Solution Architect

Cognizant; Ahmedabad District, Bengaluru, Delhi; On-site; INR 2,800,000 - 5,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Cognizant in Ahmedabad is seeking an IT Solution Architect to translate customer requirements into IT roadmaps and compelling proposals. You will lead cross-domain design across DC, Cloud, EUC, and security, and present solutions to clients with a clear scope, timelines, and risks.

You will collaborate with internal service lines to validate scope and cost, prepare detailed SOWs, and hand over to delivery teams after approval, ensuring smooth execution and satisfied customers.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in IT architecture across DC, Cloud, EUC, and Security.
• Ability to create detailed solution documentation and presentations.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Experience in cost modelling, resource planning, and estimation.

Responsibilities

• Understand customer requirements and develop IT roadmaps.
• Lead customer walkthroughs, refine proposals, and secure approvals.
• Collaborate with internal service lines to validate scope, solution, and cost.
• Handover to project delivery with a comprehensive SOW.

Skills

IT Architecture

Solution design

Stakeholder management

Cost estimation

Cross-domain coordination

Tools

VMware

Azure

AWS

M365

Entra

AVD

Intune

SIEM

Firewalls

IAM

Vulnerability management

Job description

Role & responsibilities

IT Solution Architect Data Centre, Cloud, EUC, Service Management, Network & security

Role Overview:

The IT Solution Architect will be responsible for understanding customer requirements, developing IT roadmaps, and creating solution presentations for selected customer projects. This role involves collaborating with internal service lines, Professional Services COE, and Tower Practices to validate scope, solution, and cost. The architect will lead customer walkthroughs, incorporate feedback, and ensure smooth handover to the delivery team post-approval.

Key Responsibilities:

• Customer Engagement & Requirement Analysis:
  • Understand customer business and technical requirements.
  • Conduct workshops and discussions to capture detailed needs.
• Solution Design & Roadmap Development:
  • Develop IT roadmaps aligned with customer objectives.
  • Design solutions across DC, Cloud, EUC, Service Management, and Network domains.
• Solution Presentation:
  • Prepare executive summary, scope, out-of-scope items, timelines, key risks, assumptions, dependencies, and commercials.
  • Include detailed Bill of Quantities, resource loading, effort estimation, third-party services, and customer-estimated efforts.
• Internal Collaboration:
  • Engage with internal service lines, Professional Services COE, and Tower Practices to validate scope, solution, and cost.
• Customer Walkthrough & Refinement:
  • Present solutions to customers, gather feedback, and refine proposals accordingly.
• SOW Creation & Handover:
  • Draft Statement of Work (SOW) post-approval.
  • Review SOW with the customer and obtain sign-off.
  • Handover to the Project Delivery team for execution.

Required Skills & Experience:

• Proven experience in IT architecture across DC (VMWARE, enterprise Storage, Backup) , Cloud (Azure, AWS), EUC (Azure M365, Entra, AVD, Intune), Service Management, Monitoring & automation solutions, and Network (Switching, LAN, WAN, WIFI, SDWAN, VPN), Security (SIEM, Firewalls, IAM, IDM, Antivirus, Vulnerability mgmt)
• Strong understanding of IT solution design principles and methodologies.
• Ability to create detailed solution documentation and presentations.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Experience in cost modelling, resource planning, and effort estimation.
• Familiarity with third-party services and integration requirements.

Key Competencies:

• Strategic thinking and roadmap development.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively across multiple teams and practices.

Customer-centric approach with strong presentation skills