Principal Partner Solution Architect

Microsoft; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 131,000 - 252,000; Full time

Job summary

Microsoft is seeking a Principal Partner Solution Architect to guide global GSIs and partners in AI Platform and cloud solutions, shaping architecture, proofs of concept, and scalable cloud initiatives across customers and partners.

In this IC5 role, you will collaborate with engineering, product, and sales teams to accelerate adoption of Cloud & AI priorities, lead technical workshops, and help build joint solutions with strategic partners worldwide.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in related field.
• 7+ years experience in cloud/infrastructure technologies or equivalent.
• 6+ years in customer-facing roles and leading technical projects.

Responsibilities

• Guide Solution Development & Activation aligned with Microsoft Cloud priorities.
• Run technical workshops and envisioning sessions to build technical intensity across partner teams.
• Provide architectural guidance to enable transformational deals and revenue impact.
• Lead architecture design sessions, proofs-of-concept, and MVP builds with partners.
• Develop long-term engagements with strategic partners and align with CXOs.

Skills

Cloud architecture

Solution architecture

IT consulting

Customer engagement

Education

Bachelor's Degree in CS/IT/Engineering/Business/related

Master's Degree (preferred)

Job description

Principal Partner Solution Architect

United States, Washington, Redmond

Job description

Company and benefits

Job number 200059425

Date posted Oct 06, 2026

Work site 3 days / week in-office

Travel 25-50%

Profession Customer Success

Discipline Cloud Solution Architecture

Role type Individual Contributor

Employment type Full-Time

Overview

MCAPS-Core accelerates customer outcomes and business growth. By uniting product, engineering, marketing, sales, customer success, and partners around a common customer mission, we help customers realize value faster and turn innovation into measurable business impact. Through deep technical expertise and differentiated go‑to‑market execution, we win competitively, capture market share, and scale repeatable growth motions. We differentiate through value creation - delivering world‑class, AI‑powered customer experiences that accelerate adoption, strengthen loyalty, and create sustainable competitive advantage, driving growth that outpaces the market.

Enterprise Partner Sales, part of Microsoft Customer and Partner Solutions (MCAPS) - Core, is accountable for building and co‑selling innovative Microsoft Cloud & AI solutions and services, with our global Enterprise partners. Our Enterprise partner portfolio includes global systems integrators, advisories, high‑value management consultancies (SI), independent software vendors (ISV) and software development companies - working together to empower people and organizations to achieve more.

As a Partner Solution Architect (PSA) | AI Platform, you will guide globally managed GSIs through the build journey—from envisioning and architecture design to solution build assistance and activation through customer wins. You will scope and guide the development of business solutions, provide deep technical insights, and accelerate the growth of Microsoft Tech priorities. You will work closely with partners to understand their technical requirements and business objectives, align solutions to build, and guide them through development by delivering architectural design sessions, creating proof of concepts, and driving innovation through effective use of cloud technologies, ensuring that their solutions are optimized for performance and cost‑efficiency.

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.

Responsibilities

• Guide Solution Development & Activation - You’ll lead the development and activation of new or enhanced partner offerings that align with Microsoft Cloud priorities. Your focus will be on ensuring these solutions are robust, scalable, secure, and tailored to meet evolving customer needs.
• Empower Innovation - You’ll run technical innovation workshops, tech briefings, and envisioning sessions to build technical intensity across partner teams. By collaborating with engineering and product teams, you’ll help accelerate the adoption of emerging technologies and shape partner offerings that align with both business goals and technical requirements.
• Strategic Sales Enablement - You’ll play a key role in activating transformational deals by providing architectural guidance, resolving technical blockers, and enhancing solution design. Your work will directly contribute to workload consumption and revenue impact.
• Champion Technical Excellence - You’ll guide partners through architecture design sessions, proof‑of‑concepts, and MVP builds. You’ll ensure that solutions follow Microsoft’s Cloud and AI best practices and are optimized for performance, scalability, and security.
• Thought Leadership & Stakeholder Management - You’ll build long‑term engagements with strategic partners, influencing their adoption of Microsoft technologies. You’ll develop deep technical relationships with CXOs and foster executive alignment to support joint success.
• Measure and Share Impact: You’ll Track and report progress through Microsoft internal tools. You’ll contribute to internal knowledge sharing by publishing, community blogs, and reusable assets.
• Drive Pre‑Sales Motion – You´ll act as a technical business developer by identifying new opportunities, creating repeatable solutions, driving scalable technical initiatives, and accelerating business growth through measurable results.

Qualifications

Required/minimum qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, Business, Liberal Arts, or related field AND 7+ years experience in cloud/infrastructure technologies, information technology (IT) consulting/support, systems administration, network operations, software development/support, technology solutions, practice development, architecture, and/or consulting
• OR equivalent experience.

Other Qualifications

• Microsoft is unable to sponsor a work visa for this role due to the nature of the role’s job duties.

Additional or preferred qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, Business, Liberal Arts, or related field AND 12+ years experience in cloud/infrastructure technologies, information technology (IT) consulting/support, systems administration, network operations, software development/support, technology solutions, practice development, architecture, and/or consulting
• OR Master's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, Business, Liberal Arts, or related field AND 8+ years experience in cloud/infrastructure technologies, technology solutions, practice development, architecture, and/or consulting
• OR equivalent experience.
• 6+ years experience working in a customer-facing role (e.g., internal and/or external).
• 6+ years experience leading technical projects.
• Technical Certification in Cloud (e.g., Azure, Amazon Web Services, Google, security certifications).

Cloud Solution Architecture IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $130,900 - $251,900 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $165,600 - $272,300 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here: