Services Solutions Architect Oracle CSS MEA (Kenya)

CSS is a business unit within Oracle that establishes long-term service relationships with many of Oracle's largest customers.

CSS have a proven track record in successful delivery of IT services for mission critical environments in major organizations. In addition to a specialization in the area of cloud, they possess extensive, broad-based expertise in the area of mission critical production operations, support and managed services. They have proven experience in industry standard service management and project management best practices.

In addition to extensive broad based experience of IT services and technologies, each individual Service Solution Architect has deep expertise in specific services & technology areas, and acts as the subject-matter lead in those areas within the team.

All CSS Service Solution Architects have extremely strong customer facing presentation and interaction skills, are capable of engaging at senior management and C-level, articulating service and technology solutions in terms of business value and risk.

SCOPE:

• Location: Nairobi, Kenya
• Geographic area of responsibility: Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Ghana expanding to Middle East and Africa.
• Languages:  Fluent spoken and written English language capability required
• Customer facing
• Has no direct reports, but often leads and/or guides the activities of virtual teams to build service solution propositions for customers
• Works with multiple customers across all sectors/countries in the CSS MEA region, in collaboration with Oracle CSS and Oracle cross-line-of-business (xLoB) teams
• Works on services related opportunities across the entire lifecycle of all Oracle cloud and on-premises products. CSS opportunities typically involve extensive Oracle xLoB collaboration, and require the CSS Service Solution Architect to work within xLoB teams covering Oracle product and services requirements across design, deployment, migration, operations/management and support
• Works with the local CSS Sales and xLoB teams to:
• Identify, build and win leading edge/large scale services opportunities across existing and new Oracle CSS customers
• Build and articulate compelling CSS service solutions for each opportunity that address identified customer business needs
• Ensure the service requirements, risks and costs associated with each CSS service proposition are fully understood and addressed
• Provide subject matter expert input into contract and commercial documentation and negotiation
• Assist in closing opportunities in a timely fashion
• Assist CSS to achieve its growth targets and strategic initiatives
• Work with appropriate Oracle Partners, i.e. resellers, SIs, partners, and alliances

RESPONSBILITIES:

• To identify, foster and define Oracle CSS services solutions for specific customer opportunities and assist in the sale alongside the local CSS team consisting of sales representative, CSS pre-sales and CSS delivery
• Work with the customer, CSS management and the xLoB account teams to:
• Understand the customer’s business and IT strategic requirements and identify large scale CSS opportunities to assist the customer achieve its strategic goals
• Gather and assess customer needs, both business and technical and translates these into CSS service solutions
• Build and lead virtual teams associated with these large scale opportunities
• Effectively communicate with customer to CxO level
• Build customer loyalty through achieving a trusted advisor relationship
• Work proactively to build and leverage an effective and extensive network across Oracle xLoBs – be seen, respected and in demand across Oracle as a high value asset and an SME in service solutions
• Collaborate effectively internally and externally to ensure effective service solution design and development
• Drive compelling proposals, presentations, and other customer and internal communications and discussions during opportunities
• Drive service solution costing & pricing associated with specific opportunities and ensure that service solutions proposed are appropriately shaped to meet the commercial and contracting requirement of Oracle
• Effectively communicate and articulate the details of the service components in a proposed customer solution
• Demonstrate a strong understanding of the services competitive marketplace to anticipate and plan for competitive threats
• Work with disparate groups including, but not limited to, sales, delivery, customers, risk management, business development, contracts, product management
• Work with CSS delivery to ensure a smooth transition from sales to delivery
• Navigate Oracle internal tools and processes to effectively participate and enable CSS sales
• Produce appropriate and timely opportunity reporting/tracking information for CSS management
• Transfers knowledge to other participant roles on the deal, account teams, delivery and across the CSS Service Solution Architect community

Experience:

This is a senior role. CSS Service Solution Architects at this level typically have 20+ years of experience in relevant IT services, across a wide range of technologies and customer sectors.

A typical experience profile for successful individuals in this role would include most if not all of the following:

• 15+ years of IT services, including significant direct experience in services roles within multiple external IT services providers
• Broad understanding of typical enterprise applications and IT infrastructures including public and on-premises cloud, including but not limited to Oracle technologies
• Extensive experience of working in a services presales role within an IT services provider
• Extensive experience in IT services, service operations and service management, including managed services/outsourcing
• Large scale IT project and programme management, including major transformation, migration and solution deployment projects
• Commercial and contract management, including construction of TCO analyses and pricing for complex service offers
• Sales and complex deal negotiation
• Architecting, implementing and delivering complex service solutions for large scale, mission critical IT environments
• Consulting and trusted-advisor roles to C-level within major customer organizations in relation to IT services
• Proven ability to construct and deliver compelling presentations and propositions to C-level and large audiences
• Driving large scale IT services bids