Sr. Solutions Architect, Networking (IL, WI, MN)

About the position

At Presidio, we're at the forefront of a global technology revolution, transforming industries through cutting-edge digital solutions and next-generation AI. We empower businesses—and their customers—to achieve more through innovation, automation, and intelligent insights. As a Sr Solutions Architect, you will lead the presales discovery, analysis, architectures, designs, and proposals of relevant solutions that map to customer outcomes and requirements through direct client engagement. A Sr. SA effectively and efficiently leverages presales methodologies, technical acumen, key relationships (clients, internal Presidio stakeholders, and vendor partners), and context analysis (Industry, Customer, Technical, Sales) to position and recommend solutions that deliver long-term value. This position will be based in either the Chicago, IL; Minneapolis, MN; Milwaukee or Madison, WI areas. In this role, you will be expected to travel up to 30% in the Central Region.

Responsibilities

• Understand Customer Current State: Proactively drive discovery and understanding of customer IT current state, goals, outcomes, and initiatives across Business, Technical, Operational, and Financial facets.
• Research industry trends and topics and develop discovery approaches.
• Develop and lead workshops to drive relevant discovery.
• Document and utilize back-office tools to refine the customer's current state to assist the customer's future architectures and roadmaps.
• Technical Opportunity Leadership: Identify customer stakeholders and their success criteria and needs.
• Create and lead technical solution approaches and next steps aligned with customer stakeholders.
• Align, qualify, and coordinate Presidio and vendor partner technical resources as needed.
• Build a relationship to engage management, directors, and C-Level Executives directly.
• Solution Architecture, Design, and Documentation: Analyze and assess client requirements and determine target architecture and design solutions (HW, SW, Licensing, Cloud services, Managed Services, Delivery Services, Consulting, etc.).
• Create and deliver compelling technical proposals directly to clients, including relevant drawings, diagrams, and analysis.
• Understand the opportunity for strategic technical roadmap discussions at all technical levels of the business.
• Technical Excellence & Evangelism: Maintain high technical excellence and evangelism across multiple relevant solution architecture and product areas.
• Lead the curation and delivery of relevant technical knowledge, presentations, and conversations at all client levels and customer-related events.
• Actively participate in technical champion programs and communities.
• Attain certifications when appropriate.
• Learn, discuss, and present new and emerging technical and IT-related topics.
• Account Leadership: Actively participate in client account-related activities that establish the Solution Architect as a trusted advisor internally and with customers, such as account planning, technical profiles, solution summaries, social events, etc.
• Team Engagement and Enable Culture: Engage Presidio team members, participate in team activities, and contribute to collaboration tools to drive an open, positive, inclusive, resilient, change-oriented team culture.
• Be a steward of the PRESIDIO CULTURE—teamwork, Execution Excellence, Integrity, and Forward-Thinking.
• Partner Relationships: Develop working relationships with vendor partner teams and peers.
• Contribute to and drive the execution of relevant partner vendor GTM strategies.
• Be familiar with partner tools, sizers, and training opportunities.
• Continuous Improvement & Innovation: Actively execute enablement plans and career development activities.
• Seek and collaborate with colleagues and leaders on improvements to presales processes and GTM.
• Enable and Cultivate Others: Contribute to the success of others in sales and presales.
• Actively mentor and enable others.
• Share methods, content, best practices, and lessons learned with others.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience and/or military experience.
• 7+ years of working experience in systems engineering and/or solution architecture.
• An understanding & knowledge of common IT and Cloud Operating Models, Enterprise Frameworks, and practices, i.e., Open System Interconnection (OSI), Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), etc.
• Expert-level knowledge and experience with the design, implementation, and support of one or more of the following: Cisco switching and routing on Catalyst switches, Nexus switches, ISR Routers, ASR Routers, and Industrial Ethernet series switches.
• Cisco Wireless Controllers and access points.
• Meraki switches and access points.
• Security platforms to include Palo Alto, Cisco FTD, Meraki MX, and Fortinet.
• NAC platforms such as Cisco ISE or Aruba ClearPass.
• Cloud Platform connectivity: AWS DirectConnect, Azure ExpressRoute, Google Connect.
• Management Platforms such as Cisco DNA Center, Prime, Aruba Cloud Central, or Solarwinds.
• Architectures such as SDA (Software Defined Access).
• Effective presentations and verbal skills across various platforms.

Nice-to-haves

• Knowledge and experience with design, implementation and/or support of one or more of the following: Data Center connectivity, such as VPC, LACP.
• Security, Compliance & Governance frameworks, and tools.
• Authentication / Authorization, Directory services.
• Industry certifications with Cisco, Palo Alto, Juniper, AWS, etc.
• Aruba Switching on CX series switches, wireless controllers, and access points.
• Arista switches and access points.
• Experience with Cisco Commerce tools such as CCW.
• Presales experience with a strong bias for action.
• Program management or project management experience.
• Experience driving complex multi-disciplinary IT projects.
• Experience and/or ability to prepare RFP/RFI response, proposals, and solutions.
• Demonstrated comfort leading CIO/CTO-level presentations, solution demonstrations and whiteboard sessions.
• Experience with reviewing and/or writing statements of work (SOW) and Bill of Material (BoM) for various types of projects in support of network, wireless, and security.