Sr Solution Architect
Microsoft
Sr Solution Architect
Multiple Locations, United Kingdom
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Overview
Do you enjoy solving problems, looking at problems through a different lens, and working closely with customers to innovate new solutions to complex problems? Do you jump with excitement at the opportunity to identify trends and provide unique business solutions? Do you want to join a team where learning about a new technology or solution is part of our work every day?
The Industry Solutions Delivery (ISD) Engineering & Architecture Group (EAG) is a global consulting and engineering organization that supports our most complex and leading-edge customer engagements. Driving early-stage deliveries, enhances ISD’s technical capabilities, and partnering with others to develop approaches, innovative solutions, and engineering standards in order to set our sales and delivery teams up for success. Leveraging the principles of model, care, and coach, we provide consistent high-quality customer experience through technical and AI leadership and IP capture centered on delivery truth.
As part of the team, you will be a key leader in the largest Security team in Industry Solutions Organization, learn in a fast paced, live-site focused environment, deliver customer value with everything we do and help protect Microsoft’s enterprise customers.
The job provides an opportunity to:
- Impact on one of the fastest growing teams in Industry Solutions that is critical to the Microsoft Security strategy.
- Work in a world class team of Security Analysts, Architects, Incident Responders, and leadership that will help you grow your career.
- Be part of a dynamic Security community that will enable you to learn, collaborate, and contribute with the top minds in the industry.
We are looking for someone who is highly customer focused with the right combination of curiosity, technical aptitude, and communication skills to become a Security Delivery Manager in the Security Service Line within the Industry Solutions Organization.
You will be part of a high-performing security organization and will be in a role that is focused on customer success and satisfaction. Since we are a security team, we focus a good deal on security technologies, so the ideal candidate will have strong Cybersecurity experience addressing complex customer scenarios in delivery and/or operations capacity. What’s also super important is that you can show empathy for customers, their business outcomes, and plans, and are proficient at guiding teamwork to deliver great security outcomes for our customers.
We are a team of fun, dynamic, supportive community of Program Managers, Architects, Incident Responders, Security Analysts, and our Leadership is committed to delivering the best Security solutions and services to our customers. We get to develop and run innovative Security services at extremely large scale for our enterprise customers, which presents challenges we love to solve.
If this sounds like the right environment for you, please join us.
Qualifications
Required/Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in computer science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field AND experience in technology solutions, practice development, architecture, consulting, and/or technology domain (e.g., Security)
OR master's degree in computer science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field AND experience in technology solutions, practice development, architecture, consulting, and/or technology domain (e.g., Security)
OR equivalent experience.
Additional or Preferred Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in computer science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field AND proficient years' experience in technology solutions, practice development, architecture, consulting, and/or technology domain (e.g., Security)
OR master's degree in computer science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field AND experience in technology solutions, practice development, architecture, consulting, and/or technology domain (e.g., Security)
OR equivalent experience.
Technical sales experience.
Project management experience.
Technical or Professional Certification in Domain (e.g., Security).
Responsibilities
Understanding Customer/Partner Technical Environment
Gathers and propagates customer/partner insights from a broad range of stakeholders as well as the main business sponsor that will help shape and form both the definition and ongoing execution of the project. Learns to adapt business models, plans, and solutions to insights.
Works with customer/partner stakeholders (e.g., Enterprise Architects, Security Team, Development Team, Operations Team) and business sponsor to socialize both the business solution and the project approach to determine if changes are needed to the business solution. Where the cost of change is accepted by the customer, shares this feedback with the project team and the broader account team to make the necessary adjustments using mechanisms such as updating the solution approach and projected costs in presales and change requests in delivery.
Uses evidence-based approach to function as a customer advocate and drives awareness of insights with a view for improving Microsoft technologies, products, services, and offerings such that they can better meet customer/partner needs.
Architecture Design and Deployment
Leverages a structured approach to Architecture Projects using existing methodologies (e.g., Waterfall, Agile, Iterative) that make use of existing reference architecture and established architectural styles and design patterns. Maintains an architecture description document, an architecture decisions log, and a requirements/constraints traceability matrix to ensure the rationale for the business solution's architecture is known and understood.
