. Proven project management skills. Proficient in Microsoft office applications. Proven success and experience selling technologies solutions and services. Knowledge and proven success of engaging and working with sales teams. Ability to execute on territory goals and metrics. Ability to adapt and change to the business needs of the practice and team coverage model. Strong interpersonal and presentation skills, including consulting skills. Strong oral and written communication skills. Strong passion for learning and teaching others. Motivated and self-starting. Ability to think creatively and come up with proactive ideas that will increase sales. Strong problem-solving skills. Must be able to communicate effectively and in a constructive manner with management, peers and coworkers. Preferred Qualifications: Obtain and maintain relevant industry standard certifications. COVID-19 Update: CDW is committed to maintaining a workplace that is free of known hazards and to ensuring the safety, health, and well-being of coworkers and candidates for employment and their families, as well as the community. CDW requires all coworkers be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with the only exceptions being a documented, legally required medical or religious accommodation. Prior to starting with CDW, successful candidates will be required to: (i) be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide CDW with proof of full vaccination; or (ii) apply for and receive a medical or religious-based accommodation to be exempt from the mandatory vaccination policy.