Role Summary
The Deal Architect is a senior strategic leader responsible for shaping, designing, and governing complex multi‑million–dollar technology and managed services deals. This role is central to orchestrating end‑to‑end solutioning across technical, commercial, delivery, and contractual components of large strategic pursuits. With 18+ years of experience, the Deal Architect acts as the linchpin between customers, sales, delivery, and domain specialists—ensuring that the final solution is winnable, deliverable, cost‑optimised, and aligned with the customer’s business outcomes.
Key Responsibilities
1. Deal & Solution Architecture Leadership
Lead the architecture of complex, multi‑tower solutions covering cloud, data, digital engineering, service management, platforms, and application modernization.
Translate high‑level business requirements into integrated technical, service, and commercial solution frameworks.
Govern solution integrity across technology, delivery, transition, pricing, and contractual streams.
2. Strategic Pursuit Ownership
Own and orchestrate end‑to‑end solution development for major RFPs, RFIs, and sole‑source pursuits.
Gate the progression of opportunities by evaluating strategic fit, solution feasibility, delivery risk, and commercial viability.
Drive and document win themes, value propositions, differentiators, and commercial levers.
3. Cross‑Functional Orchestration
Coordinate with Solution Architects, Technical Directors, Domain Advisors, Finance, Legal, Delivery, and Commercial teams.
Ensure all pursuit artefacts (SOWs, pricing sheets, TOM, SLAs/XLAs, transition plans) align to a cohesive solution.
Facilitate solution workshops, customer discovery sessions, and deep‑dive technical/operational interviews.
4. Financial & Commercial Architecture
Shape pricing models including T&M, Fixed Price, Outcome‑based, or Managed Service constructs.
Ensure commercial solutions reflect risk‑adjusted costing, transition/run budgets, and margin expectations.
Challenge cost inputs, optimise delivery models (onshore/nearshore/offshore), and improve deal competitiveness.
5. Governance & Compliance
Lead internal solution reviews, Red Team/Black Hat sessions, and CXO sign‑offs.
Ensure alignment with enterprise frameworks, risk controls, security standards, and architectural governance.
Validate compliance with customer‑mandated standards, due diligence requirements, and regulatory expectations.
6. Customer Engagement
Act as a senior customer‑facing solution leader in orals, workshops, and commercial negotiations.
Build executive‑level trust by articulating solution rationale, trade‑offs, delivery models, and roadmap visions.
7. Knowledge Leadership
Mentor junior architects and presales contributors.
Evolve solution patterns, playbooks, reusable assets, cost models, and value accelerators.
Contribute to thought leadership and industry‑aligned solution frameworks.
Required Experience (18+ Years)
Technical & Architectural
End‑to‑end architecture expertise across Cloud (AWS/Azure), Data Platforms, Integration, Modern Applications, DevOps, and Enterprise IT landscapes (aligned with Solution & Enterprise Architect capabilities from internal files:
Solutions Architect - Roles and Responsibilities
and
Enterprise Architect – Roles & Responsibilities
).
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Experience designing large-scale multi‑tower solutions including:
Cloud migrations & managed services
Digital transformation programmes
Multi‑region delivery frameworks
Service management & automation pipelines
Security & governance overlays
Commercial & Financial
Extensive experience building complex pricing models for multi‑year deals.
Strong understanding of cost structures, resource models, rate cards, GP/NP levers, and risk buffers.
Exposure to constructing managed service contracts with SLAs, XLAs, KPIs, and outcome‑based models.
Pre‑Sales & Pursuit Experience
Proven track record working on competitive RFPs, framework renewals, and large strategic deals.
Experience interacting with CxO stakeholders, procurement teams, and architecture governance boards.
Ability to run deal strategy cycles, competitive analysis, and bid optimisation.
Cross‑Functional Skills
Ability to orchestrate large virtual teams across sales, delivery, architecture, finance, and legal.
Excellent communication, storytelling, and executive‑level presentation ability.
Strong stakeholder management and negotiation capabilities.
Core Competencies
Strategic
Enterprise‑level architectural thinking
Business-case modelling & commercial optimisation
Market, industry, and competitive insight
Innovation & value engineering mindset
Technical
Multi‑cloud architectures (Azure/AWS)
Data, integration, and automation frameworks
Modern engineering practices (CI/CD, DevOps, SRE)
Security & compliance frameworks
Behavioural
Executive presence and gravitas
Structured problem-solving
Collaborative leadership
High resilience under bid pressure
Ability to navigate ambiguity and derive clarity
Preferred Qualifications
Bachelor’s / Master’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or related field
Certifications: TOGAF, AWS/Azure Architect, ITIL, PMP/Prince2 (optional)
Experience in consulting, system integration, or managed services environments
Experience engaging with global delivery models
Why Version 1?
At Version 1, we believe in providing our employees with a comprehensive benefits package that prioritises their wellbeing, professional growth, and financial stability.
Share in our success with our Quarterly Performance-Related Profit Share Scheme, where employees collectively benefit from a share of our company's profits.
Strong Career Progression & mentorship coaching through our Strength in Balance & Leadership schemes with a dedicated quarterly Pathways Career Development programme.
Flexible/remote working, Version 1 is tremendously understanding of life events and people’s individual circumstances and offer flexibility to help achieve a healthy work life balance.
Financial Wellbeing initiatives including; Pension, Private Healthcare Cover, Life Assurance, Financial advice and an Employee Discount scheme.
Employee Wellbeing schemes including Gym Discounts, Bike to Work, Fitness classes, Mindfulness Workshops, Employee Assistance Programme and much more. Generous holiday allowance, enhanced maternity/paternity leave, marriage/civil partnership leave and special leave policies.
Educational assistance, incentivised certifications, and accreditations, including AWS, Microsoft, Oracle, and Red Hat.
Reward schemes including Version 1’s Annual Excellence Awards & ‘Call-Out’ platform.
Environment, Social and Community First initiatives allow you to get involved in local fundraising and development opportunities as part of fostering our diversity, inclusion and belonging schemes.
And many more exciting benefits… drop us a note to find out more.
