PaaS Solution Architect

Microsoft Services is looking for a Solutions Architect who has a mix of both the top Azure Platform as a Service (PaaS) expertise and strategic business acumen. The role requires both broad and deep technology knowledge of Azure PaaS and the ability to architect solutions by mapping common customer business problems to reusable end-to-end technology solutions. Demonstrated ability to engage in senior level technology decision maker discussions related to agility, business value, and end to end information technology security is also a must. Solutions Architects are key enablers for other consultants and partner staff. They manage the complete lifecycle of large and complex projects. Solutions Architects have a passion for the customer which is demonstrated through professionalism and striving for excellence in all aspects of the customer experience.

The Solutions Architect applies advanced analysis skills and experience in principals of solutions design to define appropriate customer solutions. To be credible he or she must have current and deep experience with Azure PaaS implementations. Solutions Architects are expected to maintain effective product group relationships. Understanding of competitive technology enables the Architect to properly assess feasibility of migrating customer solutions from, and/or integrating with customer solutions hosted on, non-Microsoft platforms.

Expert level knowledge and real-world experience in large-scale application development is a requirement. This role also requires assisting customers in architecting, planning, testing and deploying Microsoft technologies as appropriate. A successful candidate will possess the following skills:

• Deep technical knowledge of, and real world experience in, Microsoft Azure solutions:

o Azure Web Sites/Web Roles/Worker Roles

o Mobile Services

o BizTalk hybrid connection

o Storage - SQL Azure/DocumentDB/Table Storage/Blob Storage

o Azure Active directory/Application level security

o Service bus/EventHub

o Web Services (REST) and API Management

• Knowledge of geo-redundancy, and disaster recovery

• Some experience with Monitoring and Telemetry

• Deep knowledge of C# (XAML /HTML are useful)

• Experience with IoT solutions would be useful

• Experience with TFS (and Visual Studio Online) to manage the Application Lifecycle Management

• Experience with ISD, SDM and leveraging tools such as TFS to manage the Application Lifecycle Management

• Experience in Consulting services pre-sales activities

• Experience driving globally executed integration projects by working with offshore teams

• Experience giving presentations to executive audiences and explaining the benefits of the platform over competitors

• Knowledge of competitors

• Ability to lead and motivate technical communities

The candidate will need to be a subject matter expert (SME) within our technical community assisting with community efforts, helping further develop skills of consultants within the US as well as providing technical quality assurance to other engagements as required.

The Solutions Architect helps customer account teams identify, pursue and close strategic business development opportunities while continually driving add-on business within existing projects. To accomplish this, Architects must be effective in fostering executive level relationships. They also play a key role in employing and developing partners as part of the overall Microsoft services delivery model. Solutions Architects help translate business requirements into technology requirements for inclusion in contracts and/or statements of work (SOW). In some cases Solutions Architects will also assist in contract negotiations.

The Solutions Architect must have proven experience managing projects through the entire project lifecycle. This includes managing multi-phase/multi-dimensional/multi-resource projects to conclusion while maintaining high customer satisfaction. The role requires an individual who is resourceful, confident under pressure, and has demonstrated skill in both crisis management and expectation management.

The successful candidate will have a BS/BA degree or equivalent work experience combined with a minimum of 10 years relevant industry experience providing solution architecture and consulting .

Travel is an integral part of this position as are high levels of recognition and visibility. Travel can be as high as 70% as is demanded by the needs of our customers and our business. Position locations are flexible within the geographic US.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, marital status, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other protected status.

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Enterprise Architect - Mid-west District - Indianapolis, IN - Microsoft US Enterprise Services

Are you ready to seize an opportunity to work with Microsoft's most established and innovative enterprises and advising Line of Business and IT Executives? Have you got a track record of helping enterprise leaders transform their business by executing against long-term strategies and roadmaps for pragmatic technology adoption? Interested in employing strong business and architectural skills and leveraging your abstract thinking to create innovative solutions for the largest organizations in the world?

Microsoft Services helps customers realize their full potential through accelerated adoption and productive use of Microsoft technologies. We are a global team of exceptional people who deliver world-class services with partners, earning customer confidence, trust, and loyalty by improving the overall customer and partner experience, serving as the customer advocate within Microsoft, and driving customer-centric product improvement.

