Field Solutions Architects

SUMMARY Responsible for pre-sales technical support of up to four sales reps in a geographical area.  The main objective is to provide technical support to our client’s sales effort by providing thought leadership and performing in the areas of: customer site visits with the sales reps; solution recommendations and design; product presentations; solution configurations and diagrams; and have a general knowledge of the product lines our client sells.  Help to increase sales and improve customer satisfaction by providing professional technical support in the field. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned. Adhere to departmental and company wide policies and procedures. Help to improve communication between sales, the customer, and the technical support team by working more directly with the customers. Work closely with the customer, Senior Solutions Architects, Product Managers and the Product Specialist team to design and architect total solutions. Conduct Solution Agreement Meetings (SAMs) when required/needed. Participate in department and sales team meetings. Develop relationships with customers and vendors to better understand and service the customer's needs. Work closely with sales and sales management to help drive increased revenue in your territory. Be a team player and assist with opportunities and sales reps outside your assigned area when needed. Acquire a minimum of two certifications per year in accordance with the position's road map. Provide accurate and complete technical information to sales and customers in a timely manner. Be proactive with thought leadership and assistance in addressing sales rep and customer issues and concerns. Provide thought leadership in the development of Champion's product and service solutions, as well as the execution of those product and service solutions. Responsible for conducting and documenting the technical discovery for each customer and each deal. Design, present, and sell total solutions. Create a vision of the solutions for the customer. Responsible for customer satisfaction regarding all technical aspects of the account. Maintain a positive work atmosphere by behaving and communicating in a manner conducive to getting along with customers, clients, co-workers, and supervisors. May be asked to assist in special projects as assigned. Have or develop technical skills in your areas of expertise.  These areas include: SANs (Storage Area Networks) based solutions Backup and disaster recovery based solutions (TSM, Veritas, & Legato) p-Series server based solutions (IBM's UNIX systems) (HACMP/Server System X server based solutions (IBM's Intel servers) IBM Storage solutions (DS4000/DS6000/DS8000) NSeries / Netapp product based solutions Software Solutions (Veritas/Tivoli/Microsoft/Doubletake/Others) Solution Services (Implementation/Managed Services)Solution Focus:  IT Simplification  -  Data Management  -  Business Continuity  -  Managed Services  -  Managed Mainenance  QUALIFICATIONS  To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE Associate degree with two additional years related experience or Bachelors degree preferred.  Must have 3-5 years of IT experience (e.g. System Administrator); strong oral and written skills; willing to travel 50+% (depending on geography); good presentation skills; have prior pre-sales technical support experience; IBM product knowledge and experience a real plus.   CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS None required but having certifications is a plus.  IBM or Microsoft (MCSE) certifications are most desirable. Company: TekPartners Professional Staffing Location: Charlotte, NC Status: Full Time, Temporary/Contract/Project Job Category: IT/Software Development Occupations: Computer/Network Security Relevant Work Experience: 2+ to 5 Years Career Level: Experienced (Non-Manager) Education Level: Associate Degree Industry: Staffing/Employment Agencies