Addressabout the role
The Principal Solution Architect is the recognised authority internally and externally on digital disruption and business transformation technologies, theories, or techniques. The Principal Solution Architect provides innovative solutions to complex and critically sensitive issues affecting multiple disciplines, business units and work groups.
The Principal Solution Architect determines and pursues courses of action essential in accomplishing objectives and integrates advanced technology, theories or techniques and business architecture fluctuations that have a significant continued impact across disciplines and/or client business units. The Principal Solution Architect must have the ability to serve as organisation spokesperson on transforming business in a digital age and champions large sales opportunities and strategic growth initiatives that positively affect organisational goals and objectives.
Principal Solution Architect has the overall accountability for design and development of the complete operational and technical solution based on standard Business Unit products and services AND/OR innovative digital integration services which may not be yet productized or not on the Business Unit roadmap.
As a key member of the sales pursuit team, the Principal Solution Architect must:
- synthesize the customer business requirements into ICT requirement;
- understand and evaluate customer compelling events; and
- determine which criteria forms the underlying foundation upon which the solution will be based.
- Builds confidence with the customer and supports the Sales Leader in selling the solution.
- Leads, manages, and orchestrates solution development activities & deliverables with the Digital Innovation & Design team and other technical resources.
Leads the production of a corresponding bid & solution strategy, design, and cost structure incorporating existing customer services. Ensure from the solution launch meeting through contract signature that all support and approvals required from the internal business units and service delivery organisations are secured. Engage and lead all domains, as well as other internal and third-party resources assigned through the development of the solution during the pre-sales engagement, including the contracting phase of an outsourcing or large project opportunity. Consolidate all inputs into a coherent, consistent, and compliant format, to: develop an optimal and innovative value add solution; create associated cost models; and ensure delivery of proposal documentation. During the due diligence phase, direct the technical due diligence teams and participate in contract negotiations once downselected.
Application:
- Applies advanced subject matter knowledge and industry expertise to shape the client engagement agenda to solve complex business issues and is regarded as a subject matter expert in successful digital business models.
- Frequently contributes to the development of new ideas and methods - internally and externally.
- Leads and/or provides expertise to functional project teams, may participate in cross-functional initiatives, and will represent client strategies on strategic sales pursuits.
- Provides business domain solution, process, strategy, business case and change consulting to external client at functional and senior management level.
- Help the client innovate and formulate business solutions and "technology enabled" business models and new ways of doing business to create breakthrough positions in the marketplace
- Explains how and where technology can be used to address key business processes in a particular domain.
- Frequently represents the organization to external customers/clients.
- Involved in the strategy and business issues identification and resolution; provides input to the customer account plan to develop and manage the strategic relationship with the client's senior management, and act as a trusted advisor in transforming the client's business.
- Exercises significant independent judgment within broadly defined policies and practices to determine best method for accomplishing work and achieving objectives.
- Demonstrates technology & People leadership while directing solution design and development for large and strategic sales pursuits ensuring all customer facing deliverables produced by the team are on time and as per desired quality and specifications.
Responsibilities:
- Acts as trusted advisor at executive level for many of our largest clients.
- Leads and directs multiple engagement teams on the large, strategic, and complex opportunities.
- Takes ownership of customer deliverables right from solution design to prototyping to solution development, validation, and approval
- Leads a portfolio of engagement initiatives and focusing only on the most significant client engagements.
- Shapes the strategic agenda and creating the context for successful partnerships, which generate significant business.
- Plays a significant ongoing role in the client's internal management alliances; shapes client thinking on governance, shapes the strategic direction and acts as a transformation agent.
- Assumes a facilitative role in various scenarios, recognized for enhancing outcomes by employing a consultative method to influence the client's strategy in recognizing, handling risks and assumptions, and achieving benefits on a broader scale within the enterprise.
- Mentors and coaches, in demand for a range of internal and external activities, senior mentor with strong personal pull, using every opportunity to develop and grow others.
- Builds the company's global knowledge base.
- Significant contributor to the company methods and tools community, known for contribution and closely connected to other innovators.
- Engage proactively with strategic partners to understand their offerings, map their cross-functional organizations, and understand about their business goals and go-to-market approach.
- Work with the Orange Global, Regional, and Local business development teams, marketing, BU's, sales leaders, and Solution Architects to re-define and execute the A/NZ customer account business plan, including thought-leadership, joint assets/solutions and key customer engagements initiatives in collaboration with strategic partner stakeholders.
Impact/Scope
- Engaged in shaping/leading the most important significant and challenging client engagements maintaining a range of relationships with Tier 1 Executives and Managers in larger clients.
- Contributes to country/regional business development and Go To Market strategy.
- Assures that correct team is assembled for each qualified engagement.
- Overall engagement portfolio potential typically $10M+ and above and/or Service based consulting account potential total contract value (TCV) $20M.
about you
key accountabilities
key result / decision areas (outcomes)
Section 1: Technology Consulting & opportunity incubation
Support sales in developing key customer engagement strategies for winning new business across the Orange Business portfolio.
