Microsoft Corporation Hiring for Business Solutions Architect- Retail & CPG Service Line at Tempe, Arizona Full Time

Are you ready to seize an opportunity to work with Microsoft’s most established and innovative customers, advising and supporting their Business and IT Executives with the planning and realization of key digital transformation initiatives? Do you possess a proven track record for employing strong business and technology architectural skills, as well as orchestrating the creation and delivery of industry solutions that generate and accelerate business value? Do you have a passion for Microsoft’s technology & solutions, and are committed to accelerate our customers to a world of digital innovation and business transformation? If so, this could be your next great career adventure. Join us and help create life-changing innovations that impact billions around the world !

Microsoft Industry Solutions (IS) is a global organization of over 13,000 strategic sellers, industry experts, elite engineers, and world-class architects, consultants, and delivery experts who work together to bring Microsoft’s mission of empowerment – and cutting-edge technology – to life for the world’s most influential customers. We are on the front lines of innovation, working side-by-side with customers to drive value across the entirety of their digital transformation journey.

Our team prides itself on embracing a growth mindset, inspiring excellence, and encouraging everyone to share their unique viewpoints and be their authentic selves.

We are looking for Retail & CPG Service Line Architects with deep industry expertise to identify, lead, and manage a set of complex industry focused solution opportunities. This will require forming anchoring relationships through customer engagement with both internal and external partners. This role will support the Microsoft sales team pursuits, scoping proposals, and ensuring delivery on groundbreaking engagements. The mission is to work with Microsoft’s largest Enterprise clients to help them accelerate towards their business goals, take advantage of Digital Business Transformation, improve the business value from their Microsoft technology investments, and unleash innovation for their organization, their employees, and customers.

This role is critical to both sales and delivery . In sales driving the discovery, ideation, and solution architecture with laser focus on customer business outcomes from deploying the Microsoft platforms and solutions. In delivery, maintaining the business decision maker relationship and ensuring the expected business outcomes are achieved.

Responsibilities

Understanding Customer/Partner Technical Environment

• Gathers customer/partner insights from a broad range of stakeholders as well as the main business sponsor to shape and form both the definition and ongoing execution of projects. Anticipates industry trends (customer industry verticals, information technology [IT] industry). Leverages insights to influence long-term technology strategy and influences others to focus and adapt business models, plans, and solutions to key insights.

• Works with customer/partner stakeholders (e.g., Enterprise Architects, Security Team, Development Team, Operations Team) and business sponsor to socialize both the business solution and the project approach to determine if changes are needed to the business solution. Where the cost of change is accepted by the customer, shares this feedback with the project team and the broader account team to make the necessary adjustments using mechanisms such as updating the solution approach and projected costs in presales and change requests in delivery. Uses broad patterns of feedback to develop strategic and actionable insights and presents a compelling business case to program managers that influences product roadmaps and decision making. Contributes to Microsoft-centric operations and cadences to align with customer feedback.

• Uses evidence-based approach to represent the customer/partner as a customer advocate and share insights with Product Engineering teams and the business with a view to improving Microsoft technologies, products, services, and offerings such that they can better meet customer/partner needs across territories. Mentors peers on best practices around internal resources usage.

• Defines / leads repeatable ideation steps with customers to explore art of the possible through industry specific, cross industry business solutions/patterns and technology components, and demonstrating techniques such as Design Thinking and Inclusive Design

• Leads customer ideation workshops with Business and Technical Decision Maker (BDM and TDM) audiences to build, accelerate adoption of the Microsoft Platform and Services pipeline

• Understand the needs of nontechnical customers, to conceptualize, launch and deliver technology enabled business change projects

Architecture Design and Deployment

• Leverages a structured approach to architecture projects using existing methodologies (e.g., Waterfall, Agile, Iterative) that make use of existing reference architecture and established architectural styles and design patterns. Proposes and develops new solutions to scale across multiple customers/partners. Builds and maintains an architecture description document, an architecture decisions log, and a requirements/constraints traceability matrix to ensure the rationale for the business solution’s Architecture is known and understood.

