45Drives Solution Architect

45Drives; Kitchener; On-site; CAD 60,000 - 118,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive Health Care Plan

Generous vacation policy

Training and Growth opportunities

Collaborative team culture

Meaningful work shaping OSS infra

Job summary

45Drives is hiring a Solution Architect to partner with Sales to deliver enterprise storage solutions. You will design scalable architectures across storage, infrastructure, applications, and data environments, guiding customers from discovery to implementation.

The role requires strong technical expertise, customer engagement, and collaboration with Engineering and R&D teams. On-site in Waterloo, ON with occasional evening/weekend support.

Qualifications

• Strong background in data storage, systems architecture, virtualization, or related technology.
• Experience designing or supporting enterprise infrastructure solutions.
• Ability to analyze complex technical environments and recommend scalable solutions.
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to varied audiences.

Responsibilities

• Meet with customers to understand business objectives and technical requirements.
• Design enterprise storage and infrastructure solutions for customer environments.
• Deliver technical presentations, workshops, and product demos.
• Develop scopes of work, solution architectures, and implementation recommendations.
• Collaborate with Sales, Engineering, and R&D teams throughout projects.
• Translate technical concepts into clear business value for customers.

Skills

Enterprise storage architectures

Data storage

Virtualization

Solution design

Technical communication

Education

Post-secondary education in Computer Science/IT/Engineering

Tools

ZFS

Ceph

Proxmox

Job description

• Shift: Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, with occasional evening customer calls and weekend support as required
• Level: Intermediate

Position Information

• Position Title: Solution Architect
• Department: Technical Service
• Company: 45Drives
• Location: Waterloo, Ontario
• Work Arrangement: On-site
• Employment Type: Full-Time, Permanent
• Shift: Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, with occasional evening customer calls and weekend support as required
• Level: Intermediate

Full Transparency: We Work a Little Differently Around Here.

At 45Drives, we believe work should be meaningful. We spend a significant part of our lives at work, so we're committed to creating an environment where people enjoy what they do, contribute ideas, and make a real impact.

We value collaboration, curiosity, and continuous improvement. Everyone is encouraged to challenge ideas, solve problems, and help shape the future of our products, our company, and our customer experience.

If you're looking for a workplace where your technical expertise is valued and your contributions matter, we'd love to hear from you.

About Us

45Drives is changing the way organizations store data.

Instead of locking customers into proprietary software, we build enterprise storage solutions using open-source software and commodity hardware—giving customers flexibility, transparency, and long‑term value without vendor lock‑in.

45Drives is part of Protocase Inc., an innovative manufacturing and technology company with more than 400 employees serving over 16,000 customers worldwide, including organizations such as NASA, Boeing, Google, Apple, Microsoft, MIT, and many more.

Learn More

• 45Drives: https://www.45drives.com
• Protocase: https://www.protocase.com

About The Role

The Solution Architect partners closely with Sales Account Managers to deliver technically sound, customer‑focused enterprise storage solutions. This role combines deep technical expertise with exceptional customer engagement to design solutions that solve real business challenges while helping customers maximize the value of open‑source technologies.

As a trusted technical advisor, you'll work directly with clients to understand their business objectives, technical environments, and long‑term goals. You'll lead discovery conversations, design scalable solution architectures across storage, infrastructure, applications, and data environments, and support customers from initial engagement through implementation.

Working closely with Sales, Engineering, and R&D teams, you'll help translate complex technical concepts into practical business solutions while influencing future product development through customer feedback and market insights.

What You'll Do

• Meet with customers to understand business objectives, technical requirements, and long‑term goals.
• Conduct technical discovery sessions to identify customer challenges and solution requirements.
• Design enterprise storage and infrastructure solutions tailored to customer environments.
• Deliver technical presentations, workshops, and live product demonstrations.
• Develop technical scopes of work, solution architectures, implementation recommendations, and supporting documentation.
• Partner with Sales Account Managers throughout the sales cycle to ensure customer success.
• Translate complex technical concepts into clear business value for customers.
• Collaborate with Engineering and R&D by sharing customer feedback, market trends, and product improvement opportunities.
• Review solution designs and proposals to ensure alignment with customer requirements and architectural best practices.
• Support implementation planning and provide technical guidance throughout the customer journey.
• Promote open‑source technologies and architectural best practices through customer education and internal knowledge sharing.
• Participate in continuous improvement initiatives that enhance customer experience and organizational success.

What You Need (Required Qualifications)

Don't meet every qualification? If you have a strong background in enterprise infrastructure and customer‑facing technical work, we'd still love to hear from you.

Education

• Post‑secondary education in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related technical discipline is considered an asset. Equivalent practical experience will also be considered.

Experience

• Strong technical background in data storage, systems architecture, virtualization, or related technology fields.
• Experience designing or supporting enterprise infrastructure solutions.
• Experience analyzing complex technical environments and recommending scalable solutions.

Technical Skills

• Strong understanding of enterprise storage architectures and infrastructure technologies.
• Excellent problem‑solving and analytical skills.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Strong documentation and technical communication skills.
• Experience working with enterprise storage, virtualization, or software‑defined infrastructure solutions.

Other Requirements

• Ability to work on‑site in Waterloo, ON.
• Ability to participate in occasional evening customer calls and weekend support when required.
• Customer‑focused mindset with exceptional attention to detail.
• Collaborative approach with a commitment to continuous improvement.

What Would Be Considered An Asset (Nice‑to‑Have Qualifications)

• Experience delivering technical presentations, workshops, or live product demonstrations.
• Experience working directly with enterprise customers in a consultative or pre‑sales environment.
• Knowledge of open‑source technologies including ZFS, Ceph, Proxmox, or similar platforms.

What Success Looks Like

• Build trusted relationships with customers and internal stakeholders.
• Independently lead technical discovery sessions and solution design engagements.
• Deliver high‑quality solution architectures that meet customer business and technical objectives.
• Become a trusted technical advisor supporting customers throughout the sales and implementation process.
• Contribute customer feedback and market insights that help shape future product development.
• Promote open‑source storage solutions while helping customers successfully modernize their infrastructure.

Why Us?

At 45Drives, we believe in recognizing and rewarding hard work and dedication.

Our starting annual total compensation package—including base salary and performance incentives—ranges from $60,000 to $118,000 CAD (Placement within the range depends on experience and technical expertise).

In Addition, You Can Look Forward To

• Training and Growth: Leadership training and continuous development opportunities
• Comprehensive Health Care Plan: Medical, dental, life insurance, and group benefits
• Community & Team Culture: A collaborative environment where your ideas matter
• Vacation: Generous vacation policy that grows with your tenure
• Meaningful Work: Be part of a team shaping the future of open‑source infrastructure