Position: Project Operations Solution Architect
Department: M4 Project Operations
Location: Mumbai
Years of exp: 8 to 15 yrs
Education: Engineering Graduate/PG
1 Job Overview:
The primary area of responsibility is to provide solution management in customer projects, but also to provide solution scoping review and in some cases presales support to the account managers. The Solution Architect is the technical leader within a project delivery. Solution Architects may also be the M4 technical knowledge leaders for specific technology or product areas, and may in some cases have the role of Product Manager for 3rd party products that are managed within the Project Operations department.
1.1 Solution Management in Customer Projects:
Solution Architects have the responsibility for solution scope and change control in customer projects. The Solution Architect matches customer requirements to M4 products/MasterClaw features. He manages customer project requirements for new product developments and product changes (ECR) in order to maintain a clear technical project scope for each customer project. He also reviews engineering problem reports (EPR) that are identified during project implementation to validate whether the EPR is truly a failure within the product or an unmet project requirement. The main focus is to secure the success of each customer project in terms of technical requirements.
The Solution Architect prepares and maintains the system design and hardware configuration for a solution being delivered. These include:
- In the case of a handover of a Solution Document(s) from pre-sales to the project operations team, the Solutions Architect has the responsibility to review the solution documents to identify any gaps relevant to customer commitments and to define modifications to the solution to close these gaps. The Solution Architect should be involved in the project and review the Solution Document(s) before the contract with the customer is signed.
- Collecting all customer network information required for the design, implementation and configuration of the solution at the earliest possible time so as to miminize any rework during the implementation phase
- Reviewing/updating compliance with contractual requirements
- Re-scoping the solution design to be compliant with PSM/R&D approved solution hardware and software configurations
- Ensuring that required performance and capacity requirements are met by the system architecture
- Detailing customer requirements into product requirements together with Product Management
- Providing a detailed list of the hardware configuration so that it can be easily processed for ordering
- Providing detailed information on Link configuration
The Solution Architect defines software requirements and creates development plans together with Product Management and R&D. If required by the project, he prepares a weekly customer project status report based on the R&D status reports and other project specific deliverables tracking the development progress of deliveries into the project.. The Solution Architect must take action to solve critical issues together with the System Engineer, Program Manager, Product Manager and R&D Project Manager.
The Solution Architect is responsible for the preparation of acceptance test documents for all nonstandard project deliverables (and maintains templates for standard product acceptance test documents. The Solution Architect develops an acceptance test plan detailing the procedures and test documents to be used so that there is sufficient documentation to get customer agreement and for a System Engineer to perform the task.
The Solution Architect may be asked to execute the acceptance test together with the System Engineer and the customer for complex projects and for projects including non-standard functionality. However, the primary responsibility for performing and completing the acceptance tests lies with the System Engineer.
Solution Architects can also provide consultancy services.
The Solution Architect contributes product competence to a project or a suite of projects (a Program) and approves and manages the technical scope of a customer project.
1.2 Presales Support:
The primary responsibility for technical presales support is with the presales Solution Architect, but the Project Operations Solution Architect may assume the role of providing the pre-sales solution definition and customer communications when the work needed is for extensions to existing systems or upgrades which do not require significant customer technical influence to get the order. Exceptions from these guidelines can happen depending on workload, customer contacts, geographical location or other factors which management may consider.
2 Responsibilities and Deliverables:
2.1 Responsibilities in Relation to Customer Projects:
The main deliverables for the Solution Architect in relation to customer projects are:
- Review, correct and amend the solution document as a project transitions from sales to implementation
- Provide the implementation team with a clear and complete description of the solution to be implemented
- A complete list of Project software deliverables and delivery plan that is compatible with the approved PSM/R&D solution configurations.
- System design and hardware architecture
- Project acceptance test document.
- Weekly status report for project deliverables (optional).
- Input to project evaluation report
- Ensure that all elements of the solution delivery are covered by written methods or procedures for the delivery, or are within the standard skill set and existing delivery methods.
- Customer and Anritsu internal presentations covering the solution and any technical topics which may arise
The main activities for a Solution Architect in relation to customer projects are:
- Serve as overall technical lead during the implementation of a project, providing guidance and being the escalation point for all technical questions from the implementation team
- Develop and document a clear and complete description of the solution to be implemented
- In cooperation with the delivery team (SEs) document methods or procedures needed for the delivery which are non-standard or new to the implementation team
- Define and verify required HW and SW configuration in cooperation with the System Engineer.
