Senior Manager Solution Architect

Role Overview

The GSAD Solution Architect will take a lead in providing sales support and solution configuration on large, complex, Consulting and Managed Services deals and working with other SAs within the GSAD Solutioning Tower. This role will also help support our offering and asset development activities when not fully engaged in sales pursuits.

This role works with the other GSAD Solutioning Architects and other GSAD leaders as well as collaborates with Regions/Areas and other parts of the wider Avanade and Accenture organization. 

Key Accountabilities 

Drive Client Impact

•        Acts as a Solution Architect with end-to-end responsibility for shaping the Consulting and/or Managed Services portion of large, complex cross Business group and Type of Work deals.

•        Within deals, provides oversight of the GSAD SAs and region SAs to ensure we leverage the best of Avanade to shape compelling and winning solutions.

•        Work within the client business team to interpret client defined or implied requirements against Avanade solution templates and delivery capabilities.

•        Engage with client stakeholders and other knowledgeable resources to validate service requirements, explore solution options, and identify service integration requirements.

•        Lead the definition of a solution that meets the agreed requirements.

•        Work closely with Avanade delivery teams, including offshore delivery centers and third parties to realize service estimates in accordance with the Avanade Solutioning guidelines.

•        Identify all service costs and populating cost models accurately to ensure a full visibility of costs related to establishing and delivering the service over the contract term.

•        Create and document a Solution Plan and engage internal stakeholders as required to populate the Avanade ‘Deal Review System’ and support an internal sign-off (at regional, area and global levels) of costs and risk.

•        Identify and mitigate solution risks.

•        Support the development of pricing and commercial strategies and commercial dialogue with clients.

•        Support sales activity in presenting our solution approach and methods to client stakeholder groups.

•        Plan for and support service implementation, transition, and introduction activities.

Advance Client Solutions and Engineering Assets

•        Build and maintain strong working relationships with delivery center solution architects.

•        Creates, updates, and publishes solution guidance aligned to how we solution and deliver the Avanade offerings/plays by working collaboratively with the delivery teams and existing SA community.

•        Enhances collateral (e.g., SP51 template, KDAs, solution guides, SOW, RFP response writing) working with various stakeholders (Practices, GSAD, Sales CoE, delivery, Business Groups) to bring most value to SAs and deals and to help make solutioning more efficient and solutioned to win at optimized costs.

Support Practice & People Development

•        Lead and is faculty on SA training.

•        Works with Avanade Global Solution and Delivery stakeholders, Accenture Leads to drive a capability plan to bring maturity/structure across the Avanade SA community to enable support for both Avanade and Accenture deals.

•        Helps build the SA community within the Global teams (ATC, Accenture, GSAD, Avanade Practices) and with the SA’s within regions.

•        Contributes to building capability from roadmaps and approved backlog and supports the SA community in doing the same.

•        Work with various stakeholders within Avanade and Accenture to define the career path, training, and capability development for SAs in partnership with Avanade HR, sales, delivery, and the Global Solution and Delivery team. 

•        Works with Avanade Practices to develop and execute a strategic view for global SA training, certification, and capability in close collaboration with the Global Solution and Delivery team and Accenture.

•        Supports SA training aligned with career growth model.  Conduct certification interviews of our people (if applicable).

Key Performance Indicators

Individual:

•        Personal impact in strategic accounts (sales or Exec Sponsor); contributing to successful sales.

•        Manage to the Market Utilization target of self.

Shared:

•        Win rates on net new deals.

•        % EACs (against total solutioned)

•        GSAD SAs contribution to closure of capability backlog items.

Competencies

•        Leads Others: Drives Vision & Purpose, ​Develops Talent.

•        Transforms the Business: Demonstrates Strategic Mindset​, Cultivates Innovation.

•        Runs the Business: Plans & Aligns, ​Drives Results.

•        Builds Our Culture: Client Focus, Instils Trust.

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Skills and Experience

• Proficiency in these areas desired:
  • Application and Cloud/Infrastructure or Workplace.
  • Data Modernization with Microsoft Fabric
  • Power Platform
  • GenAI Innovation and Custom Copilot development
• Ability to effectively team with peers in a large matrixed organization
• Excellent leadership and communication skills, strong influence, and negotiation capabilities.
• Comfortable working with estimating, costing, and working with Finance and Sales Leads on pricing models.
• Demonstrates strong analytical skills, ability to analyze client provided data.
• Demonstrates a structured and considered approach to written and oral communication and can communicate complex solutions to less technical people.
• Able to define solution elements even when all the required information is not available. Realizes and documents reasonable assumptions.
• Ability to guide and direct leadership teams in development, product, and promotion of proposals, sales pursuits, solutions & offerings.
• Proven experience in solutioning deals over $5m USD.
• Detailed knowledge of service and delivery models, including global and distributed delivery models.
• Solution planning and deal shaping expert.  Able to create compelling value proposition and leverage available assets and capabilities to craft the solution.
• Selling to senior client leadership; leading negotiations or developing business terms and conditions.
• Has led service introduction and/or service transition AND has been responsible for ensuring entire deal delivered value as defined.
• Has worked in an environment with global delivery and in multiple geographies and industries.

Education, Certifications and Experience

•        Education and/or experience in the relevant field/business such as Computer Science, Management Information Systems, Statistics, Mathematics.

•        Knowledge of Microsoft Products, Services, and platforms.

• Strong consulting background, including assessing the opportunity and risk associated with large scale, complex projects.
• International business experience.
• Experience in supporting large strategic sales pursuits as a sales capture and/or solution architect for various types of deals (consulting & managed services).
• Experience delivering solutions for client organizations through complex solutions/ project with heavy client interaction.
• Experience in managing large scale onshore/offshore delivery teams as well as delivering consulting and managed services projects.
• Extensive interaction with C-level executives.
• Track record in developing and growing long term, high value client relationship.

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