The Consulting Enterprise Strategist guides educational organizations through digital transformation by aligning IT strategies with institutional goals, engaging with executive leaders, and designing multi-practice solutions.
Description
As a Consulting Enterprise Strategist (ES) supporting Education enterprise and majors accounts, you serve as the enterprise-wide, multi-practice strategic and architectural authority guiding complex education-sector organizations through long-range digital transformation. This role represents Security, Hybrid Infrastructure, Digital Experience, and Digital Infrastructure, aligning academic, operational, and public-mission priorities to scalable IT strategies. The Enterprise Strategist engages with CIOs, CISOs, CTOs, Presidents/Chancellors, and Superintendents, operating within executive-level, long-cycle, multi-practice sales motions. Acting as the technological strategist for large, institution-wide pursuits, helping customers modernize safely while navigating governance, funding, regulatory, and stakeholder complexity. Your core objective is to align institutional mission and business outcomes with integrated IT strategy, translating educational objectives- such as student success, research enablement, digital equity, safety, resilience, and operational efficiency- into actionable IT roadmaps and multi-year transformation programs. The Consulting Enterprise Strategist ensures Education customers receive cohesive, outcome-driven architectures, not siloed point solutions. This role bridges strategy, architecture, governance, and execution, supporting institutions that operate under:
* Shared governance and decentralized decision-making
* Multi-year budget cycles and constrained funding models
* Regulatory, privacy, and compliance requirements
* Diverse stakeholder communities (academic, IT, finance, public leadership) The Enterprise Strategist partners closely with Client Executives (CEs), Solution Executives (SEs), and practice teams to co-plan accounts, align engagement models, and deliver coordinated, enterprise-scale outcomes.
What you will do:
* Enterprise Strategy & Architecture (Education)
* Lead enterprise-wide, multi-practice strategy and architectural engagements across higher education systems, large universities, and K-12 districts.
* Translate institutional goals- student success, research enablement, digital access, security, resilience, and operational efficiency- into integrated IT roadmaps and future-state architectures.
* Design high-level designs (HLDs) and scalable architectures supporting campus, district, or system-wide modernization initiatives.
* Executive Engagement & Sales Motion
* Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership, including CIOs, CISOs, academic and operational leaders, aligning technology strategy to mission outcomes.
* Operate within an executive-level, long-cycle, multi-practice sales motion typical of Education.
* Act as the technical quarterback for complex, cross-practice pursuits- driving clarity, alignment, and forward progress across long decision cycles.
* Account & Opportunity Leadership
* Co-plan strategic Education enterprise and major accounts with CE and SE teams to ensure orchestrated engagement and sustained value delivery.
* Shape, qualify, and accelerate large, institution-wide opportunities that span multiple practices and funding periods.
* Guide partner and ecosystem alignment, including OEMs, cloud providers, and software partners appropriate for public-sector environments.
* Cross-Practice Orchestration
* Own alignment across sales, presales, delivery, partners, and leadership for multi-practice Education engagements.
* Standardize enterprise solution approaches while respecting institutional autonomy and governance models.
* Navigate internal processes, approvals, and public-sector procurement dynamics to reduce friction and enable execution.
* Business Outcomes & Value Creation
* Build multi-year roadmaps, business cases, and formal proposals (SOWs, LOEs, RFP responses) aligned to measurable education outcomes.
* Support financial impact and value modeling appropriate for grant-funded, bond-funded, or operating-budget initiatives.
* Drive outcomes such as integrated architecture, modernization at scale, security posture improvement, digital equity enablement, and operational resilience.
* Thought Leadership & Enablement
* Act as a thought leader for the Education enterprise strategy, mentoring presales and delivery teams on large-scale institutional engagement.
* Represent CDW in executive briefings, workshops, advisory councils, and industry forums relevant to higher education and K-12.
* Bridge insights between clients, presales, delivery, and corporate strategy to inform capability evolution and innovation.
What we expect of you:
* