Solutions Architect - JHB at Gilbarco Veeder Root

PURPOSE OF POSITION

The Solutions Architect is a pre-sales role and is responsible for providing technical solutions to new & existing mining and commercial customers. These technical solutions will span the entire value-chain from in-field architecture to DDS final product suite, which includes advanced analytics product offerings. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced industry professional with strong core technical skills and architecture understanding to join and add value to a highly driven team. Responsible for actively driving and managing the pre-sales process with customers, the Solutions Architect must be able to articulate the company’s technology and product portfolio, positioning to both business and technical users. Primarily engaged in a Pre-sales role, the solutions architect will provide any technical assistance and guidance during the pre-sales process by identifying customers technical and business requirements, prior to designing a solution, consulting with technical teams about capabilities, and supporting business sales teams, account managers and partners on proposal activities.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Draft and review project definition report (own the technical portion of PDR in particular)
• Ensure scope of work ties in with customer requirements and can articulate technical and/or business information to relevant internal and external clients. This includes change of scope updates.
• Internal product training of business unit and assist relevant sales teams with technical knowledge, and ensure the technical close in engagements.
• Obtain and approve quotes from sub-contractor.
• Product and solution costing
• Conduct final audits on completed installations.
• Responsible for change of scope
• Support sales on customer engagements
• Preparing CVP’s (fit for purpose solution)
• Troubleshooting and support of existing installations / sites / vehicles
• Represent Mining and C&I interests in PPG sessions.
• Develop and deploy a communications strategy that will enable efficient and effective communication protocols from and to internal and external clients to, amongst other outcomes, provide timeous and effective feedback on requests or proposals.
• Collaborate with clients to ensure comprehensive and accurate understanding of their requirement and devise effective resolutions through innovative solutions architecture.
• High Calibre presentation skills, to convey architected solutions/proposals to all client levels including C-Suite clientele.
• Ability to influence at a C-Suite level.
• Adhere to good governance, risk and compliance within the within the broader Gilbarco AFS governance standards.
• Contribute to Pre-sales strategies to improve on Gilbarco AFS’ solutions capabilities.
• Interact with the relevant Gilbarco AFS functional unit to expedite work output.
• Partake in Bi-annual performance appraisals.  Discuss development plans with manager and structure work in such a way that it enables for business continuity within the team by removing key person dependencies and fosters a culture of cross-skilling and knowledge sharing.
• Responsible for training sales and technical staff on products on a quarterly basis

DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY

• As per the Delegating of Authority (DOA), installation audit, stop/start projects based on quality

POSITION RELATIONSHIPS

Internal           

• Sales
• KAM
• Installations
• Finance
• Ops
• DDS
• Engineering       

External

• Sub-contractors
• Clients

MEASURES OF PERFORMANCE (INDICATORS)

Leading Indicators

• Maximise margins variance actual vs final costing.

Lagging Indicators

• Less than 3% of scope variation (i.e. minimise having to rework scope due to errors)
• HSSE NM/PI targets met

PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE 

Education/achievements   

• Chemical engineering with project management skills    
• Knowledge of CAD and/other
• Business Degree

Experience/Knowledge        

• Comes predominantly from the fuel industry and experience in an area with delivery, storage, dispensing  where there's a tank farm.
• A minimum of 5 years of progressive responsible experience in a directly related area, during which technical analysis rapport has been established as a professional.
• Demonstrated Experience in Influencing and directing conversations with others through storyboard telling
• Experience in Navigating known-unknowns as well as unknown-unknowns in a data trend/relationship
• Understanding end to end requirements including product maintenance, reporting requirements etc.
• Understanding the link between their role and the sales role and deep appreciation of how the role impacts the business meeting sales targets         
•   Demonstrated experience in client engagement to elicit requirements and build a solution based on an initial vague or ambiguous requirement
• Regulatory
• Product & solution knowledge (in-depth)
• Extensive experience in the Data, Analysis, Business Intelligence (Analysis and developer) space as Data professional

Specific Skills

•  Extensive Knowledge in advanced data products
• Extensive Experience in in-field technologies and solutions
• Experience in Cloud technologies
• Visio skills
• Analytical skills
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Innovator
• Ability to aggregate different technology platforms.
• Problem solver
• Displays discipline and logic.
• Uncovers and clearly articulates the problem that needs to be solved.
• Maturity
• Is committed to excellence and understands how daily work impacts the customer.
• Highly organized and task and deadline oriented displaying intense sense of urgency.
• Dedicated to exceeding customer expectations.
• High problem-solving aptitude  
• Strong customer facing interaction.
• Travel and flexibility
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Demonstrate humility and self-awareness.

Potential Skills  

• Commercialisation: ability to monetize solutions              
•  Commercialisation: ability to monetize solutions as well as create new product suites based on current trends

ROLE SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES & BEHAVIOURS

Competency     

Customer Driven             

• Gains insight into customer needs.
• Identifies opportunities that benefit the customer.
• Builds and delivers solution that meet customer expectation.
• Establishes and maintains effective customer relationships.

Collaborative    

• Works cooperatively with others across the organization to achieve shared objectives.
• Represents own interest while being fair to others and their areas.
• Partners with others to get work done.
• Credits others for their contributions and accomplishments.
• Gains trust and support of others.

Inclusive              

• Seeks to understand different perspectives and cultures.
• Contributes to a work climate where differences are valued and supported.
• Applies others’ diverse experiences, styles, backgrounds, and perspectives to get results.
• Is sensitive to cultural norms, expectations, and ways or communicating.

Accountable      

• Follows through on commitments and makes sure others do the same.
• Acts with a clear sense of ownership.
• Takes personal responsibility for decisions, actions and failures.
• Establishes clear responsibilities and processes for monitoring work and measuring results.
• Designs feedback loops into work.

Champions VBS                

• Identifies and creates the processes necessary to get work done.
• Separates and combines activities into efficient workflow.
• Seeks ways to improve processes, from small tweaks to complete reengineering.
• Is a simplifier, focused on cutting through complexity.
• Prioritizes to the critical few – focuses on what matters most.

Self-Aware         

• Reflects on activities and impact on others.
• Proactively seeks feedback about shortcomings.
• dmits mistakes and gains insight from experiences.
• Knows strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and limits.

Pioneering         

• Comes up with useful ideas that are new, better, or unique.
• Introduces new ways of looking at problems.
• Can take a creative idea and put it into practice.
• Encourages diverse thinking to promote and nurture innovation.
• Anticipates and adopts innovative digital and technology applications.

Agile     

• Learns quickly when facing new situations.
• Experiments to find new solutions.
• Takes on the challenge of unfamiliar tasks.
• Extracts lessons learned from failure and mistakes.
• Bounces back from setbacks and failure.