Solutions Architect (VAR Pre-Sales)

Overview

Our client is a well-established federal value-added reseller (VAR) specializing in data center networking, storage, and infrastructure solutions supporting DoD, IC, and civilian federal customers. They are seeking a Solutions Architect (VAR Pre-Sales) to partner closely with account executives and customers to design, present, and validate technical solutions across complex federal environments.

This role is ideal for a technically hands-on engineer who enjoys customer interaction, architecture design, and technical evangelism—without responsibility for proposal development or formal capture activities.

Key Responsibilities

Pre-Sales Technical Engagement

• Serve as the technical advisor supporting account executives throughout the sales cycle
• Lead technical discovery sessions with federal customers to understand environments, requirements, and constraints
• Design and recommend solutions that align with mission needs, technical standards, and security requirements
• Translate customer challenges into clear, technically sound architectures

Solution Design & Architecture

• Architect solutions across:
• Data center networking (core, distribution, access)
• Storage (SAN, NAS, object)
• Compute and virtualization platforms
• On-prem and hybrid infrastructure environments
• Develop:
• High-level solution designs
• Architecture diagrams and technical presentations
• Bill of materials (BOMs) in collaboration with sales and OEM partners
• Validate designs for scalability, performance, and security alignment

Customer-Facing Technical Support

• Deliver technical presentations, whiteboarding sessions, and product demonstrations
• Support proof-of-concept (POC) efforts and technical evaluations
• Act as a trusted technical resource for federal customers and partners
• Collaborate with OEM engineering teams to ensure solution feasibility and best practices

Post-Sale Technical Continuity

• Support technical handoff to delivery and implementation teams
• Provide clarification and guidance during early deployment phases
• Ensure architectural intent is preserved through implementation

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in data center, networking, or infrastructure engineering
• Experience in a pre-sales, solutions engineering, or customer-facing technical role
• Strong knowledge of:
• Enterprise networking technologies
• Data center architectures
• Storage platforms and protocols
• Virtualization technologies
• Experience supporting federal customers (DoD, IC, or civilian agencies)
• Strong communication skills with the ability to explain complex technical concepts clearly

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working for a federal VAR, systems integrator, or OEM
• OEM certifications or hands-on experience with:
• NetApp
• Dell Technologies
• Cisco
• Juniper
• HPE
• Familiarity with federal security and compliance environments
• Active security clearance or eligibility to obtain one

This position is fully remote with 25% travel. The total comp expectation is mid-$200ks.