To actively provide technical leadership and architecture solutions to help the sales department benefit both the customer and the company, with particular depth in OT industrial networks and wireless connectivity. The Solution Architect supports the sales team by providing the "technical close" of the deal, where required, to provide a solution meeting the customer's requirements. Collaborates with sales, services, operations, and technical support resources to ensure that proposed deals include technical solutions that accurately address customer needs and are supported accordingly by key customer technical decision makers.

Role reporting

Technical Manager

A typical day may include

• Proactively scopes the technical solution required to address customer requirements, with a strong focus on OT industrial, networks, wireless connectivity and recommends solutions that optimise value for both the customer and the company.
• Secures input from all necessary solution stakeholders within the business and customer firm
• Adapts solutions, as necessary, to ensure appropriate support
• Coordinates closely with Sales, Operations and Service resources to align the solution design with the customer's business requirements.
• Secures commitments from customer technical staff needed to ensure a deal's "technical close".
• Responsible for conducting site visits and surveys, engineering and documenting solution designs (including OT routing, switching, wireless and RF design, network integration and firewall or security architecture), and writing technical papers, case studies, technical reviews and product comparisons.
• Provide coaching and professional development to team members and sales associates to enhance their product knowledge, technical acumen, and technical sales skills.
• Deliver product management support for key products of the company
• Support the sales team with presentations, demos, and product information, gathering technical information from manufacturers and technical writing.
• Establish whether any other opportunities could potentially add to the company's product portfolio, meeting any other requirements the customer may have
• Monitor customer support for technical solutions proposed throughout the sales process and alert the sales and account teams to potential risks of deal closure
• Provide pre- and post-sales support to clients, operations, and services which will include on-site commissioning activities from time to time and not limited to.
• Help design custom-made solutions and products, including wireless and wired OT industrial networks that integrate routing, switching and the customer's existing systems.
• Helps answer RFIs/RFQs/RFPs and Tenders with the key account executives and sales manager
• Participate in conferences, shows and exhibitions when appropriate and requested

Qualifications we look for

Essential Qualifications:

• Matric Certificate
• National Diploma or BTech Degree in Telecommunications and/or Information Technology
• Certifications in broad- and narrowband wireless technologies and in industrial routing and switching (for example CCNA or equivalent); skilled in various OT disciplines that support thinking in architecting critical industrial communication solutions that combine wireless and wired networks, with a working knowledge of firewalls and network security.

Preferred Qualifications:

BTech Degree in Telecommunications and/or Information Technology, supported by advanced or vendor-specific certification in wireless technologies, industrial networking and network security

Experience we look for

• Function-related experience: 5 years (experience with the latest next-generation wireless technologies and RF, and with designing and configuring OT industrial routing and switching integrated with those wireless networks)
• Network integration experience: integrating OT industrial networks with IT, wireless connectivity (such as RF, broadband and narrowband links) and operational systems, with a basic understanding of firewalls and network segmentation.
• Leading teams: 2-3 years (desirable; the role is primarily hands-on and expected to operate independently with minimal guidance)
• Project experience: 2-3 years
• Other experience: min 3-5 years in Telecommunications and/or Information Technology
• Other experience: Microsoft Office, Visio, Projects, OEM Planning Tools (Ekahau, Tamograph, etc.)
• Other experience: min 5 years in a similar technical role and/or business environment

How the role raises the bar

• Self-starter who takes ownership, sets own priorities and delivers quality work independently, with minimal guidance or external motivation.
• The anticipation of implications and consequences of comfortably making good decisions in a changing environment with fragmented information, in little time, with few or no precedents on how it was solved before
• The capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness
• Naturally curious: investigates how systems, protocols, wireless links and equipment actually work, and keeps learning independently to stay ahead of new technology.
• Introduces new ideas that support the creation and development of new products, services, methods and procedures
• Demonstrates adaptability and works effectively in various situations with multiple people. Understands and appreciates different and opposing perspectives and adapts approaches according to situational requirements
• Thinks strategically about the range of the market, business, and/or scientific issues likely to affect the outcomes of the business. Takes a long-term view, thinks on a broad canvas and entertains wide-ranging possibilities in developing a vision for the future of the organisation
• A level of performance that uses the least number of resources to achieve the highest level of output
• Ability to recognise which results are significant – and what steps need to be taken to achieve them
• Solves challenging problems through intuition and analytical thinking
• Ability to work together in a group, combine strengths, negate weaknesses and contribute expertise to accomplish a shared objective
• The ability to influence others to your way of thinking without force or coercion
• Leads and manages an inclusive workplace that maximises the talents of each person to achieve the vision and mission of the organisation
• Show true understanding of your thoughts, feelings and emotions and those of others to be able to build and maintain healthy relationships
• Build relationships with and deliver services to both internal and external customers with a focus on their needs
• Delegates responsibility to others and coaches’ people to develop their capabilities and equips them with the necessary resources for this development