Principal Solution Architect - Dell

CDW; United States; On-site; USD 146,000 - 212,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Benefits portal

Job summary

CDW is seeking a Principal Solution Architect - Dell to drive field-based pre-sales for education customers, designing Dell-centric infrastructure solutions and advising on service offerings and SOWs.

You will collaborate with customers, delivery, and internal sales to grow the Dell services business, while mentoring others and contributing to marketing content. Strong Dell portfolio knowledge and communication are required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or 8+ years in technical pre-sales or delivery roles
• Experience designing Dell infrastructure solutions for data-center needs
• Familiarity with Dell compute, storage, and data protection platforms
• Experience with VMware, Microsoft Server, Hyper‑V/Azure Local, Nutanix, and Veeam
• Ability to lead technical discussions and influence decision-making

Responsibilities

• Develop Dell-centric assessment and service solutions for CDW customers.
• Collaborate with customers, delivery teams, and internal sales to plan sales strategies and author SOWs.
• Analyze technical and competitive considerations to define actions for customer goals.
• Maintain strategic relationships with customers and delivery management as a trusted advisor.
• Grow influence in the territory through engagement with Dell, partners, customers, and Sales.
• Mentor and coach solution architects and create marketing content for Dell solutions.

Skills

Team leadership

Communication skills

Pre-sales experience

Dell solutions

Cloud familiarity

VMware exposure

Datacenter design

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

VMware

Azure

AWS

Job description

Job Summary

The Principal Solution Architect - Dell is a field-based technical pre‑sales role that focuses on developing comprehensive Dell-centric infrastructure solutions for CDW's Education customers. This role involves providing consultative guidance, supporting Dell product and solution sales, scoping service offerings, and fostering strategic relationships to drive business growth. In this role you will be working with customers, delivery, and internal sales teams to develop and maintain strategic relationships and be a trusted advisor to grow our Dell services business.

What You Will Do

• Develop appropriate assessment and service solutions for CDW customers, including architecture, optimizations, technology health checks, deployment services, and advisory services, with a primary focus on Dell solutions.
• Collaborate with customers, delivery teams, and internal sales to offer consultative guidance, plan sales strategy, and author statements of work (SOWs) aligned to Dell infrastructure and platform offerings.
• Analyze technical and competitive considerations, defining actions to meet customer expectations in the sales cycle by uncovering customer long‑term goals and requirements and crafting Dell‑based solutions that build towards the desired end goals.
• Maintain strategic relationships with Customers, Internal Sales & Delivery management, acting as a trusted advisor to drive business growth around Dell solutions.
• Grow influence in your assigned territory by high levels of engagement with Dell, complementary partners, customers, and Sales as a strategic advisor and being seen by teammates as an expert in Dell infrastructure solutions.
• Act as a subject matter expert across multiple Dell product families and solutions, providing regular contributions to CDW marketing approved online activities, such as LinkedIn, blog posts, and online publications.
• Drive outreach initiatives, technical enablement projects, coaching, and mentoring for other Solution Architects, Solution Executives, and Field Sellers related to Dell solutions.
• Mentor and coach solution architects around best practices to engage with coworkers and customers.

What We Expect of You

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience, OR 8 years in a technical, pre‑sales, or post‑sale delivery role.
• Experience designing and architecting Dell infrastructure solutions tailored to CDW's client needs.
• Experience designing and architecting datacenter and hybrid solutions leveraging Dell compute, storage, and data protection platforms.
• Strong familiarity with Dell portfolio, including PowerEdge, PowerStore, PowerFlex, PowerScale, VxRail, and Data Protection solutions, is a plus.
• Familiarity with complementary platforms such as VMware, Microsoft Server, Hyper‑V/Azure Local, Nutanix, and Veeam, as well as exposure to public cloud (Azure or AWS), is a plus.
• Motivated, self‑starting, and able to independently perform high quality work with minimal guidance.
• Understanding of industry‑specific challenges, regulations, and best practices.
• Ability to provide tailored recommendations and position the company's Dell‑focused solutions effectively within the industry landscape.
• Ability to work effectively in a team, lead technical discussions, and influence decision‑making.
• Customer‑centric mindset with the ability to understand and articulate customer needs effectively.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills to engage with customers, gather requirements, and explain technical concepts in a clear and concise manner.
• Strong ability to design and communicate comprehensive Dell‑based solutions that address customer requirements, business challenges, and build consensus around the final solution.
• Skilled in analyzing complex problems, identifying appropriate solutions, and translating technical concepts into understandable terms for customers.

Pay range: $145,600 - $211,870, depending on experience and skill set

Annual bonus target of 25% subject to terms and conditions of plan

Benefits overview: https://cdw.benefit-info.com/

Salary ranges may be subject to geographic differentials

CDW is committed to being an AI‑fluent organization

We're looking for people who bring curiosity, a learner's mindset, and a willingness to engage with ever‑evolving technology and tools. We value adopting AI as a partner, openness to experimentation, and a shared interest in learning together on AI. Our goal is to create a culture where AI enhances‑not replaces‑human creativity and decision‑making. You don't need to be an expert today; what matters is your readiness to explore, adapt, and grow with us as we integrate AI responsibly and effectively into our work.

Additionally, CDW is committed to fostering an equitable, transparent, and respectful hiring process for all applicants. During our application process, our goal is to understand your experience, strengths, skills, and qualifications. As an AI forward company, we see AI not just as a tool, but as a catalyst for new ways of thinki