Principal Field Solution Architect - Networking Solutions

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The Principal Field Solution Architect (FSA) role focuses on Enterprise Networking pre-sales solution design. This role is responsible for working with internal and external sales teams to plan and organize sales strategies. The incumbent analyzes the sales environment including customer expectations, competitive environment as well as the customer's technical environment and define actions to be performed in the sales cycle timeframe. The Principal FSA is a field-based technical presales role. They are expected to spend the majority of their time onsite at CDW customer locations in their local markets. The Principal FSA develops and maintains strategic relationships with Sales Management of the teams they support and seen as a trusted advisor to grow business. The Principal FSA is expected to be subject matter expert in multiple families of Enterprise Networking solutions. The Principal FSA is responsible for driving a variety of initiatives and projects, coaches and/or mentors others FSAs; and strategically works with sales, partners and customers to uncover and increase emerging business opportunities. The Principal FSA takes a lead role in defining, developing, and supporting solutions and new technologies; prepares the team to be successful through proactive training, sharing knowledge, and communicating best practices.

Key Areas of Responsibility

• Technology Leadership Acquires deep technical depth in their role; Is the "Go To" person for the Enterprise Networking solutions, both technically and strategically; is on the forefront of their solution(s) and the implications for CDW offerings.

• Performs a lead role in executing the "Go-to-Market" for new offerings.

• Designs technical Enterprise Networking solutions not only considering the customer’s infrastructure but also the business limitations and opportunities; operates comfortably beyond standard approaches to satisfy the needs of all the stakeholders.

• Reviews peer’s designs for quality and accuracy.

• Determines and defines services that complement and/or round out proposed hardware and software engagements, estimates required engineer effort.

• Operates beyond a ‘self’ focus for the benefit of the team and the practice to better CDW’s technology leadership, execution, and overall relevance to our customers; develops standardized templates of deliverables, including the SOW framework, tools, demo lab and scripts, and services calculation (Calc); provides leadership to equip CDW to deliver the solution at a high level of quality.

• Communicates and trains the team on changes in technologies, procedures, solution implementations and approaches.

• Develops training materials for team members to use with CDW audiences.

• Promotes a culture of knowledge sharing and collaboration by organizing knowledge bases, contributing regularly, and encouraging team members to contribute.

• Coaches and mentors team members to improve their technical, consulting, and sales skills.

• Acts as a resource to FSAs for advice and recommendations on technical design issues and product choices.

• Conducts technical assessment and expertise evaluations during the candidate selection process.

• Assist managers with new hire FSAs’, leads shadow assignments; proactively provides assistance and guidance to new hires to accelerate productivity.

• Sales Follows up on implemented solutions and identifies new opportunities that complement the work that was completed.

• Advises team members and sales prior to customer calls and/or sales strategy sessions.

• Assists customer in understanding their equipment maintenance contracts, upgrade needs, and renewals; analyses the most cost-effective approach for the customer (e.g. renew the contract or purchase new equipment and contract.)

• Incorporates financing (through manufacturer or third party) as part of the sales proposal and discussion; looks beyond the current infrastructure/problem toward a three to five year roadmap.

• Articulates to customers the ITS Practice (Integrated Technology Solutions) value proposition to customers, account managers, and partners and uses it to generate additional revenue opportunities to CDW.

• Guides (compares and contrast) customers in their decision making within all tiers of CDW technologies (e.g., Cisco vs. McAfee/Juniper) as well as with external competing Enterprise Networking solutions. Initiates new event ideas; collaborates with