Senior Specialist: Solutions Architecture

The Company:

A global telecommunications provider operating in markets across Africa and the rest of the world is looking for a Senior Specialist: Solutions Architecture. The company has been providing ordinary South Africans with excellent services and values the individual contributions of its team members. Candidates can expect to form part of an elite team operating at the cutting edge of their relevant technologies. 

The Role:

• Interpret and translate customer requirements into effective solutions.
• Analyse business cases to determine costs, risks, and benefits of solutions.
• Follow all relevant approval practices and steering committees for customer solutions.
• Obtain business approval for new innovations required for customer solutions.
• Deliver customer POCs and ensure clear testing criteria are agreed upon.
• Sponsor and mentor junior architects for key deals within the environment.
• Use commercial acumen to deliver solutions within customer budgets.
• Understand customer key challenges and financial parameters to propose winning solutions.
• Provide input for the strategic direction of technology investments to develop enterprise architecture and maximise technology ROI.
• Review, interpret, and respond to detailed Business Requirements Specifications (BRS) for alignment with ICT capability.
• Translate business requirements into technical architecture specifications, solution design, process diagrams, and concepts of operation.
• Estimate costs and justify ROI for solutions through business case input considering infrastructure, licences, development, and support.
• Present business cases to Senior Management for approval, funding, and prioritisation
• Evaluate and select technologies required to complete customer solutions.
• Work in cross-functional teams to design, deliver and support technology solutions that meet business requirements and objectives, align with enterprise architecture, corporate ICT standard, and business operational standards.
• Ensure proposed solutions are deliverable within customer timelines, budgets, and relevant governance.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams to deliver solutions in an efficient and cost-effective manner while ensuring completeness, operability, and conformity with business processes and quality of service.
• Document and maintain organisation’s solution proposals to customers, and make recommendations for improvements and/or alternatives.
• Participate in the supplier selection process, evaluate usefulness and cost of products, and make appropriate recommendations.
• Review solutions design projects and procurement or outsourcing plans for compliance with standards and architectural plans.
• Keep up-to-date with solutions architecture current and future trends and innovations.
• Maintain current OEM certifications and obtain new certifications as required.
• Collaborate with a global team to research the feasibility of customer-specific solutions while following the organisation’s internal governance.
• Advise management and teams on solution architecture.
• Provide input into account management plans and go-to-market plays for key identified clients.
• Identify, develop, and close key sales opportunities in collaboration with sales specialists and account managers.
• Deep-dive into customers’ business challenges with sales specialists and account managers to propose and pre-qualify specific outcomes for professional services engagement.
• Build and maintain technical relationships within corporate customers and partners to ensure high levels of satisfaction.
• Develop high-quality technical responses to RFPs/RFQs/RFIs that meet customer requirements and deliver all technical tender requirements.
• Provide technical input on pricing for tenders and proposals.

Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering, or a related field.
• Relevant certifications in Cloud, Network, or Unified Communications.
• Current Cisco Network Certifications such as CCNP or equivalent.
• Minimum Cisco Professional Certification or Current Cisco or other UCC certifications such as CCNP Collaboration Certification.
• Full CCIE certification would be advantageous.
• Business and Commercial Acumen.
• Fluent in the language of the country with full command of English, and French language skills would be an advantage.
• Minimum of 15 years of experience with network administration or information technology systems and Pre-sales.
• Prior professional services or consulting background.
• Experience working across diverse cultures and geographies would be advantageous.
• Experience working in a large organisation.
• Experience in a global/multinational enterprise, coupled with working in emerging markets.
• Experience in guiding customer ICT strategy in large organisations.