Solutions Architect

NTT DATA, Inc.; Johannesburg; Hybrid; ZAR 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid Working

Job summary

NTT DATA in Johannesburg seeks a Networking Technical Architect to transform business requirements into comprehensive network solutions. You will design architectures spanning from the communications layer to cloud services for hybrid deployments, ensuring alignment with security and performance objectives.

You will lead pre-sales activities, develop detailed design documents, and manage POCs while collaborating with sales and delivery teams to ensure successful project outcomes.

Qualifications

• Seasoned professional technical experience in software development, systems design or networking in large multinational environments.
• Strong client engagement and technical consulting aptitude.
• Broad product knowledge with technology understanding.
• Understanding of network protocols, topologies, security, routing, switching and IP addressing.
• Familiarity with IoT, big data, network management, QoS, cloud, virtualization and AI.
• Proficiency in vendor subscriptions such as Cisco.

Responsibilities

• Analyzes and designs network solutions for hybrid environments to meet current and future requirements.
• Serves as trusted technical advisor to clients and internal stakeholders.
• Leads solution design, business development, and transition from presales to delivery.
• Provides pre-sales technical support and analyzes client requirements against current capabilities.
• Develops technical specifications and design documents aligned with business objectives and compliance.
• Creates and maintains executive summaries, pricing inputs, and statements of work for proposals.
• Manages POC initiatives and guides delivery teams to successful outcomes.
• Influences sales teams to close deals and maintain forecast visibility.

Skills

Client engagement

Technical consulting

Networking protocols

Routing & Switching

Wireless networks

IP addressing

IoT & Big Data

Network management

Quality of Service

Virtualization

Cloud computing

AI

Vendor Cisco

Education

Relevant technical qualifications and certifications

TOGAF, ITIL, COBIT advantageous

Vendor product, sales, and technology certifications advantageous

C++ programming

Tools

SAFe Scaled Agile

Job description

Make an impact with NTT DATA

Join a company that is pushing the boundaries of what is possible. We are renowned for our technical excellence and leading innovations, and for making a difference to our clients and society. Our workplace embraces diversity and inclusion – it’s a place where you can grow, belong and thrive.

Make an impact with NTT DATA

Join a company that is pushing the boundaries of what is possible. We are renowned for our technical excellence and leading innovations, and for making a difference to our clients and society. Our workplace embraces diversity and inclusion – it’s a place where you can grow, belong and thrive.

Your day at NTT DATA

As a Networking Technical Architect at NTT DATA, you will serve as a trusted technical advisor, transforming business requirements into comprehensive network solutions. Drawing from your extensive expertise, you will design network architectures from the communications layer to networking protocols, covering all elements such as network gear, interconnects, hardware, and cloud services for hybrid solutions. This role specifies and designs solutions based on their technical expertise within the technology / domain focus area. This will include the ability to design the physical domain from the communications layer to networking protocols, network gear, interconnects, hardware for all services (Connectivity, Voice (SIP), Co-location and Carrier) and all cloud services for hybrid solutions. You will analyse, develop, and recommend long‑term strategic plans to ensure network capacity meets current and future requirements. Collaborating with internal stakeholders, you will create technical specifications and develop detailed design documents that align with business objectives and compliance standards. Your day will include providing pre‑sales technical support and helping to transition projects from presales to delivery. You will be integral in developing and managing proofs of concept (POCs), which involve setting up, delivering, and ensuring the successful completion of these initiatives. You will work closely with sales teams to influence and guide them, ensuring they are well‑equipped to close deals. From scope determination to product pricing and rFP/rFI responses, your involvement is pivotal to ensuring the technical solutions meet client objectives. On assigned engagements, you will own the proposed solutions, transitioning the build and implementation to delivery teams. Your Responsibilities also include preparing executive summaries, documenting proposed technology solutions, and assisting in final client presentations, ensuring all deliverables meet the highest standards.

To thrive in this role, you need to have:

• A deep understanding of network protocols, topologies, security, routing, switching, wireless networks, and IP addressing.
• Broad product knowledge with an integrated understanding of technology.
• Familiarity with the Internet of Things, big DATA, network management, quality of service, cloud computing, and virtualization.
• Extensive experience in professional technical roles, including software development, systems design and deployment, or networking and infrastructure within large‑scale, multinational technology services environments.
• Proficiency in project management methodologies.
• Strong client engagement skills and solid technical consulting aptitude.
• Effective collaboration and communication skills, contributing to team success.