Deliver regular Sales updates on Orange Business consulting-led capabilities that result in demonstrable qualified pipeline creation with key customers
Support opportunity development and pipeline creation through proactive leverage of the Presales teams, internal business units, Digital Innovation & Design (DID) team and partner network with prospective new logo customers aligned to the Business Development team's Target Market List
CxO and/or (CxO-1) level customer engagements that result in qualified pipeline
Customer Technology Strategy Planning & Technology thought leadership
Demonstrable technical thought leadership for customers and active engagement in defining technology strategy and planning initiatives. Can horizon-scan and advise on potentially disruptive, future technologies.
Understand the A/NZ managed services market including emerging services, trends and competitive landscape
Be acknowledged internally and by customers as a trusted advisor and source of credible market knowledge.
Maintain a high degree of knowledge of strategic and core Orange Business products, services and solutions
Regular engagement of BU and Product owners to ensure alignment
Innovation: New products and services
Develop new and/or tweak existing offerings working proactively with Digital Communication Services (DCS) domain leaders. Collective brainstorming & collaboration with DCS domain stakeholders to launch new products and services tailored to the local & regional customer requirements.
Contribution to the Presales Knowledge Management Repository
Growth of quality reusable documentation in the Consulting Knowledge Management Repository in support of engagement and proposal development efficiency gains
Section 2: Bid Execution (large & strategic opportunity pursuit only)
Work closely with the customer to understand their business objectives and compelling criteria to better shape the Orange Business solution. Manage solution evolution throughout the customer engagement process and finalize the solution through customer negotiation gaining agreement on associated technical, operational and commercial parameters.
Improve win ratio by providing a solution proposition aligned to customers business requirements and budget in combination with internal Orange Business win themes and cost targets.
Accountable to produce an optimal solution meeting customer requirements utilizing Orange Business capabilities directly, through Partners, or other Third Parties. Engage and direct service block managers, design architects, and subject matter experts as required. Negotiate scope and service level adjustments during presales phase as required. Combine all available Orange Business and Third-Party resources to generate standard and non-standard service blocks. Responsible for obtaining the necessary validations and approvals for both solution and associated costs. Accountable for identification and quantification of the corresponding gaps and risk factors (technical, costing, SLA) maintaining the technical risk and issues register with supporting mitigations in conjunction with Commercial Management
Assurance that the solution is technically and operationally feasible and robust and has been through rigorous internal validation processes involving all required BU and delivery organizations.
As a member of the pre-sales core team, support the overall directions of the Opportunity Owner and plan the necessary levels of resources to deliver the solution components within the bid. Define what components require a bottom-up or top-down design and costing. Align with the proposal development milestones defined by the Bid Program Manager
Proposal collateral including but not limited to proposal text, statements of work, cost models and presentations are produced on time and as per quality and specifications in accordance with customer requirement, internal quality policies and procedures.
Manage the domain leads, design architect(s), and assigned subject matter experts. Lead the overall solution work stream securing the contribution of all relevant Orange Business BUs' service delivery organizations, Partners, Third Parties and supporting entities.
Plan, manage, and lead key internal bid reviews: design to cost review, solution review and post contract handover review with ABU team.
Lead the production of the consolidated technical solution proposal documents including presentations as required, working closely with the Bid Program Manager
dimensions
- Financial - The Principal Solution Architect position is a member of the presales response team and classified as a non-billable.
- People management - No direct reports. Will act as a thought leader to the team and mentor/coach others in the team.
- A core team member contributing to the proposal strategy and solution development with responsibility for managing the solution bid team during the creation of the customer solution
additional information
skills, certifications, and experience
knowledge and abilities
Engage and partner with customer at a senior executive level - CxO
Propose and deliver high value business consulting engagements
Identify and develop key partner and vendor relationships to enhance the Orange Business value proposition
Identify and develop key partner and vendor relationships to maintain local market awareness across business and technology trends
Market sector business knowledge with particular focus on the Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (MFSI) sector as well as the Natural Resource sector.
Highly competent in developing and presenting proposals and business cases directly to customers, with ability to address all levels across the organisation from technical to senior executive engagements
Requirements:
- Able to travel to client and Orange Business locations as needed, possibly at least 50% of the time
- Able to support interactions with team members in multiple countries and geographies on a regular basis
education, qualifications, and certifications
Degree in relevant field
experience
Minimum of 12 years related work experience in technology services organizations
- Leadership experience managing and enabling a geographically distributed matrixed team to execute and deliver
- Experience with large systems integration or complex transformation solutions projects including exposure to agile development approaches
- Skilled in leading and facilitating meetings and workshops
- Ability to effectively communicate and influence at executive, middle management and staff levels
- Ability to synthesize and analyze data from a variety of sources, identify issues, draw conclusions, and craft solutions
- Ability to build relationships across the client organisation (business and technology stakeholders)
- Experience working successfully as a member of a distributed team.
- Ability to organise and coordinate with stakeholders across multiple functions and geographic locations including directing and deploying resources as needed
- Strong verbal and written communication skills
- Comfort working in a fast-paced environment with ambiguity
contract
Regular
