Solution Architect (Pre-Sales)

About Us

Always open. Our code, our culture, our opportunities. Leading open innovation without limits. We are SUSE.

SUSE is a global leader in innovative, reliable and secure enterprise-grade open source solutions, relied upon by more than 60% of the Fortune 500 to power their mission-critical workloads. We specialize in Business-critical Linux, Enterprise Container Management and Edge solutions, and collaborate with partners and communities to empower our customers to innovate everywhere - from the data center, to the cloud, to the edge and beyond. SUSE employs more than 2,400 people globally, in 32 countries and is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (DAX).

We are open in our roots and open in our approach, striving to be the most trusted open innovator in the World. Openness extends beyond our technology. Our vibrant community thrives on diversity and connectivity without borders.

• Gathers and assesses customer needs, both business and technical.
• Identifies related needs (lead generation, opportunity expansion).
• Identifies site-specific parameters and constraints that impact the solution.
• Identifies required project steps.
• Identifies likely problem areas that require attention.
• Identifies probable competition and product roll-out data/training needs.

• Architects an appropriate technical solution to meet the customer's requirements.
• Investigates and optimizes a solution's fit to the requirements of an opportunity.
• Adapts solution design to new requirements.
• Establishes the validity of a solution and its components.
• Identifies the growth path and scalability options of a solution and includes these in design activities.
• Generates an implementation plan with timelines for the solution.
• Creates the appropriate test plan as required.
• Anticipates some of the potential challenges for the proposed project plan.
• Assesses likely competitive threats.
• Assists with requests for expertise from peers.

• Maintains excellent communications with customer management.
• Represents the company as a technical expert with customers; shares knowledge in area of expertise.
• Advances opportunities through the use of effective consultative selling techniques.
• Builds customer loyalty through being a trusted advisor.
• Partners effectively with others in the account to ensure problem resolution and customer satisfaction.
• Communicates and articulates the details of their component roles in a proposed customer solution.

• Actively supports the account team with solution advice, proposals, presentations, and other customer communications.
• Transfers knowledge to Presales peers via contributing participation in education programs.
• Identifies overlooked opportunities within the account.
• Analyzes and provides support to deals in the pipeline where needed.
• Facilitates smooth transition from sales to implementation by orienting the appropriate teams to the solution design.
• Understands the roles and effectively engages other teams and resources within the company and partners.

• Technical University or bachelor's degree preferred.
• 5+ years' experience in technical selling and/or consultative selling.
• Experience in industry desired.
• Technical and/or solution experience in vertical industry preferred.

• Demonstrates a solid knowledge of the company's breadth of solutions.
• Demonstrates deep technical capabilities in assigned area of specialization
• Awareness in competitive solutions knowledge.
• Understands data business center components and how IT is used to address business needs.
• Demonstrates current understanding of technical innovations & trends and their impact on solving customer business problems.
• Demonstrated ability to work as the lead for components of large complex projects.
• Has a high level understanding of the company product roadmaps for multiple BU's.
• Has demonstrated hands-on level skills with some of the technology.

• Understands and applies basic financial and accounting concepts as well as capital investment concepts and applies them appropriately in positioning proposed solutions.
• Applies understanding of the customer's value chain and business requirements when designing and proposing solutions.
• Communicates the value of the solution in terms of financial return and impact on customer business goals Industry acumen.
• Solid level of industry acumen; keeps current with trends and able to converse with client on issues and challenges.

• Demonstrates solid questioning techniques and related communications skills with customer managers.
• Demonstrates understanding of the competition as well as good positioning & strategy.

• Growth mind set.
• Tenacity and motivation to succeed.
• Challenge the status quo

• We are passionate about customers
• We are respectful and inclusive
• We are empowered and accountable
• We are trustworthy and act with integrity
• We are collaborative
• We are SUSE!