Senior Solutions Architect – Application Modernization - Digital Velocityat CDW Careers

The Sr. Solutions Architect is client facing, pre-sales technologist that works with designated accounts and acts as a value- added technical advocate for CDW clients. A Sr. Solutions Architect is responsible for understanding clients’ business requirements as they pertain to Software Engineering 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, LOUs (Letters of Understanding), 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 practice 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 Sr. Solutions Architect has deep subject matter expertise of solutions in a single practice (Software Engineering). Is an expert in deal orchestration for a single practice, sequencing activities and deliverables to the client to value sell, earn trust and enhance margin. Has a generalized understanding of technology solutions in adjacent practices. Is considered a thought leader and develops IP & collateral. Sells and positions implementation and advisory services, but also understands and advises clients on where other strategic and advisory services fit their needs. 

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), LOUs (Letters of Understanding), 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
• Advisory Workshops – Develop and lead workshops to help clients develop and refine required strategy to achieve desired business outcomes.
• 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 5-7 years of related work experience in a Digital and/or Data focused solutions focused role

Other Position Requirements

• Proven experience architecting solutions to modernize legacy applications.
• Demonstrated experience with container orchestration platforms like Kubernetes, Red Hat OpenShift, etc.
• 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
• Experience with continuous integration, testing, delivery and deployment
• Demonstrated experience with agile development methodologies and software development lifecycle.
• Demonstrated experience with devops automation and tools such as Ansible, Terraform, etc.
• Experience with cloud-native serverless platforms
• Experience with tooling that may include App Center, Fastlane, Jenkins, GitHub, Gitlab, Jira
• Proven ability to quickly identify and drive to the optimal solution when presented with a series of constraints. 
• 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 four (4) years of experience in pre-sales engineering and/or sales in a Systems Integrator, OEM, or similar environment
• Relevant certifications in area of specialty
• Four (4) years billable consulting experience
• Four (4) 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
• Consulting experience, especially in an agency or global systems integrator environment
• Experience with Observability and Application Security tools
• Experience modernizing Java and/or .Net applications
• Experience migrating applications to public cloud (AWS, Azure, or GCP)

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.

CDW is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity. As a government contractor, CDW takes affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and protected veterans; maintains a drug-free workplace; and participates in E-Verify.

Competencies:

Demonstrates competencies defined for the Technical Architect through Solutions Architect levels, plus the following:

Manages Complexity - Asks the right questions to accurately analyze situations. Acquires data from multiple and diverse sources when solving problems. Uncovers root causes to difficult problems. Evaluates pros and cons, risks and benefits of different solution options.

Interpersonal Savvy –  Relates comfortably with people across levels, functions, culture and geography.  Acts with diplomacy and tact. Builds rapport in an open, friendly, and accepting way. Builds constructive relationships with people both similar and different to self. Picks up on interpersonal and group dynamics.

Organizational Savvy - Is sensitive to how people and organizations function. Anticipates land mines and plans approach accordingly. Deals comfortably with organizational politics. Knows who has power, respect, and influence. Steers through the organizational maze to get things done.

Persuades - Positions views and arguments appropriately to win support. Convinces others to take action. Negotiates skillfully in tough situations. Wins concessions with damaging relationships. Responds effectively to the reactions and positions of others.

Instills Trust – Follows through on commitments. Is seen as direct and truthful. Keeps confidences. Practices what he/she preaches. Shows consistency between words and actions.

Strategic Mindset - Anticipates future trends and implications accurately. Readily poses future scenarios. Articulates credible pictures and visions of possibilities that will create value. Creates competitive and breakthrough strategies that show a clear connection between vision and action.