Senior Compute & AI Presales Architect

Description

The role is in Slovakia, in the sales function, at job level TCP05.

The company is a global business that helps customers connect, protect, analyze and act on data and applications across edge and cloud environments.

You design solutions that deliver customer business outcomes, either within one technical domain or across the full portfolio of hardware, software, services and as-a-service offerings, together with required third-party components.

You write proposals that are clear and accurate, and make sure they meet the customer's business and technical needs.

You give technical support to sales teams and customers through presentations and product or solution demonstrations, aiming to win the customer's trust in your domain.

The work centres on technical selling to customers and partners. You may be assigned to specific accounts based on business priority.

At this management level, your work has visible technical impact on a product or major subcomponent, and you act as a recognised internal authority in a key technology area.

Responsibilities

• Build deep expertise in one or more solution domains, along with the customer's technical and business context.
• Lead the design of complex proposals that show customers clear business value.
• Manage the expectations of customers and internal stakeholders to reduce risk to the company.
• Review proposals critically, use market intelligence and thought leadership to turn functional requirements into technical designs for workload-optimised solutions.
• Feed trends, requirements, gaps and unmet needs from end customers into all global business units.
• Lead the team in creating high-level, original, outcome-based solutions that translate customer business goals into functional designs.
• Explain the company's end-to-end solution value in the customer's own language, linking it to their business outcomes.
• Keep up with adjacent technologies and with current and emerging trends.
• Contribute to your industry through conference talks, demos, booth support, social media and business events.
• Track changes in the competitive landscape, including new competitors and start-ups.
• Drive the account business planning process using industry trends and the customer's technical environment.
• Lead deep-dive discussions with customers and account teams to build relationships, understand business needs, assess the customer's ecosystem and present technical strategies for transformation.
• Identify acceptable trade-offs and risks in technical solutions and propose ways to address them.
• Direct collaboration across internal account teams and bring in the full range of partners to build solution strategies.
• Pass knowledge to external partners so they can deliver the solution effectively.
• Find pipeline opportunities within accounts, including enhancements, unmet needs, and up-sell and cross-sell options.
• Monitor the account pipeline and move active deals through to close.
• Use pipeline insights to decide where time and resources go, focusing on the deals with the highest potential.
• Take part in sales forecast meetings and give feedback to speed up the sales cycle.
• Record ongoing activities and tasks throughout the sales cycle, and share best practice with peers and partners.
• Build an advisory presence with VPs, CxOs, line-of-business leaders and customer thought leaders.
• Anticipate customer needs and bring in partners and resources to design new solutions and create demand.
• Share knowledge with peers and help grow expertise across the presales community.

Requirements

• An advanced degree in technology or a related field is preferred, or equivalent technical qualifications.
• At least 12 years of technical IT experience, with a focus on technical consulting and solution selling.
• Two or more relevant industry-standard technology certifications, or equivalent experience, are expected.
• Enterprise architecture frameworks and project management methodologies, with certifications, are helpful but not required.
• Deep hands-on experience designing solution configurations and overall architectures, and building and presenting demos and proofs of concept that meet customer requirements.
• Thorough knowledge of the company's products, software, services and solution domains, including adjacent domains, and how to combine them and adapt workloads for strategic customer and industry solutions.
• Expert knowledge of the as-a-service model: its business value, its full ecosystem, and how it supports strategic aaS goals in one or more domains.
• Ability to work across functions and across the company to grow revenue through subscriptions and other aaS models.
• Executive-level written, verbal and nonverbal communication, including active listening and storytelling, in English and any local languages the role needs.
• Skill in discussion and persuasion that supports the company's position while challenging proposals respectfully.
• Strong financial and business judgement covering the sales cycle, funnel management, reporting, influence, strategy, customer KPIs, TCO and ROI, financial models, and how customers earn revenue.
• Expert consultative and value-selling skills, with executive presence, presenting, whiteboarding, storytelling, objection handling and closing.
• Thorough knowledge of company business processes, technical tools and standard CRM systems.
• Strong resource management, including knowing when and how to bring in subject matter experts.
• Hands-on experience with several products, solutions, tools or services relevant to the role.
• Ability to build a playbook for demonstrations or walkthroughs of products, solutions, tools or services.
• Ability to give live demonstrations or walkthroughs to customers, partners and other stakeholders.
• Expert project and time management, with strong analytical and problem-solving skills and appropriate due diligence.
• Thorough knowledge of partner offerings, and when and how to use them on deals in your specialist area, including the company's preferred go-to-market strategy, global context and partner coverage options.
• Expert strategic and account planning skills, and proficiency with business, technical and CRM tools.

Conditions

This is a hybrid role, with an average of 2 days per week in a company office.

The salary range in Slovakia is EUR 69,800 to 129,800 per year.

That range covers base salary plus target sales pay, at 100% of the sales plan. The split is 80% base and 20% target sales pay.

The final offer may differ based on location, experience, education, training or skill level.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and decides on qualifications, merit and business need.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health and wellbeing benefits covering physical, financial and emotional health for employees and their families.
• Career development programmes, including routes to becoming a subject expert or moving into another division.
• Flexibility to balance work and personal needs.