Pre Sales Architect

Job description

Company Description Version 1 has celebrated 30 years in business and continues to be trusted by global brands to deliver technology and transformation solutions that drive customer success. Our deep expertise enables our customers to navigate the rapidly evolving technology landscape. We foster strong partnerships with global technology leaders including Microsoft, AWS, Oracle, Red Hat, OutSystems, Snowflake, ensuring that our customers are provided with the highest quality solutions and services.  We’re an award-winning employer reflecting how our employees are at the very heart of what we do: UK & Ireland's premier AWS, Microsoft & Oracle partner 3300+ strong, €350/£300m revenue business 10+ years as a Great Place to Work in Ireland & UK Best Workplace for Women in the UK & Ireland by GPTW Best Workplace for Wellbeing in the UK by GPTW We’re a core values driven company, we hire people who share our values, and we reward those who display and foster them, it’s deeply embedded within our DNA. Invest in us and we’ll invest in you!. Job Description Pre Sales Architect Role Profile and Job Description The Pre Sales Architect will play a pivotal role in shaping and defining managed service solutions for new and existing customers across private and public sector markets. This role will suit an individual with broad experience across multiple service towers commonly delivered within a managed service contract, combined with deep subject matter expertise in one or more tower areas. The successful candidate will be able to operate both as a tower specialist and as an overall Solution Owner, taking an end-to-end cross tower view to ensure that solutions are robust, deliverable, commercially viable, and aligned to customer objectives. Working closely with commercial, sales, technical, and delivery teams, the Pre Sales Architect will identify, qualify, and shape complex multi tower managed service opportunities. Acting as Solution Owner on strategic pursuits, the role will bring together tower leads and specialist contributors to create integrated solutions that stack up operationally, technically, and commercially. These service towers may include Service Desk, ServiceNow, Application Support, Cloud Support across Azure, AWS and OCI, Service Management and Governance, ITIL Service Design, Security Operations, End User Compute, and other related managed services. The successful candidate will be expected to bring credibility across this broad landscape while applying deeper expertise in one or more of these areas. This is a senior, client-facing role requiring significant industry experience, strong communication skills, and the ability to lead virtual teams through the full solution lifecycle. The Pre Sales Architect will provide leadership across commercial, pre-sales, finance, and delivery functions to develop winning propositions that balance customer outcomes, delivery practicality, risk, and profitability. The role demands credibility with senior customer stakeholders and the ability to translate complex service and technical concepts into clear, compelling propositions. The Pre Sales Architect will have experience of complex bidding environments and formal procurement processes and will contribute across the full sales lifecycle, from early qualification and customer discovery through solution development, governance, pricing, contract negotiation, transition, and into steady state service delivery. This role will also support the continuous enhancement of the managed services portfolio by identifying opportunities to improve service innovation, competitiveness, and customer value. The Pre Sales Architect should also be able to provide input and advice as to how we enhance and improve the Managed Service offering that Version 1 provides, focussing on technical and service innovations. The aim being to develop our offering, so that it provides real business value to our customers and therefore becomes a more compelling proposition to them. Key Responsibilities The Pre Sales Architect will lead the development of integrated managed service solutions and will be accountable for ensuring that proposed services are aligned to customer requirements, operationally deliverable, and commercially sound. Key responsibilities will include: Act as Solution Owner for complex multi tower managed service opportunities, providing overall leadership, direction, and integration across service tower workstreams. Work with sales and account teams to qualify opportunities, shape solution strategy, and position managed service propositions effectively with customers. Lead solution development activities across technical, service, commercial, and delivery stakeholders to produce coherent, competitive, and deliverable solutions. Provide design authority and governance across tower leads and specialist contributors, ensuring consistency of approach, alignment to standards, and solution quality. Support the development of commercial models, resource profiles, assumptions, and pricing inputs to ensure solutions are both competitive and financially robust. Contribute to the production of customer-facing proposal content, presentations, workshops, and responses to RFI, RFP, and ITT processes. Build strong relationships with senior customer stakeholders and internal teams, acting as a trusted advisor throughout the sales and mobilisation lifecycle. Identify opportunities to strengthen and evolve the managed services portfolio through innovation, service improvement, and market-led insight. Qualifications Skills and Experience The successful candidate will bring broad managed services experience, including at least five years in a pre-sales, solution architecture, or service design role, together with a proven track record of shaping and winning complex multi tower opportunities. They will be comfortable operating across both strategic and detailed solution discussions and will be able to combine technical understanding, service design thinking, and commercial awareness. The role requires an individual who can work confidently with customers, sales teams, delivery stakeholders, and finance colleagues while maintaining ownership of the overall solution. Demonstrable experience in a pre-sales, solution architecture, or service design role within a managed services environment. Broad understanding of service towers typically delivered within managed service contracts, with deep expertise in one or more tower areas. Experience of acting as Solution Owner on complex opportunities, taking cross tower accountability for solution coherence, delivery viability, and commercial alignment. Adept at using AI and large language models to support the end to end Pre Sales lifecycle Strong commercial awareness, including experience of solution costing, pricing inputs, commercial risk assessment, and pricing to win considerations. Experience of supporting formal bid and procurement responses, including RFI, RFP, and ITT submissions. Strong stakeholder management, communication, and presentation skills, with the ability to engage confidently with both technical and executive audiences. Ability to lead virtual and cross functional teams, coordinate specialist inputs, and drive solutions through to a successful conclusion. Additional Information Why Version 1?  At Version 1, we believe in providing our employees with a comprehensive benefits package that prioritises their wellbeing, professional growth, and financial stability. Share in our success with our Quarterly Performance-Related Profit Share Scheme, where employees collectively benefit from a share of our company's profits Strong Career Progression & mentorship coaching through our Strength in Balance & Leadership schemes with a dedicated quarterly Pathways Career Development programme Flexible/remote working, Version 1 is tremendously understanding of life events and people’s individual circumstances and offer flexibility to help achieve a healthy work life balance Financial Wellbeing initiatives including; Pension, Private Healthcare Cover, Life Assurance, Financial advice and an Employee Discount scheme Employee Wellbeing schemes including Gym Discounts, Bike to Work, Fitness classes, Mindfulness Workshops, Employee Assistance Programme and much more. Generous holiday allowance, enhanced maternity/paternity leave, marriage/civil partnership leave and special leave policies Educational assistance, incentivised certifications, and accreditations, including AWS, Microsoft, Oracle, and Red Hat Reward schemes including Version 1’s Annual Excellence Awards & ‘Call-Out’ platform. Environment, Social and Community First initiatives allow you to get involved in local fundraising and development opportunities as part of fostering our diversity, inclusion and belonging schemes. And many more exciting benefits… drop us a note to find out more.   Version 1 is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to building a diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace where everyone feels valued and able to thrive. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities and lived experiences, and we value the different perspectives people bring. We want every candidate to have a positive and accessible recruitment experience. If you need reasonable adjustments at any stage of the process, please contact [recruiter email address] at Version 1. We will consider all requests carefully, respectfully and confidentially. Version 1 is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to building a diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace where everyone feels valued and able to thrive. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities and lived experiences, and we value the different perspectives people bring including those shaped by disability and neurodiversity. We want every candidate to have a positive and accessible recruitment experience. If you need reasonable adjustments at any stage of the process, please contact your recruiter at Version 1. We will consider all requests carefully, respectfully and confidentially. Video links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_d3ELTH5zo