Presales Solution Architecture

The Company:

A global telecommunications provider operating in markets across Africa and the rest of the world is looking for a Presales Solution 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:

• Manage employees to create, maintain, and manage ongoing technical relationships with business customers and partners to ensure high levels of satisfaction.
• Ensure sustainable solution designs that balance business returns and customer needs.
• Manage employees to provide input for account plans for top customers in specific industries and all customers in the relevant channel’s named accounts.
• Drive the achievement of revenue targets for relevant channels by ensuring the team delivers on named account activities, tender requirements, and deadlines.
• Engage with relevant product, TES, and partner teams to leverage partnerships for complex solutions the organisation cannot provide.
• Develop effective training plans to keep the presales architecture team certified and credible in the customer’s mind.
• Push the boundaries for solution designs within named accounts of relevant channels and ensure that the organisation is innovative and responsible.
• Ensure competitiveness in the industry by applying relevant commercial constructs in deal architecture and obtaining pricing approval where applicable.
• Focus on providing exceptional client experience.
• Ensure customer satisfaction by ensuring designs and conceptual solutions are deliverable and supportable by the business.
• Approve complex customer designs and pricing before submission to the sales environment to deliver the “first-time-right design.”
• Ensure the presales architecture team is responsible for technical presales activity engagement across the business.
• Ensure customer escalations are addressed within the correct departments and followed up within agreed timelines.
• Encourage a culture of operational excellence.
• Ensure any non-standard partner engagement for type 3 deals follows relevant procurement and TES governance processes.
• Manage projects or presales activities within and outside of relevant channels to ensure efficient use of resources.
• Ensure coordination of matrix reports from all other areas within the organisation to complete customer technical designs/solutions.
• Manage technical input on tenders and proposals in line with the ICT Enterprise Business Unit strategy.
• Give input into process development within the presales solution architect department and the areas they interact with.
• Ensure designs are within approved operational limits by applying for approval within the relevant governance boards.
• Provide input to the products team for the development of new products.
• Manage relationships between the presales solution architect team and, sales, TES, procurement, commercial pricing, and the customer.
• Manage the accurate and timely business and performance reporting process through the use of appropriate systems and tools.
• Ensure processes and procedures are optimised for presales solution architect engagement between GEBU, product, solution implementation, commercial pricing, procurement, and  the organisation’s Core Network team.
• Maintain or develop specialisation and subject matter expert disciplines for product verticals by keeping staff relevantly certified and developing personal development plans with clear timelines for any gaps identified.
• Lead, develop, and coach the presales solution architect team to ensure suitable succession planning.
• Foster a culture of innovation and knowledge sharing within the team and across the organisation.
• Act as an ambassador and role model for the organisation by embodying the brand values and vital behaviours.
• Make the business presales solution architecture, relevant vertical, environment the best place to work.
• Improve employee engagement through the Group Culture Audit.
• Ensure the attraction, development, and retention of talent within relevant verticals.
• Build a professional and differentiated team within relevant verticals.
• Foster a culture of continuous evaluation and improvement within relevant verticals.
• Foster a culture of high performance, accountability, and consequence management within relevant verticals.
• Ensure alignment with relevant channel sales and presales solutions architects processes.
• Ensure team compliance with relevant policies and procedures.
• Oversee effective controls and decision-support systems to determine product viability to prioritise investments.

Experience:

• Has at least 2 years of experience in a business solutions pre-sales environment, working with clients.
• Possesses a thorough understanding of cloud computing products and services.
• Has experience in providing telecom solutions to senior stakeholders in large enterprise client accounts.
• Has worked in a medium-sized organisation.