Presales Solution Architect (US)

DefinedCrowd; Ottawa; Hybrid; CAD 95,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible schedule

Hybrid model

Career development

Global team with language classes

Coursera access

Daily breakfast & lunch

In-office massages

Job summary

Defined.ai in Ottawa is seeking a Presales Solutions Consultant to design and develop solutions for complex AI/ML opportunities. You will translate business and technical requirements into scalable delivery solutions, pricing models, and compelling proposals, partnering with Sales and Operations.

You will manage opportunities end-to-end from discovery through proposal to hand-off, acting as a trusted advisor on technical and commercial decisions, and mentoring teammates where needed.

Qualifications

• 3+ years experience in solutions architecture, presales, consulting, data services, AI/ML, or related field.
• Experience designing solutions for enterprise customers.
• Experience developing project pricing, costing, staffing, or commercial models.
• Experience responding to RFPs, RFIs, RFQs, or other enterprise procurement processes.
• Strong understanding of data and AI workflows.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple complex opportunities simultaneously.
• Ability to work independently and make sound technical and commercial recommendations.

Responsibilities

• Lead discovery sessions to understand customer objectives, technical requirements, data specifications, quality expectations, timelines, and commercial constraints.
• Translate customer requirements into detailed and executable solution architectures.
• Design delivery models for AI and data services including data collection, annotation, transcription, translation, evaluation, LLM projects, and other human-in-the-loop workflows.
• Define project scope, workflows, staffing requirements, technology requirements, quality frameworks, assumptions, dependencies, and operational processes.
• Identify risks, gaps, and dependencies within proposed solutions and develop appropriate mitigation strategies.
• Work directly with customers and internal stakeholders to validate proposed approaches.

Skills

Solutions architecture

RFP/RFI/RFQ responses

Pricing models

Enterprise customers

Communication skills

Job description

Defined.aiis a leading provider of high-quality, ethically sourced data for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) model training. We host the world's largest AI marketplace and offer end-to-end services to help companies accelerate their AI solutions. Backed by significant funding and recognized globally for our commitment to ethical AI, we operate in a fast-paced, innovative environment with offices in Seattle and Lisbon.

We’re looking for a Presales Solutions Consultant is responsible for designing and developing solutions for complex customer opportunities across AI, machine learning, data, and human-in-the-loop services. This role partners closely with Sales, Operations, Supplier Management, and customers to translate business and technical requirements into scalable delivery solutions, accurate cost and pricing models, and compelling proposals.

The Presales Solutions Consultant serves as a senior individual contributor within the Solutions Architecture organization, independently managing complex opportunities from discovery and requirements gathering through solution design, pricing, proposal development, and transition to delivery.

This position does not have direct people-management responsibility but is expected to provide subject-matter expertise, support junior team members, and serve as a trusted advisor on complex solutioning and commercial decisions.

Requirements

• 3+ years of experience in solutions architecture, presales, consulting, technology services, data services, AI/ML, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience designing solutions for enterprise customers.
• Experience developing project pricing, costing, staffing, or commercial models.
• Experience responding to RFPs, RFIs, RFQs, or other enterprise procurement processes.
• Strong understanding of data and AI workflows.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple complex opportunities simultaneously.
• Ability to work independently and make sound technical and commercial recommendations.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to translate ambiguous requirements into structured solutions.

Nice-to-have

• Experience with AI/ML data services, data collection, data annotation, transcription, translation, model evaluation, LLMs, speech, computer vision, or related services.
• Experience with global delivery and supplier ecosystems.
• Experience developing geographic labor-rate models or complex pricing structures.
• Experience working directly with enterprise customers.
• Experience with large-scale data programs or human-in-the-loop AI workflows.
• Experience working in a fast-paced presales or consulting environment.

What you’ll do

Solution Design & Customer Discovery

• Lead discovery sessions to understand customer objectives, technical requirements, data specifications, quality expectations, timelines, and commercial constraints.
• Translate customer requirements into detailed and executable solution architectures.
• Design delivery models for AI and data services including data collection, annotation, transcription, translation, evaluation, LLM projects, and other human-in-the-loop workflows.
• Define project scope, workflows, staffing requirements, technology requirements, quality frameworks, assumptions, dependencies, and operational processes.
• Identify risks, gaps, and dependencies within proposed solutions and develop appropriate mitigation strategies.
• Work directly with customers and internal stakeholders to validate proposed approaches.

