Cloud Solutions Architect (Principal Consultant)

About Automation Logic:

Automation Logic is a leading professional services business delivering technology-enabled transformation to enterprise clients through the delivery of Cloud, Automation and DevOps solutions.

Headquartered in London, United Kingdom, Automation Logic has successfully delivered over 60 Cloud and Automation projects for some of the largest and most prestigious organisations in both the public and private sectors across Europe.

Automation Logic offers competitive compensation packages and benefits.

Principal Consultant – Cloud Solution Architect Role:

As part of Define the Business, you will be part of the AL business department that leads technology innovation and is accountable for shaping and selling our Service Offerings to our clients. You will form part of a growing team of technology and business experts who are highly collaborative, taking on today’s biggest and most complex cloud challenges.

The team works to a continuum of think it, shape it, design it, sell it, deliver it’ where a consultant will follow an offering throughout its lifecycle. How this works in practice will vary from engagement to engagement.

You will work with our clients, Win the Business and Deliver the Business departments, to help shape Cloud Transformation Solutions using our Service Offerings and our partner ecosystem You will build relationships with clients of all sizes and operate as their trusted advisor, ensuring they get the most out of AL at every stage of their journey with ultimate focus on value creation and realisation.

You are accountable for developing a solid understanding of client challenges and how best to tackle them using AL’s Service Offerings and capabilities to deliver value. You are responsible for taking ownership in selling and delivering solutions based on AL’s Service Offerings to your client. You will be guiding, setting the direction and enabling the Deliver the Business team to ensure successful engagement completion.

To do this, you will have to combine your experience with understanding and considerations for large scale Cloud Solutions Architecture. You will need to come up with novel commercial and delivery models to position AL as a credible partner to help clients transform into a cloud-enabled business. Your role will also involve internalising customer feedback and influencing the development of new or enhancement of existing Service Offerings.

Cloud Solution Architect Key Duties & Responsibilities:

• Working with Win the Business, support AL Client and Account Principals to qualify opportunities through to deal closure
• Lead effort and work in scoping client needs and gathering requirements to generate technical solutions, estimates and approaches, scoping proposals and Statements of Work, following appropriate process(es) for approval to release to client
• Lead or co-lead the creation of answers to RFPs issued by clients
• Shape the solution that is right for the client with the right technology, at the right price point and with the appropriate risk profile, leveraging AL’s service offerings and capabilities as well as partner capabilities
• Prepare and deliver compelling propositions to highlight value proposition and unique differentiators for AL
• Depending on opportunity and engagement needs, manage for a fixed period of time small teams of pre-sales and/or Delivery engineer resources without line management responsibilities
• Manage the overall technical relationship between AL and Clients, making recommendations across all pillars of the Cloud Well Architected Framework (across the following domains: security, cost, performance, reliability and operational efficiency)
• Lead detail technical assessments of current state of enterprise cloud environments
• Collect data and define a path to transformation into a mature cloud enterprise Operating Model
• Analysing application portfolios, identify dependencies & common infrastructure platform components, and assess migration feasibility and priorities
• Generate migration roadmaps and drive buy-in across complex organisation structures
• Conduct full technical discoveries, identifying pain points, business and technical requirements and develop ‘as is’ and ‘to be’ scenarios
• Presenting technical topics and solutions to senior stakeholders, up to C-Level
• Compare and contrast solution alternatives across both technical and business parameters, which support the defined service requirements (measured in cost, time and quality)
• Provide in-depth expertise for successful design and implementation of large-scale, enterprise cloud and/or multi cloud solutions, using modern digital technologies to address customer challenges
• Apply appropriate methodologies, reusable assets, and previous work experience to deliver consistently high-quality work
• Stay educated on new and emerging technologies/patterns and methodologies and market offerings that may be of interest to our clients
• Adapt to existing methods and procedures to create possible alternative solutions to moderately complex problems
• Understand the strategic direction set by your line manager and the department’s business director
• Use considerable judgment to define solutions and seek guidance on complex problems
• Collaborate on a strategic and tactical level with our strategic partners

Skills & Experience Required

• STEM Degree and/or relevant tech experience in at least two of the following: Systems Design, Software Development, Cloud & Infrastructure Architecture, Containers or DevOps
• Demonstrable cloud fundamentals and architecture experience in large-scale cloud solutions with working knowledge of cloud native or hybrid cloud architectures
• Performing as-is and to-be cloud assessments and shaping transition blueprints and recommendations
• Crafting architectural options and analysis, finalising preferred solution working with IT and business stakeholders
• Experience in designing, building, refactoring or operating large scale and impactful IT systems – either on premises or in the cloud
• Knowledge of a modern programming language (Python, JavaScript, Go, .Net, Java, etc.) and/or scripting, Infrastructure as Code etc.
• In-depth working knowledge in a technology domain such as distributed internet-scale web or mobile applications, DevOps, Serverless, Big Data, Analytics, Machine Learning, high-performance databases (SQL and/or NoSQL), etc.
• Hold Certifications in Architecture in at least one of the major Public Providers
• Professional-level Cloud Vendor certifications such as AWS Solutions Architect Professional or Microsoft Azure Architect Expert
• Proven ability to build, manage and foster a team-oriented environment
• Excellent communication (written and oral) and interpersonal skills
• Excellent leadership and management skills
• Proven ability to work creatively and analytically in a problem-solving environment
• Knowledge of the ecosystem of offerings from the three major Public Cloud providers (AWS, MS and GCP)

Benefits

An annual Flexible Benefits Allowance to build a benefits package to suit your individual and family needs.

Choose from:

• Private medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Gym membership or fitness classes
• Critical illness cover
• Health screening and allergy testing
• Independent financial advice, financial coaching and a tax return service
• Holiday trading to buy extra days holiday
• Cycle to work scheme
• Home fitness bike and online classes
• Carbon footprint advice

Automatic benefits that all employees receive:

• 2,000 per year personal development budget
• Employee Assistance Program for mental health support and supporting your wellbeing
• Life assurance
• Pension
• Retail perks and discounts
• Home-working equipment
• Annual eye care support