Solution Architect

Avanade Inc.; Toronto; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Avanade Inc. is seeking a GSAD Solution Architect to lead sales support, shape end-to-end solutions for large consulting and managed services deals, and collaborate with regions and delivery teams. You will build assets, guide solutioning, and drive cost visibility and risk mitigation across global stakeholders.

The role emphasizes training, capability development across the SA community, and working with HR, sales, and global delivery to mature the solutioning practice and enable winning deals.

Responsibilities

• Acts as a Solution Architect with end-to-end responsibility for shaping the Consulting and/or Managed Services portion of large, complex cross Business group and Type of Work deals.
• Provides oversight of the GSAD SAs and region SAs to leverage Avanade capabilities to shape compelling solutions.
• Interprets client requirements against Avanade templates and delivery capabilities.
• Engages with client stakeholders to validate service requirements and options.
• Leads the definition of a solution meeting agreed requirements.
• Coordinates with delivery teams to realize service estimates per solutioning guidelines.
• Identifies service costs and populates cost models for contract term visibility.
• Creates and documents a Solution Plan and supports internal sign-off on costs and risks.
• Identifies and mitigates solution risks.
• Supports pricing and commercial dialogue with clients.
• Supports sales activity in presenting solution approaches to client groups.
• Plans for and supports service implementation, transition, and introduction activities.
• Builds and maintains relationships with delivery center solution architects.
• Creates and publishes solution guidance aligning with Avanade offerings.
• Improves collateral to drive efficient solutioning and optimized costs.
• Leads SA training and supports capability development across global teams.
• Works with HR, sales, and delivery to define career paths and training for SAs.

Skills

Solution Architect

Sales support

Stakeholder management

Deal shaping

Pricing & commercial strategy

Cross-team collaboration

Job description

The GSAD Solution Architect will take a lead in providing sales support and solution configuration on large, complex, Consulting and Managed Services deals and working with other SAs within the GSAD Solutioning Tower. This role will also help support our offering and asset development activities when not fully engaged in sales pursuits. This role works with the other GSAD Solutioning Architects and other GSAD leaders as well as collaborates with Regions/Areas and other parts of the wider Avanade and Accenture organization.

What you'll do Drive Client Impact

• Acts as a Solution Architect with end-to-end responsibility for shaping the Consulting and/or Managed Services portion of large, complex cross Business group and Type of Work deals.
• Within deals, provides oversight of the GSAD SAs and region SAs to ensure we leverage the best of Avanade to shape compelling and winning solutions.
• Work within the client business team to interpret client defined or implied requirements against Avanade solution templates and delivery capabilities.
• Engage with client stakeholders and other knowledgeable resources to validate service requirements, explore solution options, and identify service integration requirements.
• Lead the definition of a solution that meets the agreed requirements.
• Work closely with Avanade delivery teams, including offshore delivery centers and third parties to realize service estimates in accordance with the Avanade Solutioning guidelines.
• Identify all service costs and populating cost models accurately to ensure a full visibility of costs related to establishing and delivering the service over the contract term.
• Create and document a Solution Plan and engage internal stakeholders as required to populate the Avanade ‘Deal Review System’ and support an internal sign-off (at regional, area and global levels) of costs and risk.
• Identify and mitigate solution risks.
• Support the development of pricing and commercial strategies and commercial dialogue with clients.
• Support sales activity in presenting our solution approach and methods to client stakeholder groups.
• Plan for and support service implementation, transition, and introduction activities.

Advance Client Solutions and Engineering Assets

• Build and maintain strong working relationships with delivery center solution architects.
• Creates, updates, and publishes solution guidance aligned to how we solution and deliver the Avanade offerings/plays by working collaboratively with the delivery teams and existing SA community.
• Enhances collateral (e.g., SP51 template, KDAs, solution guides, SOW, RFP response writing) working with various stakeholders (Practices, GSAD, Sales CoE, delivery, Business Groups) to bring most value to SAs and deals and to help make solutioning more efficient and solutioned to win at optimized costs.

Support Practice & People Development

• Lead and is faculty on SA training.
• Works with Avanade Global Solution and Delivery stakeholders, Accenture Leads to drive a capability plan to bring maturity/structure across the Avanade SA community to enable support for both Avanade and Accenture deals.
• Helps build the SA community within the Global teams (ATC, Accenture, GSAD, Avanade Practices) and with the SA’s within regions.
• Contributes to building capability from roadmaps and approved backlog and supports the SA community in doing the same.
• Work with various stakeholders within Avanade and Accenture to define the career path, training, and capability development for SAs in partnership with Avanade HR, sales, delivery, and the Global Solution and Delivery team.
• Works with Avanade Practices to develop and execute a strategic view for global SA training, certification, and capability in close collaboration with the Global Solution and Delivery team and Accenture.
• Supports SA training aligned with career growth model. Conduct certification interviews of our people (if applicable).

Key Performance Indicators

Individual:

• Personal impact in strategic accounts (sales or Exec Sponsor); contributing to successful sales.
• Manage to the Market Utilization target of self.

Shared:

• Win rates on net new deals.
• % EACs (against total solutioned)
• GSAD SAs contribution to closure of capability backlog items.

Competencies

• Leads Others: Drives Vision & Purpose, Develops Talent.
• Transforms the Business: Demonstrates Strategic Mindset, Cultivates Innovation.
• Runs the Business: Plans & Aligns, Drives Results.
• Builds Our Culture: Client Focus, Instils Trust.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

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