Principal Field Solution Architect - Digital Velocity

Description
Bring your IT career and talents to CDW, where you can have a greater impact, be inspired by our mission and excited about your career and future. A Fortune 200 leader, we're the driven professionals and technology experts companies turn to most to solve their IT challenges. The Principal Field Solution Architect (FSA) role focuses on pre-sales solution design. This role is responsible for working with internal and external sales teams to plan and organize sales strategies. The incumbent analyzes the sales environment including customer expectations, competitive environment as well as the customer's technical environment and define actions to be performed in the sales cycle timeframe. The Principal FSA is a field-based technical presales role. They are expected to spend the majority of their time engaged with CDW customers and locations in their local markets. The Principal FSA develops and maintains strategic relationships with Sales Management of the teams they support and seen as a trusted advisor to grow business. The Principal FSA is expected to be subject matter expert in multiple families of solutions. The incumbent in this role operates independently using standard approaches, existing tools, templates, and resources; shares knowledge and information that may benefit the team. The Modern Data Solutions Principal Field Solution Architect (FSA) role focuses on pre-sales solution design. For CDW's current and emerging portfolio of modern data technologies and related data platform technologies. This role will have a specific focus on assisting our customers and sellers in qualifying and identifying opportunities with the modern data solutions stack including initiatives around big data, data science, data engineering, data architecture, data management and governance as well as related tools and both internal and external consulting and service delivery partners. This role is seen as a trusted advisor to grow business. As a Principal Field Solution Architect, you will understand our client's data environment and high level infrastructure. You will own the process of developing scopes of work that help customers achieve these business outcomes. The Principal FSA develops and maintains strategic relationships with Sales Management of the teams they support and is seen as a trusted advisor to grow business. This role is a generalist in the domain of modern data solutions and will need to understand general modern data tools (such as but not limited to: Splunk, Tableau, IBM Analytics portfolio, Informatica, Alteryx, Snowflake, Denodo, Matillion, Alation, Erwin, etc.) , high level architecture and technologies and be able to speak to the broader vision of that solution and how it can solve customer business challenges. Training on emerging modern data solutions partner technologies will be an ongoing requirement for this role.
Key Areas of Responsibility
* Technology Leadership: Is a passionate learner who demonstrates continuous learning by proactively expanding technical depth in products, solutions, and services. If pertinent, achieves certifications in advanced technologies for CDW's Partner Certification Requirements.
* Operates with the perspective and insight that business needs, not just technology, establish the limits on what can be achieved.
* Helps design technical solutions using standard approaches, considering the customer's infrastructure limitations and opportunities; analyzes, interprets, and presents assessment results.
* Determines and defines services that complement and/or round out proposed hardware and software engagements, estimates required engineer effort.
* Uses team tools, templates, resources, and processes for maximum efficiency, productivity, consistency, and high quality execution.
* Provides feedback to technology leaders where opportunities exist to improve offerings, design, and delivery execution.
* Conducts technology/solutions training for CDW audiences (e.g., Sales, Inside Solution Architects), using developed material.
* Contributes to the team's knowledge base and readily shares knowledge with other FSAs, Inside Solution Architects, and Sales.
* Assists new team members by answering questions and sharing expertise on the tools of the job.
* Assists new hires by answering questions and sharing information.
* Sales: Follows up on implemented solutions and identifies new opportunities that complement the work that was completed.
* Researches and reviews customer profile information; applies knowledge of the vertical to develop customer intimacy prior to sales calls and/or strategy sessions.
* Assists customers in understanding their equipment maintenance contracts, upgrade needs, and renewals; analyses the most cost-effective approach for the customer (e.g., renew the contract or purchase new equipment and contract.)
* Uses various tools to calculate the Total Cost of Ownership and/or Return on Investment and explains to customers and Sales the business value of a solution and its benefits.
* Articulates to customers the Practice's value proposition; articulates audience-centric version of the value proposition to customers, account managers, and partners and uses it to generate additional revenue opportunities for CDW.
* Plans and executes events in territory by replicating plans from other successful events; secures funding to support CDW customer events; drives attendance to sponsored events.
* Leads business-focused technology solution presentations at CDW, Customer, and Partner events and meetings in your territory.
* Uses technology assessments and demos as a sales tool for furthering sales opportunities; identifies cross sell-and/or up-sell opportunities for an engagement, equips/assists FSAs and Sales to pursue it.
* Collaborates with Partners, Inside Solution Architects (ISA) and Account Executives (AE) to drive mapped opportunities; fine tunes strategies and approaches to achieve greater sales results.
