Sr Field Solution Architect

Job description

*Description*
At CDW, we make it happen, together.

Trust, connection, and commitment are at the heart of how we work together to deliver for our customers.

It’s why we’re coworkers, not just employees.

Coworkers who genuinely believe in supporting our customers and one another.

We collectively forge our path forward with a level of commitment that speaks to who we are and where we’re headed.

We’re proud to share our story and Make Amazing Happen at CDW.
The Senior Field Solution Architect (FSA) role focuses on pre-sales solution design with a specialized emphasis on cybersecurity solutions for the Federal Government.

This role is responsible for working with internal and external sales teams to plan and organize sales strategies tailored to federal agencies.

The incumbent analyzes the sales environment, including customer expectations, competitive landscape, and the customer's technical environment—particularly in cybersecurity, cloud architectures, and zero-trust networks—and defines actions to be performed in the sales cycle timeframe.

The Senior FSA is a field-based technical presales role.

They are expected to spend much of their time onsite at CDW customer locations in their local markets, including federal sites.

The Senior FSA develops and maintains strategic relationships with Sales Management of the teams they support and is seen as a trusted advisor to grow business.

The Senior FSA is expected to be a subject matter expert in multiple families of solutions, with deep expertise in federal cybersecurity.

The incumbent in this role operates independently using standard approaches, existing tools, templates, and resources; shares knowledge and information that may benefit the team.
*Key Areas of Responsibility*
*Technology Leadership:*
 Is a passionate learner who demonstrates continuous learning by proactively expanding technical depth in products, solutions, and services, including cybersecurity, cloud architectures, and zero-trust networks.

If pertinent, achieves certifications in advanced technologies for CDW's Partner Certification Requirements.
- Operates with the perspective and insight that business needs, not just technology, establishing the limits on what can be achieved.
- Designs technical solutions using standard approaches, considering the customer’s infrastructure limitations and opportunities; analyzes, interprets, and presents assessment results, with a focus on federal cybersecurity compliance.
- Determines and defines services that complement and/or round out proposed hardware and software engagements, estimates required engineer effort.
- Uses team tools, templates, resources, and processes for maximum efficiency, productivity, consistency, and high-quality execution.
- Provides feedback to technology leaders where opportunities exist to improve offerings, design, and delivery execution.
- Conducts technology/solutions training for CDW audiences (e.g., Sales, Inside Solution Architects), using developed material.
- Contributes to the team’s knowledge base and readily shares knowledge with other FSAs, Inside Solution Architects, and Sales.
- Assists new team members by answering questions and sharing expertise on the tools of the job.
- Assists new hires by answering questions and sharing information.
*Sales:*
Follows up on implemented solutions and identifies new opportunities that complement the work that was completed.
- Researches and reviews customer profile information; applies knowledge of the vertical to develop customer intimacy prior to sales calls and/or strategy sessions, especially within federal agencies.
- Assists customer in understanding their equipment maintenance contracts, upgrade needs, and renewals; analyzes the most cost-effective approach for the customer (e.g., renew the contract or purchase new equipment and contract).
- Uses various tools to calculate the Total Cost of Ownership and/or Return on Investment and explains to customers and Sales the business value of a solution and its benefits.
- Articulates to customers the Practice’s value proposition; articulates audience-centric version of the value proposition to customers, account managers, and partners and uses it to generate additional revenue opportunities for CDW.
- Guides (compares and contrasts) customers in their decision making within CDW Partners Technologies/Solutions; influences, guides and partners with customers to develop their IT strategy, with emphasis on federal cybersecurity needs.
- Plans and executes events in territory by replicating plans from other successful events; secures funding to support CDW customer events; drives attendance to sponsored events, including federal industry conferences.
- Leads business-focused technology solution presentations at CDW, Customer, and Partner events and meetings in your territory.
- Uses technology assessments and demos as a sales tool for furthering sales opportunities; identifies cross sell-and/or up-sell opportunities for an engagement, equips/assists FSAs and Sales to pursue it.
- Collaborates with Partners, Inside Solution Architects (ISA) and Account Executives (AE) to drive mapped opportunities; fine tunes strategies and approaches to achieve greater sales results.
- Operates in a regular cadence with multiple partners to educate, plan, and execute on joint strategies in collaboration with multiple stakeholders (ISA, AE, Sales Managers, Field Sales); understands partner alignment in geography and leads customer opportunity mapping exercises; coordinates on-site partner visits.
- Develops a detailed and ambitious Territory Plan in collaboration with Partners, AEs, and ISAs and uses it to manage their business.
- Understands profit margin and how to increase profitability; works cooperatively with field sales to ensure healthy profitability.

Leverages and maximizes partner pricing, partner registration programs, incentive programs, and special pricing, to win business and ensure healthy profitability, provides input on pricing to Account Managers, Field Sales, FSAs, and Partners to increase margin and deal size and position CDW for future opportunities; negotiates pricing with Partners.
- Produces marketing-type documents and materials (e.g., presentation) to customer in territory.
*Sales Support:*
Responds to questions about partner registrations, associated registration issues, and customer engagement history.
- Prioritizes time spent on opportunities based on potential return on investment.
- Produces Bills of Materials, including product maintenance; writes Statements of Work (including work estimates), RFPs, RFIs, and proposal content.
- Maintains pre-sales pipeline data, develops plans, and takes actions to move opportunities to closure.
- Develop comprehensive pre-sales security strategies tailored to the Federal Government's needs.
- Build and maintain relationships with key government stakeholders to understand their security needs and propose appropriate solutions.
- Collaborate with the sales team to provide technical expertise and security solutions during the pre-sales process.
- Position security audits and assessments to help customers identify risks and formulate multi-year maturity strategies.
- Provide strategic advice on security best practices and potential security enhancements.
- Leverage broad IT knowledge to ensure cybersecurity solutions integrate effectively with existing infrastructure and applications.
- Identify opportunities for business development within the federal cybersecurity sector.
- Attend industry events and conferences to promote our cybersecurity solutions.
- Stay updated on the latest commercial and Federal industry trends, threats, and security technologies.
*Education and/or Experience Qualifications*
- Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience
- Five-year minimum technical pre-sales or technical architecting experience
- Minimum of 10 years of experience in security strategy development and implementation, preferably within or supporting the Federal Government.
*Personal Qualifications*
- Staying up to date on products, applications, technical service, market conditions, competitive activities, advertising, and promotional trends through the reading of pertinent literature, seminars, and online training.
- Ability to organize thoughts and ideas into understandable terminology for a less technical audience.
- Proficient in Microsoft office applications, specifically Excel.
- Proven success and experience selling technologies solutions and services.
- Knowledge and proven success of engaging and working with sales teams.
- Ability to execute on territory goals and metrics.
- Ability to adapt and change to the business needs of the practice and team coverage model.
- Strong interpersonal and presentation skills, including consulting skills.
- Strong oral and written communication skills.
- Strong passion for learning and teaching others.
- Motivated and self-starting.
- Ability to think creatively and come up with proactive ideas that will increase sales.
- Strong problem solving skills.
- Must be able to communicate effectively and in a constructive manner with management, peers and coworkers.
*Bonus Point if they have these:*
- Top Secret clearance with the ability to meet SCI requirements.
- Strong understanding of federal regulations related to cybersecurity.
*We make technology work so people can do great things.

*    
CDW is a leading multi-brand provider of information technology solutions to business, government, education and healthcare customers in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada.

A Fortune 500 company and member of the S&P 500 Index, CDW helps its customers to navigate an increasingly complex IT market and maximize return on their technology investments.

Together, we unite.

Together, we win.

Together, we thrive.
CDW is an equal opportunity employer.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regards to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other basis prohibited by state and local law.

     

Required Skill Profession

Computer Occupations