Solutions Architect - Service Provider (Req#1318)

Overview

Candidates must be geographically located within the Northeast region of the United States (Preferred Location: Boston, MA).

The Service Provider Group (SPG) is seeking a highly skilled and motivated Solutions Architect to support telecommunications customers across the Northeast. This individual will serve as a trusted technical advisor to service providers, including telcos, cable operators, consortiums, electrical cooperatives, and municipalities. The ideal candidate will possess deep technical expertise in high-end routing and optical networking, with a strong focus on next-generation MPLS and optical transport architectures.

Key technologies include Segment Routing (SR-MPLS), Ethernet VPN (EVPN), Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM), and Reconfigurable Optical Add-Drop Multiplexers (ROADMs).

The Solutions Architect will be 1:1 aligned with a dedicated Account Executive, working together to engage customers, assess their current network environments, and define future-state designs. Responsibilities include customer presentations, onsite whiteboarding sessions, OEM and platform selection, BOM creation, and drafting Statements of Work (SOWs) for professional services engagements.

This is a high-impact, customer-facing pre-sales role that blends deep technical guidance with strategic engagement to support and close complex, high-value business opportunities.

Your Impact

• Provide technical expertise and credibility to the account team on designated focus areas
• Conduct customer presentations on value proposition and technical solution sets for assigned accounts
• Assist sales account managers with account planning related to hardware, software, and services opportunities
• Assist with project management for complex presales engagements
• Complete technical sections for RFP/RFI/RFQ responses
• Collect customer business and technical requirements and determine recommended solutions
• Develop solution architecture and detailed line-item configurations and bills of material (BOMs)
• Develop proposals and presentations of recommended solutions
• Assist with technical scoping and review for Statements of Work (SOWs)
• Act as liaison to customer technical staff regarding solution and implementation specifics
• Act as liaison between sales and professional services teams to vet solution recommendations and complete technical SOW sections
• Act as technical liaison with field OEM sales and technical teams
• Mentor junior sales account managers on opportunity management and technical solution sets
• Conduct knowledge transfer sessions on solution updates and implementation lessons learned
• Support resolution of customer satisfaction issues related to technical solutions and deployments
• Assist in developing customer recovery plans when needed
• Identify candidate solution areas for development or investment
• Complete required training and maintain relevant certifications
• Assist with improving procedures and functions
• Ensure coverage for in-process opportunities when out of office
• Participate in weekly team planning calls
• Complete administrative tasks such as expenses and time reporting in a timely manner
• Travel up to 50% as required

Qualifications

Technical Expertise

• Extensive hands-on experience with high-end routing platforms such as Cisco ASR 9000/1000, NCS 5500; Juniper MX, PTX, ACX; Nokia 7750 SR, 7950 XRS, 7250 IXR; or Ciena SAOS
• Strong background in optical networking technologies: DWDM, OTN, ROADMs
• Deep protocol-level knowledge: BGP, MPLS, IS-IS, OSPF, EVPN
• Proven ability to integrate routing and optical technologies into cohesive network solutions
• Experience designing and deploying large-scale service provider networks

Pre-Sales Background

• Direct involvement in OEM and platform selection
• Experience developing Statements of Work (SOWs)
• Experience working in 1:1 alignment with an Account Executive

Professional Experience

• Technical proposal development
• Solution presentations and product demonstrations
• Response to RFPs and RFIs
• Minimum 5+ years in telecommunications or service provider engineering roles
• College degree or applicable work experience
• Certifications in applicable technology preferred
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Strong attention to detail

Position Specifics

The initial base salary range for this position is expected to be between $110,000 and $150,000 annually. The final base salary offered will be determined by multiple factors, including job-related knowledge, depth of experience, skills, certifications, and geographic location. In addition to the base salary, compensation may include commissions and discretionary bonuses.

A full range of medical, financial, and other benefits are offered, including 401(k) eligibility, employee stock purchase program, and paid time off such as vacation, sick time, and personal leave, dependent on the position offered. Details will be provided if an offer of employment is extended. If hired, the employee will be in an at-will position.

Physical Requirements

While performing this role, you will engage in both seated and occasional standing or walking activities. Reasonable accommodations are provided in accordance with relevant laws to support success in this position.