Infrastructure Solution Architect

SceneOne's Global IT Client have an Infrastructure Solutions Architect contract role available in Newcastle.

Objective
This role reports into the account Chief Engineer, and scoping new business opportunities and execution of consultancy assignments within the account. The role is responsible for working with the customer and the rest of the account organisation to design cost effective solutions to customer needs which can be effectively delivered by the organization.

Skills/Knowledge and Experience:
*The areas of technical knowledge for this role are based around architecting end-to-end infrastructure solutions primarily in Microsoft Windows and complementary systems. These include message & collaboration, desktops/mobile, data centre design, cloud infrastructures, storage, networks, security, virtualisation, system migrations/consolidations.
*An experienced individual that can work well alone, as part of a team, or leading a team to deliver successful outcomes.
*Experience of delivering very large scale and very complex IT infrastructure solutions based in a secure UK government environment.
*Experience of technology design and implementation policies and practices.
*An experienced technologist in a broad spectrum of technologies covering, infrastructure, applications and office automation in a heterogeneous environment with a good understanding of commercial costing and pricing for technology solutions.
*An individual that can effectively engage both business and technology personnel across multiple partners for collaborative achievement.
*Strong verbal communications and ability to confidently and coherently talk and present at all levels; engineers through to customers.
*Excellent customer facing skills, integrity and confidence with good presentation skills. Able to gain trust of clients and act in a mutually beneficial manner.
*The ability to take actions handed out from elaboration sessions and be confident to explain regular updates to both client and partners.
*Excellent written & verbal communication skills. Ability to resolve constructively conflicting pressures and stake holders.
*Ability to interact and work closely with both technical & non-technical staff in the deployment of solutions across a range of levels.
*The ability to manage priorities and maintain engagement across a number of projects at various phases of their life cycle.

Specific Architect Skills:
*Proven knowledge and skills in Infrastructure System Architecting and relevant experience within secure information domains to include physical infrastructure and virtual infrastructure.
*Technical leadership, able to self-manage and direct and mentor the technical leadership team, and to enforce technical direction in a Matrix environment.
*Proven track record of defining and developing solutions to strict delivery timescales and budgets.
*Experienced in designing and creating technical documents with the ability to produce a High Level Design.
*Experience on various hardware and software environments, including operating systems, application Servers and relational databases.
*Highly competent in producing and delivering engaging and informative presentations.
*Strong experience in developing and designing hardware infrastructure both physical and virtual based.
*High-level skills in network design in WAN, LAN, and storage design.
*Responsible for understanding end to end complex systems.
*Good understanding of blade technology, private clouds, virtualization, infrastructure tooling products, storage solutions and networks. Highly desirable skills include system integration, availability calculation.

Key Accountabilities:
Working as part of the internal architecture team:
*To identify innovative opportunities in both technology and process to provide business benefit (both internally and for the customer).
*To contribute to winning profitable business across all technology and customer areas.
*To ensure effective use of technology to deliver profitability for new services.

Scoping and defining new business:
*Defining cost effective solutions for any customer requirements, and documenting these - typically in a "Solution Overview"
*Ensuring that the scope of these solutions is understood by all the parts of the organization
*Gaining governance approval for these solutions.
*Supporting the organisation in impacting these solutions, ensuring that the impacts are commensurate with what is required.
*Ensuring that the customer is bought into both the technical solution and that this technical solution represents value for money.

Executing Consultancy activities:
*Agree statement of work with the client.
*Deliver said work to time and quality in line with governance processes.
*Own the technical architecture for the solution.
*Work with clients and partners to design said architecture.
*Describe solution in written reports.
*Assist with the development of indicative pricing.

Customer interaction:
*To manage the entire relationship with the customer for a piece of consultancy, or in conjunction with the PMC for new business including managing stakeholders at all levels of the customer organisation and all disciplines. This will include stakeholders who may have conflicting priorities including:
oSecurity.
oThe end user.
oTechnical governance.
oBudget holders.
*The role is to drive to consensus between these people to get to a coherent technical and service solution which can be delivered.

Desirables
*Technical university degree or Bachelor's degree preferred.
*Strong background in delivering to Government clients.