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Job Summary
The Principal Solution Architect designs pre-sales IBM Power system solutions, partnering with sales teams to strategize and analyze customer and market needs. The Principal Solution Architect builds strong relationships with Sales Management and is trusted for IBM Power system growth. This role requires expertise across several solution areas, leading initiatives, mentoring other Solution Architects, and collaborating with sales, partners, and customers to drive new IBM Power opportunities. The Principal Solution Architect also helps define and support technologies, delivering training and sharing best practices to prepare teams for success.
What you’ll do
- Technology Leadership Acquires deep technical depth in IBM Power system; Is the "Go To" person for the solution, both technically and strategically; is on the forefront of their solution(s) and the implications for CDW offerings.
- Performs a lead role in executing the "Go-to-Market" for new IBM Power system offerings.
- Designs technical solutions not only considering the customer’s infrastructure but also the business limitations and opportunities; operates comfortably beyond standard approaches to satisfy the needs of all the stakeholders.
- Reviews peer’s designs for quality and accuracy.
- Determines and defines services that complement and/or round out proposed hardware and software engagements, estimates required engineer effort.
- Operates beyond a ‘self’ focus for the benefit of the team and the practice to better CDW’s technology leadership, execution, and overall relevance to our customers; develops standardized templates of deliverables, including the SOW framework, tools, demo lab and scripts, and services calculation (Calc); provides leadership to equip CDW to deliver the solution at a high level of quality.
- Communicates and trains the team on changes in technologies, procedures, solution implementations and approaches.
- Develops training materials for team members to use with CDW audiences.
- Promotes a culture of knowledge sharing and collaboration by organizing knowledge bases, contributing regularly, and encouraging team members to contribute.
- Coaches and mentors team members to improve their technical, consulting, and sales skills.
- Acts as a resource to Solution Architects for advice and recommendations on technical design issues and product choices.
- Conducts technical assessment and expertise evaluations during the candidate selection process.
- Assist managers with new hire Solution Architects, leads shadow assignments; proactively provides assistance and guidance to new hires to accelerate productivity.
- Sales Follows up on implemented solutions and identifies new opportunities that complement the work that was completed.
- Advises team members and sales prior to customer calls and/or sales strategy sessions.
- Assists customer in understanding their equipment maintenance contracts, upgrade needs, and renewals; analyses the most cost-effective approach for the customer (e.g. renew the contract or purchase new equipment and contract.)
- Incorporates financing (through manufacturer or third party) as part of the sales proposal and discussion; look beyond the current infrastructure/problem toward a three to five year roadmap.
- Articulates to customers the ITS Practice (Integrated Technology Solutions) value proposition to customers, account managers, and partners and uses it to generate additional revenue opportunities to CDW.
- Initiates new event ideas; collaborates with Partners and Sales to design events that can be replicated by other Solution Architects secures funding to support CDW customer events.
- Delivers presentations and conducts sales conversations with confidence and credibility to C-level clients, both in small meeting and large group formats.
- Develops presentation content for the team
- Delivers presentations and conducts sales conversations with confidence and credibility to C-level clients, both in small meeting and large group formats.
- Develops assessments improvements and demos for Solution Architects to use as sales tools, identifies new ideas for cross-sell opportunities, teaches Solution Architects in Sales on how to use these tools.
- Collaborates with Partners, Solution Architects, and Account Executives (AE) 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 (SAs, AE, Sales Manager, Field Sales); understands partner alignment in geography and leads customer opportunity mapping exercises; coordinates on-site partner visits.
What we expect of you
- Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience
- Seven-year minimum technical pre-sales or technical architecting experience
- Knowledge of IBM Power systems AIX and or Iseries
- Ability to size and configure IBM Power systems and storage solutions in IBM eConfig tool.
- Experience with IBM Storage solutions including Flash Systems and DS8K
- Understand sizing of IBM Storage solutions including capacity and performance
- Experience with storage networking and solution from both Cisco and Broadcom
- Ability to scope and manage statements of work.
- Strong interpersonal and presentation skills, including consulting skills
- 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
Pay range: $ 148,000 - $ 205,600 depending on experience and skill set
Annual bonus target of 25% subject to terms and conditions of plan
Benefits overview: https://cdw.benefit-info.com/
Salary ranges may be subject to geographic differentials
We make technology work so people can do great things.
CDW is a leading multi-brand provider of information technology solutions to business, government, education and healthcare customers in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. A Fortune 500 company and member of the S&P 500 Index, CDW helps its customers to navigate an increasingly complex IT market and maximize return on their technology investments. Together, we unite. Together, we win. Together, we thrive.
CDW is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regards to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other basis prohibited by state and local law.
CDW is committed to fostering an equitable, transparent, and respectful hiring process for all applicants. During our application process, CDW’s goal is to get to know you as an applicant and understand your experience, strengths, skills, and qualifications. While AI can help you present yourself more clearly and effectively, the essence of your application should be authentically yours. To learn more, please review CDW's AI Applicant Notice.