Contributes to definition and documentation of the Architecture through an architecture description document, an architecture decisions log, and a requirements/constraints traceability matrix to communicate the value proposition of the business solution along with the project approach. Participates in cost-based and technology-based discussions to explain the Architecture in terms of its build, deployment, and ongoing operational use to determine customer appetite for the business solution. Uses a business-value approach that values return on investment (ROI) and customer costs-savings over technical ease of execution.
Contributes to the design, build, and deployment of proof of concepts (POCs) and pilots. Works with customers to understand and demonstrate business value (e.g., release of revenue, cost savings) that the business solution realizes.
Works with the business sponsor and customer/partner stakeholders (e.g., Business users, Enterprise Architects, Security Team, Operations Team) to gather and ratify requirements and constraints. Resolves ambiguity in the requirements and constraints and documents assumptions and implications where it cannot be resolved. Maintains the requirements/constraints traceability matrix to prove that solution components have a rationale/justification for inclusion in the architecture of the business solution. Contributes to development and execution of test plans to prove that each requirement/constraint has been implemented as expected by the customer. Where there are defects, works in close collaboration with the Project Manager and customer to redress or accept and document the status of the test results.
Collaborates with the Account Team and/or Bid Team to understand the business solution/problem. Seeks to drive agreement, based on the customer’s priorities, requirements/constraints, approach, principles, concepts, and expectations. Contributes to building and documenting a realistically costed solution approach with traceability of requirements, constraints, decisions, and tradeoffs that balances risk, technical credibility, and technical innovation to meet customer need, predominantly based on existing solution offerings and/or reference architecture. Jointly leads the implementation in close partnership with the Project Manager. Exercises oversight and governance and uses quality practices and standards to realize the business solution. Uses a cohesive build methodology with an agreed release schedule and timeline so the solution can be transitioned to live operations. Promotes communication of and adherence to the pre-sales value proposition. Works with the Project Manager to highlight where assumptions have proven false. May use change requests to modify the solution/project approach as needed.
Identifies scenarios that could slow or impede pre-sales/delivery. Communicates with the broader Microsoft team to address technical blockers and communicates with account/project team to resolve non-technical issues. Reports significant problems to senior colleagues and escalates when needed. Work with others with specialist skills to support technical alignment across internal/external teams. Helps coordinate disparate approaches into a single plan of action.
Under direction of others, works in close collaboration with the Project Manager and Account Team to categorize and communicate business and technical risks. Seeks to identify risks. Contributes to defining risk mitigation activities that are foundational to the project plan. Contributes to defining risk contingency plans for invocation should the risk occur.
Practice Development
Contributes to generation of new and/or improvements to existing intellectual property. Provides input on which ideas should be culled. Learns to identify opportunities for re-use of intellectual property. Executes on and contributes to Recommend Practices in both pre-sales and delivery. Participates in internal/external communities.
Trusted Advisor
Begins developing a network of internal/external relationships to build influence in addressing problems/ blockers and facilitating additional views on the matter of interest. Develops knowledge of Microsoft’s technologies, products, and services in order to communicate Microsoft's mission, strategy, and capabilities.
Uses evidence-based arguments that articulate complex concepts in a simple manner to respectfully challenge Microsoft and customers/partners when a decision or course of action will not produce optimal results. Escalates scenarios as appropriate. Serves as the "technical conscience" to challenge the status quo and unrealistic expectations. Resolves conflicts and seeks resolution to balance the overall outcome when needed.
Understands competitor solutions and identifies how customer business value can be driven through Microsoft's offerings. Demonstrates the benefits of the solution in customer/partner conversations.
Thought Leadership
Shares ideas, insight, and technical input with virtual team members (e.g., Account team, enterprise channel managers) using a working knowledge of specific Microsoft architectures and other relevant products.
Participates in external architect community events (e.g., conferences, seminars, technical meetups, Webcasts, blogs, hackathons) and shares learnings with internal team.
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