Solutions Architect

Solutions ArchitectNew York City, NY, US Hybrid Technology Vaco $USD 120000 - 170000 Direct HireJob Type: Full-TimePosition OverviewOur client is seeking an experienced, customer-facing Solutions Architect with a background in a VAR, MSP, consulting, or IT services environment.This senior-level role will partner closely with sales teams and clients to design, scope, and position infrastructure, cloud, networking, cybersecurity, and managed services solutions. The Solutions Architect will lead discovery sessions, develop technical strategies, and serve as a trusted advisor throughout the customer lifecycle.The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise with exceptional communication skills and a proven ability to build client relationships, drive solution adoption, and contribute to business growth.Key ResponsibilitiesTechnical Leadership & Pre-Sales StrategyServe as the senior technical lead on strategic pre-sales engagements, orchestrating discovery, solution design, and presentations across multiple technology domains.Lead customer-facing architecture workshops and design sessions with both technical and executive stakeholders, including Network Engineers, Security Engineers, Architects, CIOs, CISOs, and IT leadership.Own the technical win strategy for complex opportunities involving networking, cybersecurity, SASE, Zero Trust, cloud, infrastructure, and managed services.Develop and deliver executive briefings, whiteboard sessions, technical assessments, and proof-of-concept demonstrations that align technology investments to business outcomes.Collaborate closely with account executives and sales leadership to support strategic pursuits and drive revenue growth.Solution Design & DocumentationArchitect comprehensive solutions across cybersecurity, enterprise networking, SD-WAN, cloud connectivity, hybrid infrastructure, and compute environments.Design solutions incorporating technologies such as Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFW), Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR/XDR), SIEM/SOC, and identity-based security.Produce high-quality architecture diagrams, logical and physical network designs, technical recommendations, and executive solution overviews.Develop detailed Bills of Materials (BOMs), licensing structures, professional services estimates, and pricing documentation with a high degree of accuracy.Author Statements of Work (SOWs), scopes of services, implementation plans, and technical documentation that establish clear expectations and support successful project delivery.Support proposal development, RFP responses, and technical solution documentation as needed.Managed Services & Recurring RevenuePosition and promote the client's managed services portfolio, including managed SASE, managed firewall, MDR/SOC services, NOC monitoring, cloud management, and other recurring service offerings.Build outcome-based business cases that demonstrate ROI, operational efficiency, risk reduction, and total cost of ownership benefits.Structure multi-year managed services agreements with appropriate pricing models, service-level expectations, and renewal strategies.Partner with delivery and operations teams to design managed service architectures that are scalable, supportable, and profitable.Help clients develop strategic technology roadmaps that leverage managed services as a long-term operational model.Vendor & Partner EngagementMaintain strong working relationships with strategic technology partners including Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, Zscaler, CrowdStrike, Microsoft, AWS, Aruba/HPE, and other leading vendors.Leverage vendor resources, solution engineers, deal registration programs, business development managers, and partner incentives to support strategic opportunities.Stay current on emerging trends within SASE, Zero Trust, cloud security, networking, and managed services.Represent the organization at vendor partner summits, customer-facing events, technology briefings, and industry conferences.Required Qualifications7 years of overall IT experience, including 3 years in a customer-facing Solutions Architect, Consulting Architect, Pre-Sales Engineer, or Senior Systems Engineer role within a VAR, MSP, consulting firm, or IT services organization.Demonstrated experience leading technical discovery, architecture design, solution development, and pre-sales engagements for complex networking and cybersecurity initiatives.Deep expertise in cybersecurity technologies, including: Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFW), Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR/XDR), Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), Identity and Access Management (IAM).Strong knowledge of enterprise networking, including routing and switching, SD-WAN, LAN/WAN architecture, wireless networking, and network segmentation.Experience designing hybrid and multi-cloud environments across AWS, Microsoft Azure, and/or Google Cloud Platform.Proven ability to build business cases and technology roadmaps supporting managed services, recurring revenue programs, and digital transformation initiatives.Experience creating professional-quality solution designs, BOMs, SOWs, technical proposals, and RFP responses.Outstanding verbal and written communication skills with the ability to engage technical and executive audiences alike.Ability to present a Zero Trust architecture to a CISO as effectively as a financial justification to a CFO.Preferred QualificationsExperience designing and positioning SASE solutions including Zscaler (ZIA/ZPA), Palo Alto Prisma Access, Fortinet SASE, Cato Networks, Cisco Umbrella, and Cloudflare One.Familiarity with Zero Trust frameworks, including NIST SP 800-207 and Gartner Zero Trust principles.Experience positioning and selling managed security services such as MDR, managed SOC, managed firewall, and managed SASE offerings.Working knowledge of compliance and regulatory frameworks including NIST CSF, CIS Controls, SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and CMMC.Prior quota-supporting or KPI-driven pre-sales experience.Experience competing against or working for large national integrators and solution providers such as ePlus, Presidio, WWT, Ahead, NTT, or similar organizations.By submitting to this position, you are agreeing to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions.