Principal Consultant at SoftChoice in Albany, New York

Solution Lead, Cloud PracticeAt Softchoice, a World Wide Technology (WWT) company, we work together to make a new world happen. As an IT solutions provider serving U.S. commercial and SMB organizations, as well as the entire Canadian market, we help organizations turn ambition into real-world outcomes. We do this through the delivery of secure cloud, AI, software and digital workplace solutions that enable agility, innovation and growth. With a highly engaged, high-performing team, we are certified as a Great Place to Work® in both Canada and the United States, and have been recognized as a Best Workplace in Canada for more than 20 years. We stand proudly for our people and their success through career development and advancement, and continuously strive to do what's good for our people and communities. As part of WWT, we connect customers to the global scale, advanced innovation, world-class partnerships, and deep expertise of a leader in AI and digital transformation.Softchoice is reimagining the role we play in our customers' lives, and we are seeking exceptional people to lead that charge within our Cloud practice. As the Solution Lead, you are the senior-most technical and delivery authority for multi-cloud engagements spanning Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform. You are the person who walks into a C-level conversation, translates complex business challenges into cloud transformation strategies, and then leads a team of architects and consultants to deliver them. You bridge pre-sales and delivery seamlessly - your clients trust you to define what good looks like, and your team trusts you to back them up when things get hard. This is not a role for someone who knows one cloud platform well. It requires genuine fluency across all three major providers - the ability to guide customers to the right platform decisions based on their workloads, governance requirements, and long-term strategy. In addition to technical depth is business acumen to drive the financial success of a P&L, the maturity to lead senior practitioners, and the presence to represent Softchoice at the highest levels of a client organization.Technical leadershipServe as the highest-level technical authority for cloud engagements - the final escalation point for solution design, architecture decisions, and technical risk across AWS, Azure, and GCPLead the design and delivery of complex, multi-workstream cloud transformations: migrations, modernizations, cloud-native builds, multi-cloud governance, and cloud security frameworksGuide customers through provider-selection decisions with objectivity - recommending the right cloud platform (or combination of platforms) based on workload fit, cost, compliance, and long-term strategyReview and approve architecture documents, deployment plans, technical assessments, and statements of work to ensure quality, consistency, and alignment with Softchoice standardsStay at the leading edge of cloud innovation - translate emerging trends (AI/ML services, cloud-native development, platform engineering) into practical service offeringsMaintain active certifications across all three major cloud providers; represent Softchoice as a thought leader at industry events, partner briefings, and customer advisory boardsClient engagement and pre-salesAct as a trusted advisor to C-level and VP-level client stakeholders - conduct discovery, define business outcomes, and craft tailored transformation roadmaps that create measurable valuePartner with account teams through the full sales cycle: lead solution scoping workshops, develop business cases, author and review statements of work, and respond to RFPs and RFIsIdentify, shape, and support new business opportunities within existing accounts - introduce new Softchoice capabilities and cross-practice offerings to expand client relationshipsQuantify the value of proposed transformations; help clients understand how to measure and track successDelivery and program ownershipLead the delivery of complex, multi-phase engagements from initiation to closure - own scope, quality, timeline, and profitabilityPartner with PMO counterparts to manage risks, issues, resource plans, and client communications; function as the "Two in the Box" technical leadHold team members, contractors, and partners accountable to Softchoice delivery standards and best practicesDrive up- and cross-sell opportunities organically from within active engagementsTeam leadership and developmentMentor, coach, and develop architects, senior consultants, and consultants on their technical growth, utilization performance, and delivery quality throughout engagementsBuild a high-performance project culture: create psychological safety, encourage candid debate, and model Softchoice values of personal growth, customer passion, taking care of others, and owning the end resultContribute to hiring decisions, onboarding, and capability development for the Cloud practice teamRepresent the practice in leadership forums - bring forward insights on market trends, team health, and strategic opportunitiesWhat you'll bring to the table:Experience12+ years of progressive experience in enterprise IT, with clear progression through both technical delivery and leadership roles5+ years leading multi-disciplinary teams of architects and/or consultants on complex, client-facing engagementsDemonstrated track record spanning both pre-sales solution design and full-lifecycle delivery ownership - not one or the otherProven experience leading financial oversight for engagements, balancing P&L performance with forward-looking forecasting, clear reporting, and risk mitigation strategies.Technical depthGenuine fluency across all three major cloud providers - not deep in one and passable in others. You can architect, compare, and defend platform decisions across AWS, Azure, and GCPHands-on expertise in cloud architecture patterns: migrations (lift-and-shift through full re-architecture), cloud-native application design, multi-cloud governance, landing zone design, IaaS/PaaS, and hybrid cloudStrong command of cloud security frameworks, identity and access management, and compliance controls across all three providersProficiency with infrastructure-as-code and automation tooling (Terraform, Bicep, CloudFormation, Ansible) - able to review and guide engineers, not just describe conceptsComfort operating at multiple altitudes: from whiteboard strategy sessions with CIOs to reviewing architecture and cost designs with engineersCertifications - active and current across all three providers (required)AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional (SAP-C02) - requiredAWS Certified DevOps Engineer - Professional (DOP-C02) - preferredAWS Certified Security - Specialty - preferredMicrosoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) - requiredMicrosoft Certified: Azure DevOps Engineer Expert (AZ-400) - preferredGoogle Cloud Professional Cloud Architect - requiredGoogle Cloud Professional Cloud Security Engineer - preferredGoogle Cloud Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer - preferredAdditional differentiatorsCertifications in AI/ML cloud services across any of the three providersSkills and attributesExecutive presence: ability to command a room, simplify complexity for non-technical audiences, and build trust with client leadership quicklyStructured problem-solver: asks the right questions, uncovers root cause, and drives to clear, actionable recommendationsEntrepreneurial mindset: manages engagements as if they were their own business - focused on outcomes, profitability, and client satisfaction simultaneouslyExceptional written and verbal communication: able to produce and review client-ready deliverables (strategies, roadmaps, business cases, architecture designs) to a publishable standardAbility to travel up to 15% domesticallyEducationBachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field requiredMaster's degree in a technical or business discipline preferred; equivalent demonstrated experience will be consideredCompensation:A reasonable estimate of the current base pay range for this position is $158,720 to $198,400 annually + 20% as target incentives (STIP). Actual salary will be based on a variety of factors, including location, experience, skill set, education, and related certification. The range for this position in other geographic locations may differ. Softchoice offers a comprehensive and competitive benefit plan to all full-time employees, which includes:Health and Wellbeing: Medical, Dental, and Vision Care