PreSales / Solution Architect

1104 SUSE LLC; South Africa; On-site; USD 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in open source solutions seeks a PreSales / Solution Architect in Johannesburg to advise customers on technical solutions aligning with their business needs. This role includes engaging with clients, guiding sales presentations, conducting product demonstrations, and enhancing customer satisfaction through tailored solutions. Ideal candidates will demonstrate robust technical skills, experience in consulting, and the ability to drive successful project outcomes.

Qualifications

• Experience in pre-sales engineering or solution architecture in enterprise software.
• Strong ability to articulate technical solutions to diverse audiences.
• Experience collaborating with sales and customer success teams.

Responsibilities

• Engage with customers to understand their technical and business needs.
• Champion the technical validation process from qualification to closure.
• Gather and communicate customer feedback to product teams.

Skills

Linux systems

Open-source software

Cloud computing

Container technologies

Consultative selling skills

Problem-solving abilities

Technical consulting

Tools

Salesforce

Clari

Job description

PreSales / Solution Architect page is loaded

PreSales / Solution Architect

Apply locations Johannesburg, South Africa South Africa time type Full time posted on Posted Today job requisition id 71006731

About Us

Always open. Our code, our culture, our opportunities. Leading open innovation without limits. We are SUSE.

SUSE is a global leader in innovative, reliable and secure enterprise open source solutions, including SUSE Linux Enterprise (SLE), Rancher and NeuVector. More than 60% of the Fortune 500 rely on SUSE to power their mission-critical workloads, enabling them to innovate everywhere – from the data center to the cloud, to the edge and beyond. SUSE puts the “open” back in open source, collaborating with partners and communities to give customers the agility to tackle innovation challenges today and the freedom to evolve their strategy and solutions tomorrow.

We are open in our roots and open in our approach, striving to be the most trusted open innovator in the World. Openness extends beyond our technology. Our vibrant community thrives on diversity and connectivity without borders.

PreSales / Solution Architect

Job Description

The Solution Architect acts as a trusted technical advisor for customers and partners, ensuring that SUSE’s solutions align with their business and technical needs. You will work closely with regional sales and partner teams to drive technical excellence in solution design, positioning SUSE as a leader in the industry.

The role will leverage specialised knowledge to consult with customers, supporting sales presentations, product demonstrations, proofs of concept, and technical requests. Ultimately, success will be helping customers invest in the right solutions from the SUSE portfolio, giving them a competitive edge.

Key Responsibilities

• Engage with customers to understand both their technical and business needs - building valued relationships and developing as a trusted technical advisor. Conduct thorough assessments to identify gaps, opportunities, and challenges, ensuring that solutions are tailored to meet both immediate and future needs.

• Take full responsibility for the technical aspects of deal progression, from qualification to closure. Champion the technical validation process, including product demonstrations, technical presentations, managing proofs of concept (PoCs), addressing customer objections, and ensuring that the technical value of SUSE’s solutions is fully realized.

• Serve as the voice of the customer by actively gathering and communicating customer feedback and requirements, to SUSE’s Product, Strategy, and Engineering teams. Ensure that customer needs are reflected in new product features, updates, and messaging, while facilitating regular feedback loops, and support escalations to ensure product improvements align with customer expectations and maximize value.

• Collaborate with Field and Specialist Sales, Partner Ecosystem, and Customer Success teams to create Account Plans to drive solution adoption and ensure customer satisfaction throughout the sales lifecycle.

• Contribute to the development of go-to-market strategies with regional sales teams, and participate in marketing efforts through presentations, blogs, technical speaking engagements, rodeo’s and booth demo’s.

• Support the analysis of competitor offerings and collaborate on developing strategies to differentiate SUSE solutions, identifying key advantages in specific use cases.

• Conduct research and draft responses to the technical segments of requests for information (RFIs), requests for proposals (RFPs), and requests for quotes (RFQs).

• Transfer knowledge to pre-sales peers and contribute to internal education through mentoring, peer training, and sharing insights on product innovations and technical solutions.

• Consistently maintain CRM hygiene by updating all activity, for each opportunity - Use Case, Success Criteria, Technical Close Status (TCS) and Next Steps in the technical close process.

• Take proactive ownership of your professional development by staying curious and embracing a growth mindset. Focus on driving your success, advancing your skills as a Technical Sales professional, and deepening your expertise in the SUSE value proposition.

Skills & Experience

• Experience in technical consulting, pre-sales engineering, or solution architecture, with a focus on enterprise software solutions.

• Practical skills with Linux systems, open-source software, and related infrastructure solutions, with experience in cloud computing and container technologies like Kubernetes.

• Proven ability to articulate complex technical solutions clearly and effectively to diverse audiences up to CXO level, translating technical concepts into business value and demonstrating how they align with customer objectives.

• Experience in creating technical demonstrations and whitepapers to illustrate product value through use cases.

• Strong problem-solving abilities, capable of addressing complex technical problems and delivering innovative, value-driven solutions.

• Experience collaborating cross-functionally with sales, engineering, and customer success teams to deliver comprehensive solutions and ensure customer satisfaction.

• Experience in designing and delivering complex enterprise solutions, ensuring scalability, security, and reliability.

• Exceptional consultative-selling skills, fostering meaningful customer relationships, guiding engagements, and serving as a trusted technical advisor through collaboration

• Proficiency in competitor analysis and solution positioning, showcasing SUSE's advantages over peers.

• Experience working with CRM tools (e.g., Salesforce, Clari) to manage pipelines, track technical validation, and measure solution success.

Job

Sales

What We Offer

We empower you to be bold, driving your career to create the future you want. We celebrate and reward your achievements.

SUSE is a dynamic environment that is evolving rapidly, thus requiring agility, strong entrepreneurship and an open mind.

This is a compelling opportunity for the right person to join us as we continue to scale and prosper.

If you’re a big thinker, obsessed by execution and thrive in a dynamic environment in which you can tangibly create a lasting legacy, then please apply now!

We give you the freedom to be yourself. You will work in a global community of unique individuals – like you – with different backgrounds, talents, skills and perspectives. A truly open community where everyone is welcome, has a voice and is encouraged to reach their full potential regardless of age, gender, race, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, religion, or any other characteristics.

Sounds like the right fit for you? Click A pply to submit your resume. A recruiter will contact you if your skills match our current or any future positions. In the meantime, stay updated on the latest SUSE news and job vacancies by joining our Talent Community .

SUSE Values

• Choice

• Innovation

• Trust

• Community