Introduction:
There is a company-wide focus within Avanade to grow our managed services business globally.
In support of this strategy, Avanade is seeking to recruit a new solution architect into our UK Managed Services team. The successful candidate will become part of a growing community of architects and will be upskilled in the solutioning of complex service engagements.
The role provides a unique opportunity to move into a highly visible, pre-sales function, as a full-time solution architect. Our managed service solution architects work in collaboration with technology, finance, and legal SMEs, across all our client groups and offerings.
Come join us:
To lead colleagues across our global delivery organisation in shaping managed service solutions for our UK clients.
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To define cross-platform managed services spanning our five practices of: Applications & Infrastructure, Business Applications, Data & AI, Modern Workplace, and Security.
To engage directly with our clients to understand their business objectives and their required service outcomes.
To collaborate with our regional sales function, and variety of subject matter experts, as required throughout the sales and solutioning lifecycle.
What you'll do:
Leading the solutioning process will require the successful candidate to:
* Interpret client defined or implied requirements against Avanade solution templates and delivery capabilities and define a managed service solution aligned to these.
* Engage directly with client stakeholders and client subject matter experts to validate their requirements and to explore potential service models and options.
* Collaborate with our global delivery teams and technical subject matter experts to calculate service effort estimates in accordance with the Avanade guidelines.
* Forecast the required staffing and identify all expenses to ensure an accurate estimation of delivery costs over the contract term.
* Identify solution dependencies and mitigate solution risks.
* Contribute to the deal competitor analysis and development of win strategies.
* Support the development of deal specific pricing and commercial strategies.
* Create and document the solution details in a solution plan, engaging and consulting internal stakeholders as required.
* Review and obtain sign-off from regional, area or global Avanade leadership (based on service scale) in respect to your solution and its scope, approach, costs, commercials, and risks.
* Draft and present the proposal to the client, taking ownership of solution elements.
* Partner with sales leads team during commercial dialogue and negotiation with the client.
* Draft the solution details into the contract.
* Partner with our legal team during contract dialogue and negotiation with the client.
* Plan for and support service implementation, service transition and service introduction activities.
* Establish and maintain effective working relationships within Avanade including regional colleagues, global delivery center teams, and senior leadership.
The successful candidate will also be proactive in a range of supporting activities to:
* Fulfill sales origination activities in early phases of the sales process in conjunction with our sales function.
* Engage with clients to explore service needs and pre-qualify sales opportunities.
* Work with our regional marketing teams to develop client facing materials.
* Contribute to the development of our managed service propositions and offerings.
* Contribute to the development of the broader Avanade solution architect community and its assets.
The successful candidate will progress through Avanade's solution architect career path and associated certification programme. The key performance indicators for the role include:
Total value of services solutioned
Win rate percentages
Personal utilisation percentages
Customer feedback and satisfaction
Skills and experiences:
The successful candidate will demonstrate experience and a breadth of knowledge and skills including:
* Relationship Management: ability to establish, maintain and manage strong working relationships with colleagues, partners, suppliers, and senior client personnel.
* Communication: a structured and considered approach to written and oral communication and presentation.
* Negotiation: ability to articulate a reasoned argument on complex issues.
* People Management: managing virtual and/or in person teams, mentoring individuals against their assignment goals, able to motivate individuals and drive high performance teams.
* Technical Knowledge: experience and knowledge of managed services, in an infrastructure or application outsourcing context, including:
* Service requirements gathering
* Service solutioning and planning
* Service transition and/or introduction
* Service delivery and management
* Operating models and service integration
* Managing suppliers and subcontractors
* Constructing globally distributed delivery models
* ITIL v4 standards or equivalent
* Financial, quality, risk, and knowledge management methods
* Project management and team leadership
* The following certifications are desirable:
* Microsoft Certifications
* ITIL Service Management Certifications
About you:
Characteristics that can spell success for this role:
Customer Focus
Embracing Change
Teamwork and Collaboration
Realizing Results the Avanade Way
Technical Passion
Interpersonal Awareness
Enjoy your career
Some of the best things about working at Avanade:
Opportunity to work for Microsoft's Global Alliance Partner of the Year (14 years in a row), with exceptional development and training (minimum 80 hours per year for training and paid certifications)
Real-time access to technical and skilled resources globally
Dedicated career advisor to encourage your growth
Engaged and helpful coworkers genuinely interested in you
Find out more about some of our benefits [1] here.
A great place to work
As you bring your skills and abilities to Avanade, you'll get distinctive experiences, limitless learning, and ambitious growth in return. As we continue to build our diverse and inclusive culture, we become even more innovative and creative, helping us better serve our clients and communities. You'll join a community of smart, supportive collaborators to lift, mentor, and guide you, and to lean on your expertise. You get a company purpose-built for business-critical, leading-edge technology solutions, committed to improving the way humans work, interact, and live. It's all here, so take a closer look!
We work hard to provide an inclusive, diverse culture with a deep sense of belonging for all our employees. Visit our [2] Inclusion & Diversity page.
Create a future for our people that focuses on
* Expanding your thinking
* Experimenting courageously
* Learning and pivoting
Inspire greatness in our people by
* Empowering every voice
* Encouraging boldness
* Celebrating progress
Accelerate the impact of our people by
* Amazing the client
* Prioritizing what matters
* Acting as one
References
Visible links
1. https://www.avanade.com/en/career/benefits
2. https://www.avanade.com/en-us/about-avanade/inclusion-and-diversity