Solutions Architect

Job Title: Solutions Architect (Pre-Sales) Shift: Primarily 1st, schedule may vary for engagements with customers in multiple time zones Our Mission: To make an impact within communities by providing the knowledge, resources and innovative solutions delivered through an alliance of Information Technology Integrators, Independent Software Vendors, and Cloud Providers with a common vision in resolving critical challenges directly impacting citizens. The qualified individual will play an integral role within our enterprise technology sales division, aiding in discovery for pre-sales engagements, serving as a technical sales overlay and providing ongoing consultative support to our existing customer base. This position will serve as a key technical liaison advising new and existing customers (Federal, SLED, and commercial) on why to invest in Strategic’s cloud and enterprise portfolio and helping to drive customer adoption and use of cloud services. Travel required to Louisville, KY for onboarding week and will average one week per month for the first six months (introductory period). Overall estimated 20-25% travel required. Role requires strong communication skills, experience in public cloud computing, and a passion for helping clients solve problems. This role will collaborate with internal and external Cloud Engineers/Architects to gather customer requirements in support of Statement of Work creation and formal proposal responses. Position will be incentivized for conducted Well Architected Review meetings (supported by internal/external Cloud Architects), Proof of Concept presentations, and helping to drive monthly recurring revenue (MRR) for IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS solutions. This individual will work to: • Support a high-performing sales team to align client business and technical needs to cloud based solutions. Building relationships with customers to understand operational needs and technical challenges. • Specify the deliverables of services projects by aiding in the development of detailed project scopes of work (SOWs) - scoping, defining and commercializing value propositions. • Clearly present complex ideas and solutions to various audiences. • Serve as a liaison between Sales and Engineering in the pre-sales process. • Stay current on industry trends and best practices, specifically with AWS, Azure, and GCP. Ideal applicants will meet the following criteria: • Comfortability working with executive level stakeholders/clients to understand issues in technology space and be able to provide Strategic Communications Cloud solutions to address these issues through a professional service engagement. • Outstanding presentation and communication skills (verbal and written), especially with senior level stakeholders. Prior technical writing experience strongly preferred. • Experience in technical pre-sales consulting with understanding of cloud technologies in AWS and ideally more than one Cloud Service Provider (CSP) including: AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform. • Demonstrated understanding of modern approaches to cloud infrastructure, software development, and legacy systems modernization. • Fundamental understanding of hybrid cloud solutions, leading hyperconverged solutions and related infrastructure services. Responsibilities may include but are not limited to: • In conjunction with technical team, aids in design engineering of AWS, Azure, GCP or other cloud architectures. • Regularly interfaces with technical and business staff of customers, including the project sponsor and stakeholders of projects. •Engaging with customer teams on an ongoing (monthly, quarterly) basis to perform business reviews, provide account highlights, opportunities for optimization and review key metrics or accomplishments. • Assists with proposal writing/technical responses for Cloud/Managed IT Services opportunities. • Communicating effectively with the sales team along with other internal/external parties. • Works with Professional Services Managers, Sales, Project Managers, and Customers to manage expectations and timelines to ensure satisfaction. • Building and maintaining strong relationships with channel partners, including other System Integrators, OEMs, ISVs, PaaS/SaaS Providers, and CSPs; understanding how to apply cloud solutions to marketspaces in conjunction with professional services. • May assist with developing, testing, and maintaining system recovery plans. Education and Experience • U.S. Citizen, capable of obtaining a federal clearance if needed. • Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science or similar preferred. • 10+ years of proven experience in Information Technology, Network and/or Systems Administration. •1+years of Sales Engineering, Technical Account Manager, or Technical Writing experience. • Familiarity with migration and deployment strategies. Hands on experience in AWS EC2, VPC, S3, CloudWatch, Azure, and/or GCP services strongly preferred. • AWS Cloud Practitioner Certification required, Solutions Architect Certification (Associate level or higher) strongly preferred. • Thorough understanding of IT terminology and difference between on-prem and cloud technologies with ability to translate into non-technical terms. • Experience working with Project Management Teams in developing new technology implementations. • ISO 9000:2015 training – completed within 90 days of hire Key Competencies/Behaviors • Strong interpersonal skills, flexibility and a positive ‘can do’ attitude. • Excellent communication, organizational, note taking, and time management skills. • Team oriented, works well with others. • Planning and organizational skills. • Highly adaptable and stress tolerant. • Experience working with multiple departments and managing multiple tasks concurrently. • Strong verbal and written communication skills - English as primary language. • Must be able to read and comprehend technical reports. Physical Demands The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job. Work is primarily performed in an office environment. Regularly required to sit. Regularly required use hands to finger, handle, or feel, reach with hands and arms to handle objects, and operate tools, computer, and/or controls. Required to speak and hear. Occasionally required to stand and walk. Exposed to general office noise with computers, printers and light traffic. Job description is not all encompassing. Ad hoc duties may be assigned as deemed appropriate by management. Benefits: Medical Insurance, Dental Insurance, Life Insurance, Vision Insurance, Short and Long-term Disability Insurance, 401k Plan, Paid Vacation Days, Paid Sick Days, Paid Holidays, Wellness Incentives, Referral Bonuses Screening Requirements: Background Check - must be US citizen and possess or be capable of obtaining a security clearance (Secret clearance preferred), Drug Testing