Principal Solution Architect IBM Power

Principal Solution Architect IBM Power at CDW

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.

Job Summary

The Principal Solution Architect IBM Power designs pre-sales IBM Power system solutions, partnering with sales teams to strategize and analyze customer and market needs. The Principal Solution Architect IBM Power builds strong relationships with Sales Management and is trusted for IBM Power system growth. This role requires expertise across several solution areas, leading initiatives, mentoring other Solution Architects, and collaborating with sales, partners, and customers to drive new IBM Power opportunities. The Principal Solution Architect IBM Power also helps define and support technologies, delivering training and sharing best practices to prepare teams for success.

What You’ll Do

Technology Leadership

• Acquires deep technical depth in IBM Power system; Is the "Go To" person for the solution, 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 IBM Power system offerings.
• Designs technical 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 Solution Architects 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 Solution Architects, 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; look 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.
• Initiates new event ideas; collaborates with Partners and Sales to design events that can be replicated by other Solution Architects secures funding to support CDW customer events.
• Delivers presentations and conducts sales conversations with confidence and credibility to C-level clients, both in small meeting and large group formats.
• Develops presentation content for the team
• Delivers presentations and conducts sales conversations with confidence and credibility to C-level clients, both in small meeting and large group formats.
• Develops assessment improvements and demos for Solution Architects to use as sales tools, identify new ideas for cross-sell opportunities, teaches Solution Architects in Sales on how to use these tools.
• Collaborates with Partners, Solution Architects, 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 (SAs, AE, Sales Manager, Field Sales); understands partner alignment in geography and leads customer opportunity mapping exercises; coordinates on-site partner visits.

What We Expect Of You

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience
• Seven-year minimum technical pre-sales or technical architecting experience
• Knowledge of IBM Power systems AIX and or Iseries
• Ability to size and configure IBM Power systems and storage solutions in IBM eConfig tool.
• Experience with IBM Storage solutions including Flash Systems and DS8K
• Understand sizing of IBM Storage solutions including capacity and performance
• Experience with storage networking and solution from both Cisco and Broadcom
• Ability to scope and manage statements of work.
• Strong interpersonal and presentation skills, including consulting skills
• 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

Key skills/competency

• IBM Power Systems
• Pre-sales Solutions
• Technical Leadership
• Client Engagement
• Mentoring
• Go-to-Market Strategy
• IBM Storage
• SOW Management
• AIX / iSeries
• Solution Design