Azure Cloud Solutions Architect

**About The Role**:

- The primary role of the Cloud Solution Architect is to work pre-dominantly on large sized, often complex sales opportunities, understand the customers’ technical and commercial requirements as part of the sales engagement as well as desired business outcome in order to design and cost up the most appropriate technical solution for a specific customer requirement, making sure that Claranet an deliver, support and manage it to ensure a world class customer experience.- The Solution Architect function is an integral part of the bid / tender process and also the Competitive Edge consulting process to lead transformational opportunities. Solution Architects will work with the Consultants and assist with customer meetings (onsite and remotely) with a view to leading technical design discussions to understand the customer requirements and design a business outcome. Principal Cloud Solution Architect will be able to independently articulate and design customer services and solutions across the Cloud BU’s product and service portfolio which includes, but is not limited to the following major product areas:
1. Claranet Cloud and other dedicated private cloud solutions
2. Public Cloud i.e. Hyperscalers
3. Managed Services Framework i.e. CloudOps and SysOps
4. On-premises Infrastructure i.e. DC Networks, Virtualisation, Compute and Storage layers 5. Backup and Disaster Recovery- Attending and presenting at meetings and workshops with customers and prospects designed to draw out, clarify and pin down their needs in terms of the Cloud BU’s products and services.
- Drafting and revising Statement of Works and or Letter of Engagement documents describing solutions and ensuring that there is clarity about services provided, timelines, responsibilities and costs.
- Working with commercial finance to cost up complex multi-service solutions and build winning deal models to support sales engagements.
- Delivering technical leadership and architecture on customer engagements, as well as providing feedback around the evolution of the solution designs.
- Drafting of high-level design options to be incorporated into sales proposals and tailoring and shaping Claranet’s proposition to the
- Liaison acting as a technical validation role with other teams to ensure that solution design is in line with operational capabilities.
- Acting as “Designated” Principal Solution Architect where you take on the function of an IT consultant for the customer, during the lifecycle of the solution.
- Providing feedback to Claranet’s Portfolio team with regards to future roadmap and improvements of service definitions.
- Presenting and pitching Claranet’s solution to customer’s Technical and Business Leaders
- Explaining the solution in detail, interpreting customer needs and responding to challenges to show the value and relevance to the customer business
- The ability to answer deep technical questions on Cloud products, solutions, consumption models and operational models
- End-to-end solution shaping and solution architecture
- Planning for and supporting service implementation, service transition, and, service introduction activities including appropriate change management services.
- Building and maintaining strong working relationships with technical, operational and sales teams
- Owning delivery responsibilities for selected Competitive Edge or other consulting engagements and furthermore supporting regional delivery teams to conduct knowledge transfer and capability development

**About You**:

- Essential- Ability to guide and support junior members of the team in scoping, designing and costing technical solutions.
- Values and deploys attributes such as Diligence, accuracy and reliability in all sales engagements.
- Deep understanding on how Managed Services are priced up and delivered alongside a proven ability to work with commercial finance to develop complex deal models to support large scale Enterprise multi-year contracts consisting of a mix of professional services, consulting and managed services.
- Proven ability to take the technical sales lead on opportunities which contain a complex mix of professional services, products and managed services
- Deep understanding and expertise in at least 2 Hyperscaler platforms alongside traditional datacentre solutions as well as legacy systems and database technologies.
- A background in engineering with experience in roles such as technical operations, pre-sales, consultancy, field engineering or similar disciplines
- A strong understanding of design and delivery of managed services as well as strong technical skills and commercial astuteness.
- A passion for solving the customers’ problem without compromise.
- Compelling written and oral communications skills with the ability to perform impactful presentation as well as lead customer workshops and whiteboarding sessions.

**About Us**:
Claranet combine pioneering technologies, practices, and experti