Pricing & Commercial Solutioning

• Develop project cost models, pricing structures, rate cards, staffing models, and margin analyses.
• Evaluate labor, geography, supplier, technology, quality, and operational requirements when developing project economics.
• Recommend commercially viable delivery approaches that balance customer requirements, quality, scalability, and profitability.
• Support Sales teams in developing commercial strategies for complex opportunities.
• Analyze alternative delivery models and make recommendations based on cost, quality, capacity, and timeline.

Proposal & RFP/RFI Development

• Lead the solutioning components of RFPs, RFIs, RFQs, and customer questionnaires.
• Develop technical approaches, methodologies, assumptions, execution plans, staffing models, pricing inputs, and delivery frameworks.
• Create Statements of Work, proposals, solution briefs, and other customer-facing documentation.
• Coordinate with Sales, Operations, Supplier Management, Finance, Product, and other stakeholders to ensure proposals are complete and executable.
• Ensure proposed solutions accurately reflect customer requirements and organizational capabilities.

Supplier & Delivery Coordination

• Work with Supplier Management to identify appropriate supplier and contributor requirements for proposed projects.
• Define required languages, geographies, skill profiles, capacity, rates, and quality expectations.
• Evaluate supplier options as part of solution development and costing.
• Collaborate with Operations and Project Management during transition from presales into delivery.
• Ensure solution assumptions and requirements are clearly communicated to delivery teams.

AI & Data Solution Development

• Apply knowledge of AI, machine learning, data, and human-in-the-loop workflows to develop innovative customer solutions.
• Identify opportunities to incorporate AI-assisted processes such as automated pre-labeling, transcription, metadata extraction, intelligent sampling, quality validation, and workflow prioritization.
• Evaluate where automation, human review, or hybrid workflows are most appropriate.
• Stay current on emerging AI and data-service technologies and their potential applications in customer solutions.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with Account Executives, Sales, Operations, Project Management, Supplier Management, Finance, Product, and other internal teams.
• Serve as the primary solutioning point of contact for assigned opportunities.
• Communicate complex technical and operational concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Participate in customer presentations, solution reviews, pricing discussions, and technical meetings.
• Support successful transition of won opportunities into delivery.

Subject-Matter Expertise

• Serve as a subject-matter expert for complex solution architecture, costing, pricing, and delivery methodology.
• Develop reusable solution frameworks, templates, assumptions, and best practices.
• Identify opportunities to improve the efficiency and consistency of the solutioning process.
• Mentor and provide informal guidance to Solutions Architects and other team members.
• Contribute to the development of internal solutioning methodologies and enablement materials.

Typical Deliverables

• Solution architectures
• Project scopes and execution plans
• Cost and pricing models
• Rate cards
• Statements of Work
• RFP/RFI/RFQ responses
• Technical and commercial proposals
• Staffing and capacity models
• Supplier requirements
• Quality assurance frameworks
• Project assumptions and dependencies
• Customer presentations
• Solution transition documentation

Success Measures

• High-quality, technically sound solution designs.
• Accurate and commercially viable project costing and pricing.
• Strong support of Sales and successful conversion of opportunities.
• Efficient development of proposals, SOWs, and RFP/RFI responses.
• Effective collaboration with Operations and Supplier Management.
• Clear and accurate transition of won projects into delivery.
• Ability to independently manage complex opportunities.
• Continuous improvement of solutioning methodologies and reusable frameworks.
• Strong customer and internal stakeholder relationships.

What This Role Is Not

This is not a software engineering role.

This is not a cloud architecture role.

This is not a systems integration role.

This is not a traditional IT Project Manager role focused primarily on software implementation.

The successful candidate should be comfortable working with AI and data concepts but does not need to be a software engineer or technical architect.

Benefits

You spend a lot of your time at work, so it should be challenging, fun and interesting. At Defined.ai it will be all of those things and more. Here’s what we offer:

• Flexible working schedule and hybrid model.We know comfort can boost creativity and performance, so you can manage your schedule and work both from one of our modern office spaces or home.

• Excellent career development opportunities in a high growth company.With us, you can accomplish your career goals and follow a well-described career path with the support of your supervisor.

• Culture of feedback and continuous improvement.AI is a fast-paced area, so we keep track of tech trends, and we always ask for feedback.

• Aninternationalanddiverseteam.Wehavemorethan23 nationalitiesatour3locations,
  andweprovidelanguageclasses.

• Continuoustrainingopportunities.Youcanchoosefrommanyoptions:leveraginghand-onworkshops,unlimitedaccesstoCourseraandformaldevelopmentopportunities.

• Welovetofosteragreatofficevibe.Webelievethatacomfortableenvironmentmakes
  adifference,soweprovidedailybreakfastandlunch,weeklyhappyhourstounwind,
  extra time-off,andevenin-officemassagestokeepyourelaxedandenergized.

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