Senior Director, Solutions Architecture/Engineering (Remote: USA)

Cologix•Columbus, OH

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Cologix is seeking a Senior Director to lead the Solutions Architecture/Engineering (SASE) team. This role involves supporting Cologixâ€™ sales team by providing colocation/networking expertise and pre-sales technical support to prospects, customers, and partners across the North American Platform. The position offers a direct growth path into Vice President, SASE. The Sr. Director will lead a team of engineers and technicians, offering both technical guidance and managerial oversight to foster team growth. Key responsibilities include educating customers of all sizes on Cologix's value proposition and engaging in deep technical discussions to ensure successful solution deployments. The Sr. Director will be proficient in all Cologix product lines and colocation/networking environments, managing a demanding schedule focused on technical and pre-sales goals. A high-level understanding of cloud services networking environments (private/public/hybrid) is required to define customer requirements and translate them into Cologix technical solutions. The role acts as a technical advisor/consultant, architecting creative and complex co-location and IT/cloud/networking solutions. It demands broad knowledge of critical facilities (electrical, mechanical, low voltage systems) and high-performing infrastructure, as well as an understanding of lower OSI model levels. The Sr. Director must articulate solutions to both technical and non-technical audiences and provide technical leadership and mentoring to internal groups and executives. This position supports Cologix's North American platform (US and Canada) and requires approximately 30% travel, with a primary focus on the eastern US market. Travel to customer IT/engineering groups for on-site meetings is also expected.

Requirements

Broad knowledge of Internet technologies including servers, networking equipment and storage design solutions for colocation, hosting and cloud.
Broad knowledge of AI systems and AI system architecture.
Broad knowledge of critical facilities including an understanding of electrical / generation and mechanical systems.
Broad knowledge of data center telecom cabling standards.
15 - 20+ years of technical experience â€“ colocation/hosting/cloud companies, either operations or technical sales position.
Effective solutions sales capabilities, demonstrating advanced solution selling abilities and effective, proactive customer communications including proposal development, delivery.
Managerial/team leading experience, with proven ability to mentor staff and grow internally.
Detailed knowledge of hosting technologies.
Attention to detail with excellent organizational capabilities to manage multiple concurrent projects.
Experience understanding RFP/RFI/RFQ formats and responses.
Ability to comprehend, analyze, and interpret complex project documents and interpret for all audiences.
Hands-on approach and understanding of the project, customer, and internal team needs and capabilities to balance level of involvement to ensure customer and Cologix success.
Ability to combine technical elements with business needs and business requirements of clients.
Collaborative approach with internal stakeholders is critical.
Understand the impact of infrastructure technology on business challenges, processes and efficiency.
Confident, articulate and comfortable driving a conversation or presentation.
Able to manage high-level activity.
Ability to work independently and consistently achieve results.
Knowledgeable in, and support, all of Cologixâ€™ product lines.
Proficient in colocation/networking environments.
High-level understanding of the cloud services networking environments (private/public/hybrid) to define customer requirements and translate those requirements into Cologix technical solutions.
Broad range of knowledge and understanding of critical facilities (electrical, mechanical, and low voltage systems) and high performing infrastructure.
Understanding of lower levels of the OSI model.
Able to articulate solutions to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Nice To Haves

CDCP / CDFOS / CNCDP or equivalent knowledge/experience
CCNA/CCNP Cloud or equivalent knowledge/experience
AWS / Google / Microsoft cloud certification knowledge/experience

Responsibilities

Lead the Solutions Architecture/Engineering (SASE) team.
Support Cologixâ€™ sales team in developing and closing sales by providing colocation/networking expertise and pre-sales technical support for prospects, customers and partners.
Lead a team of engineers and technicians in support of the customers to develop designs specifically tailored to the individual customer.
Provide both technical guidance to the SASE team as well as managerial oversight and promote growth within the team.
Educate customers of all sizes, from retail to hyperscale, on the value proposition of Cologix.
Participate in deep technical discussions to ensure solutions are designed for successful deployment.
Support all of Cologixâ€™ product lines.
Manage a demanding schedule among a wide variety of technical and pre-sales goals.
Act as a technical advisor/consultant for Cologixâ€™ customers and the Cologixâ€™ sales team.
Architect creative and complex co-location and IT/cloud/networking solutions for customers.
Provide technical leadership and mentoring to other internal groups, executives and thought leaders within the organization.
Assess current operations, identify design flaws, and build consensus on proposed solutions and plans of action.
Focus ambiguous customer needs into specific, deliverable requirements.
Extract hidden or unrealized customer requirements and gain consensus with the prospect.
Independently develop relationships and communicate with high-level internal and external technical staff.
Design and present highly technical concepts and specific solutions to internal and external audiences of varying technical capabilities in a clear, concise and easily understood manner.
Influence cross functional departments to gain alignment and to drive design solutions with the appropriate organizations.
Become highly involved in establishing/updating the deal process across all involved functions (SASE, sales, finance, operations, legal, procurement, etc.).