Hiring Solutions Architects: The Complete Guide

# Solutions Architect

**Location:** Remote (US) · **Employment Type:** Full-time · **Level:** Senior

## About [Company]

[Company] is a cloud-native enterprise software platform that helps businesses modernize their infrastructure and accelerate digital transformation. We serve 300+ enterprise customers across finance, healthcare, and retail—powering critical workflows and integrations at scale.

Our Solutions Architecture team is the technical bridge between customer needs and our platform capabilities. We work directly with customers to design solutions, validate technical approaches, and ensure successful implementations.

**Why join [Company]?**

- Be the trusted technical advisor for Fortune 500 and high-growth companies
- Join a 150-person company with a dedicated 8-person Solutions Architecture team
- Series C funded with strong customer retention and growth
- Remote-first culture with quarterly team gatherings

## The Role

We're hiring a Senior Solutions Architect to serve as the pre-sales technical expert for enterprise customers. This is a customer-facing role where you'll design technical solutions, deliver compelling demonstrations, and guide customers from evaluation through implementation.

Unlike engineering roles focused on building product, this position centers on understanding customer requirements, designing how our platform solves their problems, and ensuring technical success throughout the customer journey.

**What you'll own:**

- Technical discovery and solution design for enterprise accounts ($500K+ ARR)
- Pre-sales demos, POCs, and technical presentations
- Architecture design for complex integrations and deployments
- Customer relationships from pre-sales through post-sales technical guidance
- Technical content including reference architectures, best practices, and case studies

## Objectives of This Role

- Lead technical engagements for 15-20 enterprise opportunities per quarter
- Achieve 75%+ win rate on deals where you lead technical evaluation
- Build and deliver 10+ reusable POC templates and demo environments
- Create reference architectures for top 5 customer use cases
- Contribute to product roadmap through customer feedback synthesis

## Responsibilities

- Lead technical discovery sessions to understand customer requirements, existing systems, and success criteria
- Design solution architectures that address customer needs using our platform capabilities
- Build and deliver compelling product demonstrations tailored to customer use cases
- Develop proof-of-concepts that validate technical approaches and de-risk customer decisions
- Present technical solutions to audiences ranging from developers to C-level executives
- Partner with Sales to develop technical win strategies and respond to RFPs
- Collaborate with Product and Engineering to communicate customer requirements and influence roadmap
- Guide customers through implementation planning and initial technical setup
- Create technical documentation including architecture diagrams, integration guides, and best practices
- Mentor junior Solutions Architects and contribute to team knowledge sharing

## Required Skills and Qualifications

- 6+ years of experience in solutions architecture, pre-sales engineering, or customer-facing technical roles
- Strong system design skills with experience architecting cloud-based solutions
- Deep expertise in at least one major cloud platform (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
- Experience with integration patterns: REST APIs, webhooks, event-driven architecture, ETL/ELT
- Proven ability to build and deliver technical demonstrations and POCs
- Excellent presentation and communication skills—ability to explain complex concepts to both technical and executive audiences
- Experience managing technical relationships with enterprise customers
- Strong understanding of enterprise software buying processes and technical evaluation criteria
- Self-directed with ability to manage multiple customer engagements simultaneously

## Preferred Skills and Qualifications

- Experience in SaaS, enterprise software, or platform companies
- Background in data integration, workflow automation, or developer tools
- AWS Solutions Architect or equivalent cloud certification
- Experience with sales methodologies (MEDDIC, Challenger, Solution Selling)
- Track record of contributing to $1M+ deals
- Previous experience in both pre-sales and post-sales technical roles
- Familiarity with enterprise security requirements: SOC 2, HIPAA, data residency

## Tech Stack

- **Cloud Platforms:** AWS (primary), Azure, GCP
- **Integration:** REST APIs, GraphQL, webhooks, Kafka, message queues
- **Architecture Tools:** Lucidchart, draw.io, Miro for diagrams and workshops
- **Demo Environments:** Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform for reproducible POCs
- **CRM & Sales Tools:** Salesforce, Gong, Notion
- **Documentation:** Confluence, Notion, GitHub for technical content

## Compensation and Benefits

**Salary:** $160,000 - $200,000 (based on experience and location)

**Variable Compensation:** $30,000 - $50,000 annual bonus tied to team quota attainment

**Equity:** 0.03% - 0.08% (4-year vest, 1-year cliff)

**Benefits:**

- Medical, dental, and vision insurance (100% covered for employees, 75% for dependents)
- Unlimited PTO with 15-day minimum encouraged
- $3,000 annual learning budget (certifications, conferences, courses)
- $1,500 home office setup allowance
- 401(k) with 4% company match
- 12 weeks paid parental leave
- AWS/Azure/GCP certification costs fully reimbursed
- Quarterly travel for customer visits and team gatherings

**Location:** Remote (US). Candidates must be based in US time zones. Role involves 20-30% travel for customer meetings and team events.

## Interview Process

Our interview process typically takes 2-3 weeks. We focus on customer-facing skills and solution design—not coding tests.

- **Step 1: Recruiter Screen** (30 min) - Background, interests, and role expectations.

- **Step 2: Hiring Manager Intro** (45 min) - Your experience, customer engagement approach, and what you're looking for.

- **Step 3: Solution Design** (60 min) - Given a customer scenario, design a solution using our platform. Collaborative whiteboarding session.

- **Step 4: Demo Presentation** (45 min) - Deliver a 20-minute product demo (we provide materials) followed by Q&A. Simulates a real customer presentation.

- **Step 5: Customer Scenario Role-Play** (45 min) - Handle a challenging customer situation (technical objection, scope creep, executive escalation).

- **Step 6: Cross-Functional Interviews** (60 min) - Meet with Sales, Product, and Engineering partners.

- **Step 7: Final Conversation** (30 min) - VP of Solutions Architecture for career goals, offer details, and final questions.

You'll receive feedback within 3 business days of each round.

## How to Apply

Submit your resume and optionally include links to presentations you've delivered, architecture diagrams, or case studies you're proud of. We review every application and respond within 5 business days.

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*[Company] is an equal opportunity employer. We're committed to building a diverse team and inclusive culture. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.*

*Solutions Architecture thrives on diverse perspectives and communication styles. If you're excited about this role but don't meet every qualification, we encourage you to apply. If you need accommodations during the interview process, let us know and we'll make it work.*