Solution Architect

ABOUT CDW

CDW is a leading technology solutions provider to business, government, education and healthcare organisations in the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States. Our fingerprints can be found on technology in workplaces of more than 250,000 companies: from start-ups to international conglomerates. With the breadth of products and services we offer, there is no request too big or too small.

CDW prides itself on being 'People Who Get IT’ and 'People who get People’. Our relationships are fuelled by our deep expertise and grounded in the CDW Way. Our empowering leadership makes things happen and inspires their teams to do the same. From the teammates beside us to the leaders who guide us, we move forward together. At CDW, you’ll work with people who inspire you. People with positive, success-driven attitudes who you will learn from and forge strong relationships with. Bring your best true self—and your best ideas—to CDW. Because diverse perspectives bring forth better problem solving—and better solutions for our customers on a rapidly evolving technology landscape.

JOB SUMMARY

CDW’s Microsoft Solutions team is a group of Solutions Architects and Specialists that is part of the wider Microsoft Practice.

The role has three key areas of responsibility, which broken down by:

• Act as a senior architect, using a combination of your own depth of expertise as well as the wider team to own opportunities, engage with customers and win business at enterprise-scale in across the Microsoft Modern Work and 365 stack.
• Support the development of the team and the wider department by contributing to team projects as well as helping junior team members achieve their own career aspirations.
• Develop and maintain your own skills and knowledge through research, self-guided learning, lab time and formal training/accreditation.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Customer Opportunities - Work with customers, partners, and salespeople to qualify opportunities and delivery value adding Microsoft and other technology outcomes.
• Documentation - Produce high quality documentation.
• Handover - Support the smooth handover of projects into the delivery teams and acting as an escalation point during their life and transition into service.
• CDW and Modern Workspace Evangelist - driving and evangelising CDW capabilities to our customer base in a credible, friendly and relatable way. Differentiating CDW through its productised services, consulting capability and Microsoft expertise.
• Internal Collaboration - Build and develop strong relationships across the business, including with Sales, Professional Services, Managed Services and the wider CDW community to draw upon as the need arises.
• Partner Engagement - Cultivate strong Microsoft and Microsoft eco-system relationships to stay up to date with offerings and roadmaps and leverage this knowledge as an agnostic advisor to customers.
• Commercial Acumen - The role requires that you understand the commercial impact of the proposed solutions and assist customers and CDW’s sales teams in choosing the correct solution to meet budget and expectations.
• Sales Enablement - Assist CDW Salespeople with technical guidance on a variety of products and solutions across a range of customer sizes and types and evangelise the team’s capabilities.
• Customer Retention - Act as a trusted adviser to key customers through building knowledge of their environments.
• Management Support: Support the leadership by providing input into team meetings, one-to-ones, appraisals, and assessments as well as providing cover for the Practice Lead where required.
• Accreditation - Attain and maintain the highest level of relevant accreditations where required

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Demonstrated credible experience in Microsoft 365, Modern Work and Microsoft eco-system technologies. Use experience and skills to aid in their adoption, with a proven ability to use this to own and win complex opportunities with mid-market customers, enterprise, and public sector customers.
• Advanced 365 capability e.g., Power Platforms desirable
• A key focus on user experience / adoption enhancement
• Ability to lead customers through a transformational journey that delivers tangible benefit quickly whilst maximising the scope and potential of an engagement.
• Experience selling both professional and managed services.
• A passion and a thirst to learn and deliver presales expertise in a broader set of technologies.

ESSENTIAL ATTRIBUTES

• Highly ambitious, credible, motivated, and accountable individual with an appreciation for building meaningful and lasting relationships, combined with a desire and ability to "win hearts and minds" - Confident yet humble in their approach.
• Detail-oriented with strong time management skills combined with the capacity to lead and work on multiple initiatives, as well as dynamically prioritise and pivot based on changing business needs.
• Outstanding communications skills, with the ability to clearly and concisely present concepts and recommendations in verbal, written, and presentation formats to customers, senior leaders, and cross-functional audiences.
• High levels of industry-related knowledge with an insatiable thirst for new information relevant to the market.
• Prepared for occasional travel between CDW UK & International offices as the role requires whilst maintaining a suitable home life balance.
• Ability to allocate time to undertake personal development activities such as attending training, achieving certifications, and focusing on soft-skill development - always seeking to personally develop as an individual.