Key Responsibilities:

• Analyzes, develops and recommends long‑term strategic plans to ensure network technology and capacity meets current and future network requirements.
• Viewed as a trusted technical advisor to the client.
• Responsible for solution design, business development, and transition of projects from presales to delivery and sales support.
• Provides pre‑sales technical support and expertise in analyzing client requirements, in conjunction with the client’s current network and system capabilities.
• Ensures technical solutions will accomplish the client’s objectives.
• Works with internal stakeholders to produce a technical specification for the custom development and systems integration requirements for the solution.
• Develops or produces the technical design document to match the solution design specifications.
• Working with the relevant internal stakeholders, participate or lead in scope of work determination, product pricing and rFP/rFI responses.
• Assists with the determination of outsourcing, product pricing and collaborates with others to develop an implementation solution.
• Responsible for influencing and guiding members of the Sales team and to ensure that they are equipped to close deals and maintain visibility of forecasting and sales pipeline in order to influence potential deals.
• Manages client proof of concept (POC) initiatives, which will require the involvement of the appropriate resources, and setup and delivery of the POC.
• On all assigned engagements, owns the proposed solution and transitions the build / implementation to the delivery team.
• Specifically relating to opportunity pursuit this role will evaluate each opportunity for alignment with organizational capabilities and business policy, prepare the executive summary that outlines all of the information gathered from the client in regard to their needs, as understood, document the proposed technology solution, document the statement of work along with all labor requirements, work with the relevant internal stakeholders to prepare the pricing format that will be supplied to the customer, perform the actual solution design and prepare a parts list outlining equipment to be provided, develop and manage a proof‑of‑concept as such may be required, engage all technical resources required for an accurate solution design, prepare a network diagram outlining the proposed solution, document all deliverables and what constitutes a successful completion, review the final parts list as supplied and submit all information to the applicable bid team for final assembly, verify the proposal’s accuracy and sign off on the final documents to be presented to the client, assist during the final presentation to the client as appropriate.
• Drives innovation by looking at automating internal process as well as products and services.

Knowledge and Attributes:

• Solid client engagement skills coupled solid technical consulting aptitude.
• Ability to collaborate and communicate effectively with team members, contributing to their success.
• Broad product knowledge integrated with technology understanding.
• Understanding network protocols, topologies and security.
• Understanding of routing and switching, wireless networks and IP addressing.
• Understanding of internet of things, big DATA, network management, quality of service, virtualisation, cloud computing and AI.
• Basic understanding of key vendor subscription models such as Cisco.

Academic Qualifications and Certifications:

• Relevant technical qualifications and certifications
• Certification of Enterprise Architecture methodologies (e.g., TOGAF, ITIL, COBIT), advantageous.
• Vendor product, sales, and technology certifications, advantageous.
• Proficiency in software and programming languages such as C++
• SAFe Scaled Agile, advantageous

Required experience:

• Seasoned professional technical experience related to software development, systems design and deployment, or networking and infrastructure within a large scale (preferably multi‑national) technology services environment.
• Seasoned experience in a professional technical role.
• Seasoned network management experience, including fault and performance management systems.
• Seasoned experience in project management methodologies.

Workplace type:

Hybrid Working

About NTT DATA

NTT DATA is a $30+ billion business and technology services leader, serving 75% of the Fortune Global 100. We are committed to accelerating client success and positively impacting society through responsible innovation. We are one of the world’s leading AI and digital infrastructure providers, with unmatched capabilities in enterprise‑scale AI, cloud, security, connectivity, data centers and application services. Our consulting and industry solutions help organizations and society move confidently and sustainably into the digital future. As a Global Top Employer, we have experts in more than 70 countries. We also offer clients access to a robust ecosystem of innovation centers as well as established and start‑up partners. NTT DATA is part of NTT Group, which invests over $3 billion each year in R&D.

Equal Opportunity Employer

NTT DATA is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer with a global culture that embraces diversity. We are committed to providing an environment free of unfair discrimination and harassment. We do not discriminate based on age, race, colour, gender, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, disability, pregnancy, marital status, veteran status, or any other protected category. Join our growing global team and accelerate your career with us.

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