Enterprise Solution Architect (Presales)

Rackspace Technology is leading the next paradigm shift in cloud computing and is looking for a world class candidate for the role of Enterprise Solution Architect, focused on Large Deals (multiple service lines), within our EMEA Public Cloud Presales team. In this role, you'll be encouraged, supported and rewarded for doing what is right for the long-term success of the customer and our business.

This is an ideal role for someone who has experience working for a global systems integrator (GSI), a large IT consulting firm or a boutique public cloud services company.

As a Presales Enterprise Solution Architect (Multi Service Line Large Deals), you will consult clients and market teams on deals and differentiate Rackspace by virtue of your experience, technical acumen, and ability to translate business problems into solutions that generate business outcomes. The primary focus for this position is on sales and P&L growth of the business to be achieved by seeking new opportunities at existing clients or via new client acquisition.

The ideal candidate will possess both a technical background that enables them to engage at the CXO level, as well as a sales/presales background that enables them to easily interact with customers and account management/sales executives/pre-sales architects. You should also have a demonstrated ability to think strategically about business, product/service, and technical challenges, with the ability to build and convey compelling value propositions. You should be just as comfortable talking compute and networking with the VP of Infrastructure or continuous deployment with the DevOps team, TCO with the CFO, and cloud strategy with the CIO. If you are a problem solver with a broad set of technical-skills, and have the ability to drive technical initiatives and cloud migration/ transformation projects, you will enjoy this role.

You will build quality solutions for large and complex deals in public cloud. The role would be leading creation of proactive and reactive proposals, creating benchmarks, pricing, building innovative commercial models and reusable assets. Building a high performing enterprise architect team supporting Sales pursuits. The role would be solely responsible for crafting and winning multi service line public cloud deals.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead large and strategic pursuits.
• Architect multi service line deals.
• Work with Sales, Presales and delivery teams to create winning proposals and solutions.
• Own response to RFP’s and create high quality solutions and response documents.
• Define unique solutions and win themes for solutions.
• Create repository of reusable assets for Presales.
• Create pricing and effort benchmarks over a period.
• Use standard processes and tools.
• Follow proper sales process and responsible for keeping pipeline updated.
• Lead and manage a team of Enterprise Architects and Bid Managers.
• Collaborate with Service Line teams, presales architects to create winning proposals.
• Co-ordinate with delivery, finance, legal teams to complete multi-service line multifunctional deals.
• Create Improvement plans and drive higher efficiencies.
• Collaborate with delivery teams to evaluate projects for technical feasibility and reasonableness.
• Define and distribute team goals. Ensure team operates within a defined set of standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Review team documentation to identify trends, risks, and actions requiring intervention or escalation.
• Work with internal departments and external vendors to provide comprehensive and complete solutions.
• Coach and develop a world-class team, providing guidance and supervision where necessary
• Create weekly and monthly reports on Presales status and update leadership.

Experience

• 15 years of experience in Presales and Solution Engineering for services deals
• 10 years managing large Presales/Solution Engineering Teams in large Consulting and Services organizations ($5B+)
• Proven experience in solutioning Platform, Infra, Cloud services
• Proven experience as a Solution Architect in a leading IT or Professional Services organization
• Proven experience as an Enterprise Architect
• Strong technical knowledge in both professional and managed services
• Excellent understanding of Public Cloud services across AWS, Azure and GCP
• Good business and commercial acumen to handle pricing of complex deals.
• Exceptional people skills: the ability to develop, mentor, engage and motivate staff to excellence.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Excellent creative problem-solving abilities, coupled with a desire to take on responsibility.
• Strong communication skills: verbal, written, interpersonal, and presentation.
• Excellent time management, decision-making, and organization skills.
• Ability to develop and communicate individual goals and executable tasks based on functional and strategic goals and objectives.

Certifications

• AWS, Azure, GCP certifications
• Experience working within frameworks such as TOGAF and COBIT. In-depth knowledge of major cloud players' frameworks and best practices, such as the AWS Well-Architected Framework.
• PMP or Prince 2 would be advantageous.

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