Senior Solutions Architect Pre-Sales - DFA

Main Purpose

The Senior Solutions Architect (Commercial) is responsible for designing, validating, and articulating commercially viable telecommunications solutions that meet customer requirements while aligning to network capability, operational feasibility, and commercial strategy.

The role acts as a technical authority within the sales lifecycle, bridging the gap between the customer, sales teams, network engineering, operations, and product management.

The Senior Solutions Architect ensures that solutions are technically sound, scalable, financially sustainable, compliant, and aligned to the organisation’s long-term network and growth strategy.

ACCOUNTABILITIES & RESPONSIBILITIES (KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS & TASKS)

Sales & Commercial Support

? Function as technical lead during complex sales engagements.

? Support account managers with solution positioning and differentiation.

? Participate in customer meetings, workshops, and presentations.

? Translating customer business challenges into technical solutions.

Solution Design & Architecture

? Design end to end telecommunications solutions (fibre, access, IP, connectivity, redundancy)

? Evaluate feasibility across network, service, and operational domains.

? Ensure designs comply with network standards and architecture principles.

? Validate scalability, resilience, and future proofing of solutions

Commercial & Financial Alignment

? Build relationships with local authorities, ward councillors, neighborhood watch groups, and community leaders to secure buy-in and smooth approvals.

? Represent DFA at town halls and community forums, articulating the commercial and social benefits of fibre connectivity.

? Secure wayleaves, council approvals, and all necessary permissions to enable build.

Commercial Handover & Success Tracking

? Work with finance and product teams to ensure solutions are commercially viable.

? Support pricing models and cost transparency.

? Identify cost optimisation opportunities.

? Balance customer requirements with margin protection.

Governance & Risk Management

? Identify technical, operational, and delivery risks.

? Ensure compliance with regulatory and contractual requirements.

? Support contract technical clauses and service level definitions

Internal Enablement

? Provide technical coaching and enablement to sales teams.

? Contribute to solution templates and best practices.

? Function as subject matter expert on network and product capabilities

Competencies and Minimum Requirements:

Knowledge, qualifications and experience

Bachelor’s Degree in:

• Electrical Engineering
• Electronic Engineering
• Computer Engineering
• Information Systems
• Telecommunications

Postgraduate qualification (Honours, BTech, or Master’s) in:

• Engineering
• Business Administration (MBA), when combined with strong technical background

Industry-relevant certifications, such as:

• Cisco (CCNA / CCNP – Routing & Switching, Service Provider)
• IP/MPLS or carrier-grade networking certifications
• Fibre optics or access network certifications (e.g., fibre design, metro networks)
• TOGAF or solution architecture frameworks (advantageous)

5 – 10 years of relevant experience, with:

• At least 5 – 10 years in a telecommunications environment, specifically:
• • Fibre networks
    • Carrier or wholesale services
    • ISP, data centre interconnect, or metro network operators
• Understand fibre-optic infrastructure, transmission technologies, and network architectures
• Translate technical constraints into commercially viable solutions
• Engage credibly with customer technical teams and internal engineering stakeholders
• Accurately scope and qualify customer requirements
• Align proposed solutions with operational and commercial viability
• Demonstrated experience in Pre-Sales or Sales Enablement, including: