Presales Solution Architect - Network

Presidio; Chennai; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Presidio is looking for a Presales Architect — Network & SD-WAN based in Chennai. This independent role requires expertise in designing networking solutions for US enterprise customers, including multi-OEM platforms like Cisco, Juniper, and Aruba. Responsibilities include leading RFP responses and customer workshops, mentoring Associate Architects, and preparing proposals. An ideal candidate has 5–8 years in presales, relevant educational qualifications, and strong technical skills. A collaborative and innovative culture awaits you at Presidio.

Qualifications

• 5–8 years of total experience; minimum 3 years in presales / solution design.
• US or EMEA or APAC customer support from India GDC strongly preferred.
• Networking specialization is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end presales architecture for mid-to-large US networking opportunities.
• Lead customer discovery calls and technical workshops.
• Drive RFP/RFI technical response ownership.

Skills

Networking & SD-WAN (Primary)

Cisco Catalyst Center / DNA

SD-WAN: Cisco Viptela

Security (Secondary)

Palo Alto PA-Series NGFW

Cloud knowledge

Education

B.E./B.Tech CS / IT / Electronics

Tools

Salesforce CRM

Cisco CCW

MS Visio

Job description

Overview

Presidio, Where Teamwork and Innovation Shape the Future. At Presidio, we are at the forefront of a global technology revolution, transforming industries through digital solutions and AI. We empower businesses and their internal customers to achieve more through innovation, automation, and intelligent insights.

The Role

The Presales Architect — Network & SD-WAN is a fully independent technical contributor who owns networking and SD-WAN solution design for US enterprise customers across assigned Presidio regions. You will architect complex multi-OEM solutions spanning Cisco Catalyst Center, Nexus ACI, SD-WAN (Viptela, Meraki), Juniper, Aruba, and Arista platforms, producing winning technical proposals that influence deal outcomes ranging from $500K to $3M. You will lead customer discovery calls, drive RFP/RFI technical responses, and present solution architectures to US engineering and IT leadership audiences in partnership with US Account Executives and Senior Architects.

With secondary expertise in security (Palo Alto NGFW, Fortinet FortiGate, SASE concepts), you bring a multi-domain perspective to every engagement. This role is regionally aligned — each headcount serves a specific Presidio US region, acting as that region’s dedicated India-based technical counterpart.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end presales architecture for mid-to-large US networking opportunities—from discovery and requirements gathering through solution design, BoM, SoW, and proposal delivery—with minimal senior oversight.
• Architect multi-OEM network solutions: Cisco Catalyst Center (DNA/SDA), Nexus ACI, ISR/ASR routing; SD-WAN deployments (Cisco Viptela, Meraki SD-WAN, Fortinet Secure SD-WAN); Aruba wireless (Mist/ClearPass); Juniper EX/QFX/SRX; Arista 7000-series DC switching; sized, configured, and commercially priced.
• Lead customer discovery calls and technical workshops with US enterprise customers alongside US Account Executives, translating requirements into architecture recommendations and competitive positioning.
• Drive RFP/RFI technical response ownership: author solution narratives, validate compliance matrices, manage OEM SE contributions, and ensure Presidio quality standards across all proposal deliverables.
• Create and validate complex multi-OEM BoMs with Cisco CCW, Arista pricing tools, HPE GreenLake, and Juniper pricing portal; validate licensing models and TCO constructs.
• Design and deliver customer-facing solution decks and architecture walkthroughs for US IT Director and engineering audiences; adapt depth and tone to the specific audience.
• Develop Statement of Work (SoW) documents and professional services pricing in collaboration with Presidio's delivery and PS pricing teams.
• Engage Cisco, Juniper, Aruba, and Arista partner SEs for co-solutioning, deal registration, PoC coordination, and OEM GTM program leverage.
• Apply secondary security expertise (Palo Alto NGFW, Fortinet, SASE) to extend networking-led proposals into integrated network and security solutions.
• Mentor Associate Architects on BoM accuracy, documentation quality, and presales solution design thinking for their assigned region.
• Track active opportunities in Salesforce; provide accurate pipeline updates to US Regional Sales leadership weekly.