- Maintain agreed technical requirement scope with customer as specified in solution description.
- Review and approve EPRs and ECRs prior to formal submission to other departments. This step may be done in parallel to the submission when time does not allow a sequential process.
- Initiate and manage customer change requests through Product Management, R&D and/or 3rd party. This includes management of scope and development costs.
- Error report tracking against PM, R&D or third party until customer acceptance is achieved.
- Participate in factory and customer acceptance test where necessary.
2.2 Responsibilities in Relation to Sales Support:
The main deliverables for a Solution Architect in relation to sales support are:
- Assist the Presales Solution Architect, Account Manager and Proposal Manager in commercial and technical questions throughout the entire sales process
- Review/define the total system solution document in cooperation with Presales Solution Architect and the Account Team
- Participate in trials as technical resource together with other account team members
2.3 Responsibility in Relation to Support
- Participate in the hand-over meeting with support
2.4 Other Responsibilities:
In addition to the above the Solution Architect also contributes to the following activities:
- New product definition.
- Scoping of Business Value Services (BVS) offerings.
- Product, product functional area or technical area lead within project operations
- Product Management of 3rd party products and solutions owned by Project Operations
The Solution Architect also has individual responsibility as to:
- Be ready for new assignments/projects
- Seek information needed to fulfill the current assignment
- Keep good relationship with stakeholders in the line organization
- Seek influence in all aspects of the work
- Train other solution architects and SEs in new products, procedures etc.
- Act as coach for new employees.
3 Desired Experience & Skills:
Excellent organizational skills and the ability to define both time lines and work package break downs to implement a solution at a customer installation.
Good presentation and customer facing skills. Able to develop into PowerPoint form and present complex technical solutions in a clear format to technical and management teams.
Able to negotiate resolution of technical disagreements with respect to compliancy statements addressing standards and commercial offers to find win-win positions.
Technical Experience and Skills:
- 3-5 yrs experience with OSS/BSS solutions integration and a solid understanding of Monitoring Solutions.
- 5+ yrs Telecom Experience in the areas of Data/IP Networking, TDMA, Voice over Cable, Fixed Network Solutions, Mobile Network Solutions (GSM/GPRS/UMTS/LTE), VoIP & IMS, Value Added Services
- 5+ yrs Telecom Systems Integration and Deployment Experience
- Experience with service provider in the planning, operations and performance monitoring areas
- Experience with fixed and/or wireless solutions with any of the major equipment vendors preferable Experience in Performance engineering and reporting in Business Objects desirable
Valuable Knowledge areas:
- Software Development, Deployment and Quality Procedures
- Network Operations Processes
- Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio
- Microsoft Projects software
- Server, probe and TAP technology
- Database Technologies (Oracle, Postgres)
- SAP Business Objects
- Tableau Software
- Linux OS
- Telecommunications and IP protocols
AUTHORITIES:
- The Solution Architect defines the technical scope of Solutions/MasterClaw proposals and customer projects through the solution description.
- The Solution Architect manages customer initiated product change requests.
- The Solution Architect manages customer special development projects.
- The Solution Architect approves the final customer acceptance of projects.
- The Solution Architect is the project technical authority with respect to design and implementation decisions
4 METRICS:
- The Solution Architect is the primary technical lead in the post sales delivery of solutions until hand over is completed to the Support Organization
- The Solution Architect ensures that the Solution Description guiding the delivery team deliverables matches the project deliverables with the technical expectations of the customer by ensuring that the solution description is both complete and understood by the customer.
- Manage in scope (agreed through solution description) requirements.
- Identify out of scope requirements so that they can be handled commercially by the Program Manager.
- Manage the performance requirements of the delivered system in accordance with hardware dimensioning guidelines.
- Acceptance tests are always at least conditionally passed in terms of functionality.
- Provide solution description on request.
- Acquire knowledge of and define new market requirements through the interaction with customer projects and report back to Product Management and R&D.
- Provide the account manager with the best and most satisfactory support that he and the organization is able to provide at any given time (within the limits of the given goals and strategies) so that new sales are achieved.
- Lead the project operations review to validate the installation and documentation is correct for the technical handover of the project to Support
Please submit your CV in English by Online Application Form.
ProductsMobile Wireless Communications