* Operates in a regular cadence with multiple partners to educate, plan, and execute on joint strategies in collaboration with multiple stakeholders (ISA, AE, Sales Managers, Field Sales); understands partner alignment in geography and leads customer opportunity mapping exercises; coordinates on-site partner visits.
* Develops a detailed and ambitious Territory Plan in collaboration with Partners, AEs, and ISAs and uses it to manage their business.
* Understands profit margin and how to increase profitability; works cooperatively with field sales to ensure healthy profitability. Leverages and maximizes partner pricing, partner registration programs, incentive programs, and special pricing, to win business and ensure healthy profitability, provides input on pricing to Account Managers, Field Sales, FSAs, and Partners to increase margin and deal size and position CDW for future opportunities; negotiates pricing with Partners.
* Produces marketing-type documents and materials (e.g., presentation) to customers in territory.
* Sales Support: Responds to questions about partner registrations, associated registration issues, and customer engagement history.
* Prioritizes time spent on opportunities based on potential return on investment.
* Produces Bills of Materials, including product maintenance; writes Statements of Work (including work estimates), RFPs, RFIs, and proposal content.
* Maintains pre-sales pipeline data, develops plans, and takes actions to move opportunities to closure.
* Other Responsibilities
* Aside from being a passionate learner, the Modern Data Solutions Principal FSA is also a solution driver who has a passion for demonstrating continuous learning by proactively expanding technical depth in products, solutions, and services, particularly in the "data management" space. If pertinent, achieves certifications in advanced technologies for CDW's Partner Certification Requirements.
* Principal FSA is focused in the CDW Modern Data Solutions tools and services space with a specific focus on identifying and qualifying sales opportunities into the appropriate sales pursuits, by using team building techniques (internal & external to CDW) standard approaches, considering the customer's infrastructure limitations, investments and opportunities; analyzes, interprets, and presents assessment results.
* Education and/or Skill-Set Qualifications
* Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience
* 7+ year minimum technical pre-sales or technical architecting experience
Required Qualifications
* Stay up to date on products, applications, technical service, market conditions, competitive activities, advertising, and promotional trends through the reading of pertinent literature, seminars, and online training
* Proven project management skills
* Proficient in Microsoft Power/Data applications, particularly in the Microsoft Data Fabric suite including but not limited to: - MS Azure Data Factory - MS Azure Data Warehouse - Power BI (power apps) - OneLake - Real-Time Intelligence - MS Data Engineering & Data Science
* Preferred experience with data visualization technologies such as Tableau architecture, implementation, administration, dashboard development & licensing
* Ability to develop and deliver VAR-oriented service delivery services such as: - Workshops - Assessments - Posture analysis - Small POC deployment - MVP - Temporary ad hoc day 2 consulting
* Proven success and experience selling technologies solutions and services
* Knowledge and proven success of engaging and working with sales teams
* Ability todefine & execute on territory and accountability goals and metrics
* Ability to adapt and change to the business needs of the practice and team coverage model
* Strong interpersonal and presentation skills, including consulting skills
* Strong oral and written communication skills
* Strong passion for learning and teaching others
* Motivated and self-starting
* Ability to think creatively and come up with proactive ideas that will increase sales
* Strong problem solving skills
* Must be able to communicate effectively and in a constructive manner with management, peers and coworkers
* Ability to understand, remember, and apply oral and/or written instructions or other information. Ability to organize thoughts and ideas into understandable terminology. Ability to multi-task, organize and prioritize. Ability to apply common sense in performing a job. Ability to understand and follow basic instructions and guidelines. Ability to travel as needed.
* Preferred Qualifications
* Obtain and maintain relevant industry standard certifications
* Masters degree or equivalent work experience
Who we are:
CDW is a leading technology solutions provider to business, government, education and healthcare organizations across the globe. Our fingerprints can be found on technology in workplaces of more than 250,000 companies; from fresh-faced start-ups to international conglomerates. With the breadth of products and services we offer, there is no request too big or too small.
What you can expect from us: Culture, coworkers, careers.
CDW is not only the People Who Get IT but the People who get People. Our relationships are fueled by our deep expertise and grounded in the CDW Way. Our empowering leadership makes things happen and inspires their teams to do the same. From the teammates beside us to the leaders who guide us, we move forward together. At CDW, you'll work with people who inspire you. People with positive, success-driven attitudes who you will learn from and forge strong relationships with. Bring your best true self- and your best ideas- to CDW. Because diverse perspectives bring forth better problem solving- and better solutions for our customers on a rapidly evolving technology landscape.
Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status
Benefits overview: [https://cdw.benefit-info.com/](https://cdw.benefit-info.com/)