Senior Microsoft Cloud Solution Architect at CDW UK

JOB SUMMARY

CDW’s Microsoft Solutions team is a group of Solutions Architects and Specialists that is part of the wider Microsoft Practice.

The role has three key areas of responsibility, which broken down by:

• Act as a senior architect, using a combination of your own depth of expertise as well as the wider team to own opportunities, engage with customers and win business at enterprise-scale in across the Microsoft Azure stack
• Support the development of the team and the wider department by contributing to team projects as well as helping junior team members achieve their own career aspirations
• Develop and maintain your own skills and knowledge through research, self-guided learning, lab time and formal training/accreditation

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Customer Opportunities - Work with customers, partners and salespeople to qualify opportunities and delivery value adding Microsoft and other technology outcomes
• Documentation - Produce high quality documentation
• Handover – Support the smooth handover of projects into the delivery teams and acting as an escalation point during their life and transition into service
• CDW and Azure Evangelist - driving and evangelising CDW capabilities to our customer base in a credible, friendly and relatable way. Differentiating CDW through its productised services, consulting capability and Microsoft expertise.
• Internal Collaboration – Build and develop strong relationships across the business, including with Sales, Professional Services, Managed Services and the wider CDW community to draw upon as the need arises.
• Partner Engagement – Cultivate strong Microsoft and Microsoft eco-system relationships to stay up to date with offerings and roadmaps and leverage this knowledge as an agnostic advisor to customers.
• Commercial Acumen – The role requires that you understand the commercial impact of the proposed solutions and assist customers and CDW’s sales teams in choosing the correct solution to meet budget and expectations.
• Sales Enablement - Assist CDW Salespeople with technical guidance on a variety of products and solutions across a range of customer sizes and types and evangelise the team’s capabilities.
• Customer Retention - Act as a trusted adviser to key customers through building knowledge of their environments.
• Management Support: Support the leadership by providing input into team meetings, one-to-ones, appraisals and assessments as well as providing cover for the Practice Lead where required
• Accreditation – Attain and maintain the highest level of relevant accreditations where required

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, AND EXPERIENCE

• Demonstrated credible experience in Microsoft Azure, and Microsoft eco-system technologies. Use experience and skills to aid in their adoption, with a proven ability to use this to own and win complex opportunities with mid-market customers, enterprise, and public sector customers
• Advanced Azure capability. A specialism in Data AI or Cyber areas is desirable
• Ability to lead customers through a transformational journey that delivers tangible benefit quickly whilst maximising the scope and potential of an engagement
• Experience selling both professional and managed services
• A passion and a thirst to learn and deliver presales expertise in a broader set of technologies

ESSENTIAL ATTRIBUTES

• Highly ambitious, credible, motivated, and accountable individual with an appreciation for building meaningful and lasting relationships, combined with a desire and ability to “win hearts and minds” - Confident yet humble in their approach
• Detail-oriented with strong time management skills combined with the capacity to lead and work on multiple initiatives, as well as dynamically prioritise and pivot based on changing business needs
• Outstanding communications skills, with the ability to clearly and concisely present concepts and recommendations in verbal, written, and presentation formats to customers, senior leaders, and cross-functional audiences
• High levels of industry-related knowledge with an insatiable thirst for new information relevant to the market
• Prepared for occasional travel between CDW UK & International offices as the role requires whilst maintaining a suitable home life balance
• Ability to allocate time to undertake personal development activities such as attending training, achieving certifications, and focusing on soft-skill development – always seeking to personally develop as an individual