Cloud Solution Architect

Job Description

Cloud Solution ArchitectPerfect Image was launched all the way back in 1991. From day one we have delivered intelligent solutions to positively impact every department of our customers’ organisations from the ground up: from infrastructure, to applications, to analytics.Now, the Perfect Image team is made up of over 100 passionate and talented experts.We turn business needs into technical solutions to empower your team and grow your business. Whenever you have a problem, need or question – we’re here for you.Position: Cloud Solution ArchitectLocation: Newcastle, Tyne & Wear or Home BasedJob type: Full Time, PermanentSalary: Competitive dependent on experienceBenefits: 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, occupational sick scheme, company pension scheme, career progression plan, cycle to work scheme.About the role:This role sits within the Solution Architecture team, with a primary focus on recommending and designing public cloud and modern workplace solutions. This post holder will need to have their finger on the pulse when it comes to the fast-moving world of public cloud technology. You will be working closely with our sales teams, partners and vendors to ensure that the best technical solutions are proposed to our customers. You will be involved in the early stages of cloud conversations with our customers, lead consultancy exercises and act as a gateway to ensure that the solution is transitioned successfully into our delivery teams. Reporting to the Head of Solution Architecture, you will assist our sales teams and solution architects from other disciplines construct suitable, cloud first, solutions.Fundamental to the role is the ability to offer exceptional customer service, through excellent written, oral and organisational skills, whilst delivering accurate technical architecture. It is critical you manage your own time and workload to prioritise the demands around driving new business, whilst ensuring the best possible service for our existing client base. You will be technically minded, a team player and have strong experience around designing and delivering public cloud offerings. There will also be a need to visit customer sites, therefore excellent interpersonal skills are also required.In this role you’ll have the freedom to explore and provide the best solutions for our clients and, in turn, develop your technical skills by supporting some challenging and interesting products and technologies. We will offer you the ability to grow and progress within the company which will open up career opportunities to you.Responsibilities:- Take on technical responsibility for pre-sales in new business opportunities and significant existing business opportunities.- Attend vendor, marketing and industry events as a technical expert.- Support marketing and lead generation through the creation and delivery of marketing content.- Work with clients at all levels to shape priorities and determine resultant requirements for an end-to-end solution.- Document business and system requirements to the required level of detail and in an appropriate format.- Support applicable technologies and have an appropriate understanding of other Perfect Image supported hardware/software.- Provide an escalation function, assisting support and delivery departments in resolving complex customer enquiries.- Provide clear and documented handover of architected solutions or consultancy outputs into delivery teams.- Provide an escalation delivery function when capacity or skills are needed.- Keep abreast of changes and opportunities in the technology market.- Train and enable delivery and sales teams in appropriate technologies.- Provide and deliver training content for both internal employees and clients.About you:- Proven knowledge of solution architecture with a minimum of 4 years’ commercial experience in an IT environment whilst working in a cloud or Infrastructure based role, for example with Azure, Microsoft 365 or AWS.- A good level of IT and business knowledge and an ability to express this knowledge in terms appropriate to the audience which includes client senior executives, IT managers and end-users.- Lead technical workshops to understand the requirements of our clients and shape these into system requirements.- Ability to build strong relationships with clients, supporting income generation and securing repeat business.- Proven ability to deliver, manage and monitor results.- Willingness to travel to remote client sites as required.- It would be an advantage to possess a full UK driving licence and have suitable transport.Further knowledge in the following areas would be advantageous:- Azure SQL (PaaS), Azure Site Recovery (ASR), Azure Automation and WebApps.- Some understanding of AWS Services such as Elastic Beanstalk, Lambda, CloudFormation, CloudWatch, ElastiCache clusters and RDS.- Site-to-Site VPN configuration from on-prem hardware firewalls to AWS or Azure VPN.- ITIL Practices and understanding of change control.- Knowledge of networking topologies including switching, VLAN’s, routing and remote access and various switching layers.- Any experience with cloud backup solutions (e.g. Cloudberry, Azure Backup, Cloud Endure).You may have experience of the following: Solution Architect, Enterprise Solution Architect, Solution Design, Application Solutions, IT Architecture, Senior Solution Architect, Cloud Architect, Cloud Infrastructure, Cloud Engineer, AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, etc.Ref: 95372