As an Enterprise Architect, in this strategic role within Enterprise Strategy Services, you will deliver advisory and planning services to Microsoft’s top enterprise customers, enabling our customers to achieve their most challenging business and organizational goals while leveraging value from their investment in the Microsoft Platform. Through a programmatic approach and objective assessment of the customer’s existing business imperatives, organizational capabilities and IT investments, you will systematically plan, orchestrate, and contribute to the development and execution of their strategic technology initiatives.

With IT sponsorship, you’ll develop relationships with key business executives, enabling the customer to translate business needs and insights into actionable IT strategy, and assist IT in driving these initiatives to early results and business value.

You will also share industry-proven architectural and planning practices and promote successful integration of Microsoft technologies in a heterogeneous environment. You’ll be provided an extensive network of professional colleagues with complementary competencies and expertise, bringing the best of Microsoft to customers.

The sections below identify the key areas of focus and offer insight into the more common activities:

Relationship-driven differentiation: As the primary delivery resource for the Enterprise Strategy business, what you provide is unique and available only from Microsoft. You’ll advocate on behalf of the customer back into the Microsoft organization and maximize the value delivered from the relationship. Core activities include:

• Orchestrating Executive Briefing Center visits and bi-directional connection with Microsoft Product Development Groups as well as many other teams and communities.

• Facilitating the Customer’s uptake of Technology Adoption Programs for early advantage from pre-released Microsoft Products.

• Harnessing insights from groups like Microsoft Research, one of the largest sponsored technology research organizations worldwide. You’ll also have access to ‘the Library’, a catalogue of reference architectures, industry insights and field-driven Intellectual Property, providing exceptional and unique value to the customer.

• Partnering with your CTO/CIO and facilitating IT staff development amongst their reports.

Business-driven portfolio value management: A disciplined approach is followed in this role - first to understand the customer’s needs and then to develop roadmaps that result in an increase in realized value from their Microsoft investment across a heterogeneous IT environment. Activities include:

• Creating business case development and benefits management programs that define, track and report accrued value through the optimal application of IT to business challenges.

• Orchestrating and/or designing and architecting solutions that leverage both the investment made in the Microsoft Enterprise Agreement and the customer’s current heterogeneous IT environment in the best interests of the customer, driven through a formal program of change and drawing from the collective know-how of Microsoft.

• Providing portfolio governance and oversight to drive lifecycle optimization and alignment across all Microsoft-related initiatives.

Teaming to accelerate value: When a customer invests in an Enterprise Agreement license with Microsoft, the Enterprise Architect accelerates the time-to-value by aligning the technology deployment and business adoption plans with the customer’s broader organizational objectives. Activities to support this objective include:

• Creating architectural and technology roadmaps that result in stronger business/IT alignment and that drive adoption and value from the Enterprise Agreement.

• Orchestrating the use of the Microsoft network of resources formally from within the Architect’s individual engagement. This can range from formal architectural systems design through to general technology consulting and beyond. Likewise an Architect may be called on by colleagues to contribute from their area of specialization in other large engagements or to work jointly with the Microsoft support team around specific customer initiatives.

Practice development: In this role, you’ll contribute to the growth and maturity of the local and international communities by providing mentorship, fostering IP development / knowledge transfer, and thought-leading by example. In addition, opportunities exist to contribute to IP development and reuse initiatives and drive proven practices in architecture, planning, and customer relationships.

Business development: You will also have the opportunity to bring your years of experience and expertise to influence continued business development opportunities for Microsoft.

In addition to the above activities, it is expected that the successful candidate will have significant experience in at least one specialization from the three categories below:

Industry: Experience in one or more of the following Sectors/Industries: Government; Healthcare; Financial Services; Telecommunications, Retail; Manufacturing; Energy

Microsoft Strategic priorities: Cloud/S+S; Enterprise level / Mission Critical Applications; Optimized Desktop; Unified Communications and Collaboration

Enterprise Architect Specializations:

• Business Value Analysis and Benefits Management

• IT Governance & Portfolio Lifecycle Optimization

• IT-Led Business Insight & Innovation

• Organizational Design & Change Management

• Enterprise Architecture

• Information Management

Qualifications and Experience:

• Must have a relevant degree and/or equivalent experience

• At least 8 years related business and IT consulting experience across the lifecycle of Information Technology (examples may include assessment and analysis, design, business case development, architecture, envisioning, planning, deployment, benefits analysis, and management)

• Must have a proven record of delivering business value from IT at an executive level

• Solid understanding of interoperability issues and platform/product strengths and weaknesses

• Able to provide a trusted voice at the decision-making table

• Deep understanding of markets, industries, business, customers, and technology

• The ability and background experience to provide leadership and a demonstrated effectiveness in consulting and client management

• Executive-level interpersonal, verbal, written and presentation skills

• Forming and leading virtual teams and collaborating across large, matrixed organizations

Location/Travel: This role will be based in the Midwest District, which includes Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin, with a preference for Indianapolis, IN. Travel is an integral expectation of this position as the needs of our customers and our business demand.

If you find this opportunity to be compelling and know you can excel as an Enterprise Architect, we are eager to explore the possibilities with you!

SS:ES

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, marital status, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other protected status.

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Solution Architect

Dynamics ERP Solution Architect

At our core, Microsoft is a Productivity and Platform Company for the mobile-first and cloud-first world.   We will reinvent productivity to empower every person and every organization on the planet to do more and achieve more.   Part of our Digital Work strategy is the Microsoft Cloud for Business.   The Business SaaS (Software as a Service) is core to Microsoft’s Cloud strategy.   This year we are mainstreaming the CRM Online (CRMOL hereafter) business and starting the journey to develop and introduce additional Business Applications (such as Dynamics AX) in the Cloud.  

Microsoft Dynamics is a suite of easy-to-learn and easy-to-use business solutions tailored to any market, designed for any business size, and dedicated to growing business through happy customers. Microsoft Dynamics offers a full range of software focused on delivering business insights that matter to customers. From customer relationship management (CRM http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics/crm.aspx>) software to enterprise resource planning (ERP http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics/erp.aspx>), from supply chain management to business intelligence and reporting, Microsoft Dynamics has a business solution that’s just right for Sales, Retail, Marketing, Social and Services industries.

As a Solution Architect in the Microsoft Dynamics division you will work with enterprise customers, ISV’s and Partners to conceive, design and implement Dynamics AX applications. You will partner with senior business and technology leaders at Microsoft and with our customers to help them pick the best technical architecture to solve their business needs.

You are comfortable having conversations at many different levels: with a business leader about how technology can enable reaching their goals or pursue new opportunities, with a CIO about technology costs and benefits, with an architect about building applications out of services, application security models, role based access control, or messaging patterns, with an IT Professional about application monitoring and continuous deployment, and with a developer about the code. The individual in this position requires the ability to work well with Microsoft R&D, the Field, and Partners and to understand the varying perspectives and processes across these groups. This role requires an individual with very strong hands-on experience with technology and skills in communication, negotiation, and project management to enable the success of critical projects.

In this role, you will also need to work closely with Program Managers in their feature areas to ensure that customer requirements are thoroughly understood and reflected in future product releases. Another responsibility associated with this position is helping to design the product to overcome and eliminate challenges facing Enterprise organizations and to provide our customers and Partners with deeper guidance on how best to leverage the Dynamics AX platform in both Cloud and on premises environments.

As a Solution Architect, you will:

- Provide thought-leadership and architectural guidance/reviews on strategic AX implementations

- Represent AX R&D in complex deals by providing technical consultation

- Assist the core AX R&D team develop the right scenarios and features to address Enterprise needs

- Support AX Solution ISVs and Partners

- Manage Enterprise customer escalations

- Build AX POCs and solutions

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE (YOU):

The ideal candidate is a Consultant or Technical Program Manager with a track record of designing and shipping products/projects. You have:

• A strong technical understanding and 6+ years of hands-on experience in a Microsoft development environment (SQL, WSS, HTML, XML, .NET, JavaScript, AJAX) and the ability to comprehend and communicate systems architecture.

• A strong understanding of technical architecture of Dynamics AX and 6+ years of applications development experience using X++.

• A strong background in technical program management and/or consultancy with track record of successfully designing and developing products and projects.

• The ability to work both independently and in a multi-disciplinary team environment

• The ability to analyze ambiguous technical and customer situations and to determine appropriate solutions as necessary

• The ability to create and maintain healthy working relationships with Microsoft and Partners in the field.

• Excellent communication skills and the ability to clearly articulate customer requirements and pain points to executives and to a feature crew

• The ability to transition communication style effectively for different audiences ranging from developers to CIOs and other technical decision makers

• A B.S. in Computer Science or equivalent experience is required

Expected travel 50%.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, marital status, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other protected status.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, marital status, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other protected status.

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WW Dir, Architect Mgr Enterprise Strategy COE

Do you have a passion for driving transformative business initiatives globally?   Can you imagine leading a team of global thought leaders in support of the Enterprise Strategy Programs? Then, this could be your next great career adventure!

The WW Director Enterprise Strategy CoE is responsible for leading and managing a team of high-performing individuals across the A13, (Asia Pacific, Central and Eastern Europe, France, Germany, Greater China, India, Japan, Latin America, Middle East and Africa, United Kingdom, Western Europe, Canada and United States Areas), as well as anchoring relationship and engagement with key A13 stakeholders, helping Microsoft sales teams to pursue, land and deliver Enterprise Strategy engagements in the Global and Multinational corporations(MNCs).

This role is most critical during sales support, discovery and design phases, with broad focus around enterprise, industry, platform and solutions. The WW Director will be expected to bring their years of experience and business acumen to bear on worldwide business development opportunities and contribute to thought leadership across both Microsoft Services and the Enterprise and Partner Group (EPG).

Responsibilities include:

¨ Partnering with key A13 Services and EPG stakeholders to develop, lead and execute on an appropriate strategy for successful CoE engagement in the A13 areas and target subsidiaries

¨ Driving successful Enterprise Strategy sales and delivery

¨ Recruiting and managing a high performing team, meeting quarterly and yearly business performance KPI’s

¨ Managing team career aspirations and people development

¨ Providing field and customer guidance during the sales cycle, and during delivery for Globals/MNCs

¨ Driving operational excellence and innovation

¨ Growing the field capability through mentoring, readiness, and community evangelism

This is a leadership position which is accountable for the results and execution of the role’s direct reports. Core activities for this role’s team include:

¨ Creating business case development and benefits management artefacts resulting in the successful sale and delivery

¨ Leading solution selling presales workshops with Business and Technical Decision Maker (BDM and TDM) audiences to accelerate pipeline and grow share

¨ Delivering outcomes that maximize business value for our Globals/MNC and grow share of wallet for Microsoft

¨ Providing governance and oversight to drive the CoE field execution with both field Services and EPG, and alignment across datacenter-related strategy and planning initiatives

¨ Assisting with IP development and reuse initiatives and harvest best practice in presales, architecture, business planning, and customer engagement

To be a successful candidate for this role, you will need to have

¨ Direct people management experience of a remote team of more than 5 people is required, including ownership of employee recruitment, development, feedback, and performance reviews.  

¨ At least 10+ years related IT and management experience. Industry experience of working for or with organizations in the Telco/Systems Integration/Public Sector/Retail/Oil & Gas/Financial sectors is preferred.

¨ Work experience should involve advisory services, management/technology consulting, consulting and solution presales, solution design, envisioning, planning, deployment, benefits analysis and management.

¨ Must have proven background in selling and delivering into enterprise customers

¨ Must have proven record of delivering business value at an executive level.  

¨ Experience in business process, financial concepts and executive level interpersonal skills.

¨ Relevant field-based knowledge of competing and winning against solutions and technologies from primary competitors e.g. AWS, SAP, Oracle, etc.

¨ Candidates must have a deep understanding of markets, customers, and technology; have the background to provide leadership in the practice and a demonstrated effectiveness in consulting and client management

Travel, approximately 50%, globally, is an integral expectation of this position as the needs of our customers and our business demand.

This description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this position.   The actual duties, responsibilities, and qualifications may vary based on assignment or group.

If you find this opportunity to be compelling and can demonstrate your ability to excel as the WW Director, Enterprise Strategy CoE we would like to explore the possibilities with you!

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, marital status, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other protected status.

SS:HQ

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