Prestigious Managed Services Firm is currently seeking a Presales Solutions Architect. Candidate works closely with sales personnel in client requirement identification definition, solution development, installation planning, and preliminary pricing for sales opportunities.  This person will be fully engaged in consultative solutions architecture and engineering for custom and point solutions involving a broad array of technology platforms, designs, and vendors from desktop to the data center.  The Solution Architect is engaged in sales opportunities from qualification through closing, and in some instances with service delivery for installation. They proactively monitor status of all deals in the process ensuring timely completion of key tasks to meet defined deal cycle times. The Solution Architect also ensures solution specifications and relevant terms and conditions embodied in contracts accurately represent approved technical solutions.   

Responsibilities:  

Participate and support account planning/sales strategy and pre-call meetings.
Understand client’s general business requirements and document objectives and technical requirements including processing, storage, network, RTO/RPO, help desk calls, installation and migration, etc.   
Develop preliminary proposed solutions and solution options and assumptions including systems configurations necessary for pricing (technology platform(s), required hardware, software and software licensing, networking, vendor models, bandwidth, network elements, etc.).
Work with project office in developing project plans (roadmaps, timelines, dependencies, etc.) to the level necessary to estimate one-time costs for installations and migrations.
Devise cost-effective, efficient solution design engineered to meet required specifications.
Review sales proposals, and other communications (as needed) for technical accuracy.
Drive process to secure final pricing and approval of proposed technical solution and installation/migration with Service Delivery and management, provide additional information as required, and make final changes.
Own and drive the process from technical solution qualification through solution and proactively monitor status of deals ensuring timely completion of key tasks to meet defined cycle times.
Ensure solution specifications and relevant terms and conditions embodied in contracts accurately represent approved technical solutions.
Build and/or improve upon library of pre-sales technical architecture templates for core solutions.  
 

Experience Required:

BS in Computer Science or equivalent degree.
10+ years of successful solutions architecture experience, ideally with prior work experience with a managed services provider and/or IT infrastructure consulting firm.
Experience taking technical requirements and developing winning solutions both point and custom.  
Ability to quickly author proposed technical solutions and associated diagrams for RFPs/RFIs, proposals, design documents, and other documents and presentations.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to ask the right questions, communicate, and collaborate in a professional, consultative manner.
Working knowledge of networking solutions; including local area network, wide area network, Intranet and Internet.
Familiar with Windows Operating System and related software (Active Directory, Exchange, SharePoint, and MS-SQL) and Linux Operating System, ideally IBM AS400 (iSeries).
Familiar with hardware configuration installation, and support experience including physical and virtual servers, iSeries, and storage equipment, e.g., EMC.
Familiar with virtualization platforms (e.g., VMware, Xen, etc) and related software.
Familiar with Cisco Router, Switches and ASA devices.
Familiar with backup software (e.g., CommVault).
Familiar with replication software (e.g., Double-Take, VMWare SRM, iTera/MIMIX, SAN Replication)