• Defines and documents the architecture through an architecture description document, an architecture decisions log, and a requirements/constraints traceability matrix to communicate the value proposition of the business solution along with the project approach. Leads complex cost-based and technology-based discussions to explain the architecture in terms of its build, deployment, and ongoing operational use to determine customer appetite for the business solution. Uses a business-value approach that values return on investment (ROI) and customer costs-savings over technical ease of execution.

• Collaborates with the Project Manager to jointly drive project/technical/solution governance of the design, build, and deployment into use of proof of concepts (POCs) and pilots, using enterprise architecture processes and ensuring quality control through peer review. Provides end-to-end governance, oversight, and thought leadership within assigned customer engagement. Works with customers to understand and demonstrate business value (e.g., release of revenue, cost savings) that the business solution realize.

• Works with the business sponsor and customer/partner stakeholders (e.g., Business users, Enterprise Architects, Security Team, Operations Team) to gather, ratify, and help enhance requirements and constraints across multiple, large projects. Manages and resolves highly complex ambiguity in the requirements and constraints and documents assumptions and implications where it cannot be resolved. Maintains the requirements/constraints traceability matrix to prove that solution components have a rationale/justification for inclusion in the architecture of the business solution. Drives development and execution of test plans to prove that each requirement/constraint has been implemented as expected by the customer. Where there are defects, works in close collaboration with the Project Manager and customer to redress or accept and document the status of the test results.

• Leads collaboration with the Account Team and/or Bid Team to understand the business solution/problem. Drives agreement, based on the customer’s priorities, requirements/constraints, approach, principles, concepts, and expectations. Builds and documents a realistically costed, highly advanced/complex solution approach with traceability of requirements, constraints, decisions, and tradeoffs that balances risk, technical credibility, and technical innovation to meet customer need, predominantly based on existing solution offerings and/or reference architecture. Jointly leads the implementation in close partnership with the Project Manager. Leads oversight and governance and establishment of quality practices and standards to realize the business solution for large projects. Provides thought leadership and uses a cohesive build methodology with an agreed release schedule and timeline so the solution can be transitioned to live operations, leveraging solution expertise. Ensures communication of and adherence to the pre-sales value proposition. Works with the Project Manager to highlight where assumptions have proven false. Uses change requests to modify the solution/project approach when needed. As needed, collaborates with Subject Matter Experts to receive specialized advice that can help define the solution and project approach and increase the time to value for the customer.

• Anticipates and identifies scenarios that could slow or impede pre-sales/delivery. Leads and orchestrates the broader Microsoft team to address technical blockers and work with account/project team to resolve non-technical issues. Reports significant problems to Microsoft management and resolves complex escalations when needed. Plans a way forward in complex and ambiguous situations with an innovative approach and durable design. Develops and executes a strategy to circumvent and prevent complex or escalated scenarios. Delegates and leverages specialist skills of others to drive technical alignment across internal/external teams, leveraging deep knowledge of resources. Coordinates disparate approaches into a single plan of action for highly complex scenarios.

• Works in close collaboration with the Project Manager and Account Team to anticipate, identify, categorize, and communicate business and technical risks. Defines risk mitigation activities that are foundational to the project plan. Defines risk contingency plans for invocation should the risk occur. Outlines methodology and governance principles and practices for the broader organization that allows others to minimize risks.

Practice Development

• Generates new and/or improvements to existing intellectual property. Anticipates and addresses organization- and industry-wide gaps, patterns, and needs to drive changes. Identifies which ideas should be culled, with consideration for scale across customers. Drives the re-use of intellectual property and recommends practices in both pre-sales and delivery. Leads and contributes to internal/external communities.

Trusted Advisor

• Develops a deep network of internal/external relationships with senior-level decision makers at high-impact customers/partners to build influence in addressing problems/blockers and facilitating additional views on the matter of interest. Acts as an advisor to external stakeholders. Provides direction to facilitate relationships between others. Stays up to date on Microsoft’s technologies, products, and services in order to communicate Microsoft’s mission, strategy, and capabilities. Provides guidance to others in doing so.