Technical Skills And Professional Experience

Networking & SD-WAN (Primary)
Cisco Catalyst Center / DNA, Nexus ACI, ISR/ASR routing (BGP, OSPF, MPLS, DMVPN); SD-WAN: Cisco Viptela enterprise design, Meraki SD-WAN, Fortinet Secure SD-WAN; Aruba wireless (Mist AI, ClearPass NAC, ArubaOS-CX switching); Juniper EX/QFX/SRX; Arista 7000-series (EOS, CloudVision); HPE FlexFabric / Networking; Network design: HA, redundancy, QoS, ECMP.

Security (Secondary)
Palo Alto PA-Series NGFW, Prisma Access (SASE/SSE) basics; Fortinet FortiGate, FortiManager, FortiAnalyzer; Cisco Umbrella, ISE/NAC, Duo MFA; Zero Trust / ZTNA concepts; SASE design patterns; endpoint and email security overlay; NIST / CIS alignment for mid-market US customers.

Cloud
Basic knowledge of AWS (EC2, VPC, S3, Direct Connect, IAM, Transit Gateway), Azure (VMs, ExpressRoute, Azure AD, Defender for Cloud); SD-WAN-to-cloud integration (Azure vWAN, AWS SDWAN); hybrid connectivity design.

Data Center
Basic knowledge of Cisco UCS, Dell PowerEdge, HPE ProLiant; storage fundamentals (Dell EMC PowerStore, NetApp ONTAP, Pure FlashArray); VMware vSphere 7/8, vSAN basics; Nutanix / VxRail sizing awareness for DC refresh proposals.

Presales Tools
Cisco CCW / CCW-R, Arista partner pricing, HPE GreenLake, Juniper pricing portal, Palo Alto XPERT; MS Visio (diagrams), PowerPoint (solution narratives), Excel (multi-SKU BoM, TCO modelling); Salesforce CRM; GenAI tools for proposal acceleration.

Experience

Preferred Skills and Professional Experience
5–8 years total; minimum 3 years presales / solution design in VAR, SI, or OEM networking role.

Education

B.E./B.Tech CS / IT / Electronics; networking specialization preferred

Background

US or EMEA or APAC customer support from India GDC strongly preferred; VAR/SI experience required

Shift

US Overlap — 1:30 PM to 10:30 PM IST

Certifications

Required: Cisco CCNP Enterprise or Juniper JNCIS-ENT or Arista ACE Professional
Preferred: Cisco CCIE Enterprise (pursuit)

• Palo Alto PCNSE
• Fortinet NSE 5/6
• Aruba ACCP / ACDP

Key Differentiators

• Track record of independently owning and winning networking-led US enterprise deals ($500K–$2M+) in a VAR or SI presales role.
• Hands-on SD-WAN architecture experience: Cisco Viptela or Meraki SD-WAN multi-site enterprise design.
• Multi-OEM networking design depth across Cisco, Juniper, Aruba, and Arista architecture in a single proposal context.
• Direct US customer-facing experience — demonstrated on a panel interview through technical scenario walkthrough.
• Active Cisco partner portal engagement: deal registration, CCW configuration, Catalyst Center demo experience.

Your future at Presidio

Joining Presidio means joining a culture of trailblazers who push the boundaries of what is possible. We leverage AI-driven analytics, cloud solutions, cybersecurity, and next-gen infrastructure to help businesses stay ahead in a changing digital world.

Here, your impact is real. Whether you're harnessing Generative AI, architecting resilient digital ecosystems, or driving data-driven transformation, you will be part of a team shaping the future.

About Presidio

Presidio is committed to hiring the most qualified candidates and promoting an inclusive culture. We encourage women, people of color, people with disabilities, and veterans to apply. Diversity of skills and thought is a key component to our success.

Speed and quality meet technology and innovation at Presidio. We are a trusted ally for organizations across industries with AI and automation, security, networking, digital transformation, and cloud computing expertise. For more information visit our website.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.

Presidio is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive to have a workforce that includes the community we serve.

Recruitment Agencies, Please Note: Presidio does not accept unsolicited agency resumes/CVs. Do not forward resumes/CVs to our careers email address. Presidio is not responsible for any feeds related to unsolicited resumes/CVs.