Senior Enterprise Architect (EPG- Enterprise and Partner Group):This is an Enterprise architect role that will work one-on-one with our top customer’s most senior executives & architects in a presales capacity to understand their highest priority business needs. This role will deliver compelling MS architecture approaches to meet those needs and successfully position MS against our competitors. Architects are involved in the entire IT lifecycle but are most critical in the discovery, design, and delivery phases. Areas of focus may include enterprise, industry, platform and solutions. Key deliverables and associated activities include:Customer guidanceo Work with named EPG customers to align technology to their most critical business opportunities and needso Identify and document how our competitors are engaged in these business processes and how we can best be positioned to meet customer needs and grow share.Business strategy and solutionso Provide technical guidance to internal practice managemento Develop business and market solutions and strategieso Support sales acct team in architect-driven pre-sales initiativeso Align with and support Microsoft product and strategy teamsSuccessful solution deploymentso Ensure proper business value and customer/partner satisfactiono Provide quality assurance over both sales opportunities and project deliveryo Make go/no-go decisions on technical approacheso Engage and lead Microsoft and partner resourcesGrow and mentor otherso Create and champion technical communityo Proactively share best practiceso Develop architect talent pipelineo Recruit and mentor consultants and architectsOperational excellence and innovationo Drive IP development and reuse initiativeso Drive best practice, architectural awareness initiativesThe Senior EPG Enterprise Architect is responsible for identifying and driving Microsoft opportunities and revenue in some of Microsoft’s largest, most strategic, and competitive accounts. They will do this by developing relationships with the senior executives and architects at a single or small group of accounts and team with them to understand their key business processes, initiatives, and competitive solutions. They will then work with the customer & the MS virtual team in a presales capacity to architect MS solution(s) that will exceed their most critical business needs and positions MS superior to our competitors.The architect enters early in the sales cycle and identifies the Microsoft product suite that best solves a customer's business problems. They design technical solutions that provide the customer value and can be implemented thus driving sales, customer satisfaction, and create intellectual property covering innovation with our products that can be reused by our internal organization, customers and partners. They mentor others to create a best-of-breed workforce and work environment, thus ensuring a consistent customer experience.The architect can speak the language of business, the language of architecture and the language of technology which allows them to communicate with business owners in business language, with other architects in terms of frameworks, methodologies, patterns, and best practices, and technologists in the language of product specifications, constraints, and capabilities. They possess the deep technical knowledge that allows them to integrate portions of technology that support a single technology area, but also possess a breadth of knowledge in multiple technology areas that allow them to integrate between the various technologies in use in an enterprise environment.The architect is aware of the major vendors in a technology space (at an architectural level) and can discuss the pros and cons of selecting one vendor over another for a specific project. They also keep track of industry vertical trends, technology trends, and the impact of regulatory compliance on architectures.Qualifications:Must have a degree in Computer Science or Engineering or equivalent work experience. Higher relevant education preferred.At least 10-12 years related technology experience, including Microsoft and competitor technologies.Work experience should involve technical consulting, solution design, project envisioning, planning, development, deployment, and management.Must have a proven record of delivering business value.Some business process and people management skills or related experience required.Candidates must have a deep understanding of markets, customers and related technology, have the background to provide leadership in the practice and a demonstrated effectiveness in consulting and client management.Candidates must have deep understanding of customer and partner business and IT environment, and have demonstrated skills architecting and deploying technology to solve business problems.Candidates must have industry leading depth knowledge of subject area, and have demonstrated analysis and communication skills connecting technology and business problems.