• Uses evidence-based arguments that articulate complex concepts in a simple manner to respectfully challenge Microsoft and customers/partners when a decision or course of action will not produce optimal results. Leverages strategic expertise to encourage alternative approaches where applicable. Leverages network and industry experience to connect customers/partners with ideas, people, and resources to support their success. Serves as the “technical conscience” to challenge the status quo and unrealistic expectations. Proactively resolves conflicts and seeks resolution to balance the overall outcome. Drives consensus where possible and leads decisions to resolve conflict when needed.

• Leads the adoption of Microsoft solutions technologies based on insight to all major customer/partner projects, understanding of competitor solutions, and understanding of how customer business value can be driven through Microsoft’s offerings. Differentiates Microsoft’s solutions in complex and/or high-risk customer/partner conversations to influence the industry-wide direction for specific architecture(s).

Thought Leadership

• Leads the direction that internal team members and stakeholders take with customers by sharing ideas, insight, and strategic, technical input across boundaries, and actively pursues opportunities that grow impact and capabilities of the broader organization. Provides thought leadership by sharing deep industry insight and driving critical decisions that impact Microsoft, our customers, and the industry.

• Initiates and drives external architect community events (e.g., conferences, seminars, technical meetups, Webcasts, blogs, hackathons). Acts a mentor to junior colleagues by educating them on technical and non-technical concepts and sharing best practices. Serves as an industry-leading expert and drives recognition for Microsoft solutions through presentations and engagements with external audiences and publishing white papers around key technical topics and/or architecture design templates.

Other

• Embody our culture and values

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Social Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field AND 8+ years experience in technology solutions, practice development, architecture, consulting, and/or technology domain (e.g., Security)

• OR Master’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field AND 6+ years experience in technology solutions, practice development, architecture, consulting, and/or technology domain (e.g., Retail)

• OR equivalent experience.

Preferred NOT Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field AND 15+ years experience in Retail CPG industry/technology solutions, practice development, architecture, consulting, and/or technology domain

• OR Master’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field AND 12+ years experience in technology solutions, practice development, architecture, consulting, and/or technology domain (e.g., Security)

• OR equivalent experience.

• 8+ years technical sales experience.

• 8+ years project management experience.

• Technical or Professional Certification in Domain (e.g., Retail).

PREVIOUS QUAILIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Social Science, or Business AND 10+ years experience in business systems architecture, consulting, and/or technology solutions within the Retail/CPG industries

• Define / lead repeatable ideation steps with customers to explore art of the possible through industry specific, cross industry business solutions/patterns and technology components, and demonstrating techniques such as Design Thinking and Inclusive Design

• Lead customer ideation workshops with Business and Technical Decision Maker (BDM and TDM) audiences to build, accelerate adoption of the Microsoft Platform and Services pipeline

• Build unique and differentiated agile proposals focused on customer impact

• Quick study on competitive threats and building approaches that win

• Extensive experience within related advisory services, management/technology consulting

• Experience in identifying and successfully executing on digital disruptions including quantified business outcomes

• Consistent track record of delivering business value from IT at an executive level, bringing the benefits of technology to solve business issues while also leading costs, risk, and resources

• Ability to understand the needs of nontechnical customers, to conceptualize, launch and deliver technology enabled business change projects

• Leadership qualities and ability to coordinate physical and virtual resources and initiatives

• Executive level social, verbal, written and presentation skills, good listener, ability to provide a trusted voice at the decision-making table and be an advocate of Microsoft’s vision and value proposition

• Solid understanding of Microsoft’s offerings and experience with the implementation/adoption of key solutions and services such as Azure, Cloud, Platform & Productivity, Business Analytics, Devices & Mobility

Specialty skills including but not limited too – Enterprise Architecture, IT Portfolio Lifecycle Optimization, Organizational Design and Change Management, IT Governance, etc

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form (https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/accommodationrequest) .

Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.