Presales Solutions Architect

The Presales Solutions Architect (PSA) Role

The Presales Solutions Architect (PSA) role has three primary functions:

• Pair with sales members to develop potential solutions for customers, and pitch those solutions
• Produce technical sales collateral (e.g. professional services estimates, architecture diagrams, AWS cost estimates for proposed architecture, and Scope of Work documents)
• Performing technical due diligence, and equipping delivery teams with information conducive to successful delivery upon deal signature.

These are critical role functions that require a particular variety of skills as outlined in below sections. Please also note that Protagona is an AWS only partner, and qualified candidates will need to be proficient in AWS as they will be technically vetted.

Technical Delivery

Presales Solutions Architects (PSAs) play a crucial driving role in facilitating technical discussion with clients, and providing solutions to them. PSAs work collaboratively with sales staff members to meet with, and scope prospective projects with clients, estimate the professional services requirements and cost implications once built.

The ideal candidate will have a broad and complex understanding of AWS cloud computing services, the underlying architecture and advanced systems design. The role requires the ability to hear complex customer problems and provide nuanced, specific solutions that suit client requirements across a variety of technology and use-cases. Communication and soft-skills are a key requirement of this position due to the customer-facing nature of the role.

The perfect PSA will be able to blend soft-skills and deep technical knowledge to equivocate customer problems into technical solutions, and produce the required technical capital to ensure timely project proposal and signature.

• Meeting with customers and providing them with prospective solutions
• Partnering with Sales, and providing collateral to assist in winning business
  • Architecture diagrams
  • Timeline estimations
  • Professional services estimation collateral
• Estimating the professional services cost and efforts required to deliver projects
• Estimating the AWS platform costs for solutions designed
• Liaising with legal and funding counterparts within Protagona to obtain sign-off and approval of scoped projects during the proposal and SOW phase

Not Responsible For

• Administrative tasks - paperwork, legal requirements, etc.
• Hands-on delivery of projects

Role Characteristics

What - Characteristics

Day in the life - Design solutions for client use-cases, problems Work with a variety of clients in different industries, interfacing with engineers, fellow architects, product owners, and moreEstimate costs, delivery timelines and AWS spendPitch and propose solutions to clients

Must-have skills - Customer oriented communications - the affinity to work with customer requirements and provide the most suitable solutions within their constraintsBusiness driven solutions - ability to translate business requirements into technical design and estimationsPlanning and estimation foresight - the keen ability to appropriately scope technical delivery efforts, delivery timelines, and AWS solutions costs

What separates the best from the rest - Strong EQ. Our customers are people, and being able to build meaningful connections can be a deciding factor in various situations; for example landing new work, dealing with unforeseen issues, and conflict resolution.Understand that often times, we solve cultural and people "problems" as much as we do technology.Willingness to collaborate and work with others. Architect is not synonymous with omnipotent. Your ability to observe, listen, learn, and adapt sets you apart.Ability to see when a colleague needs assistance and have the willingness to helpHelping individuals define and achieve career goals as related to cloud technologies and industries

Team culture - People-centric - we care about our colleagues and clients and we help them where we canWin Together - Success is a collective goalOwnership and Responsibility - Don't build something that you wouldn't be proud of. If something is wrong, start a conversation!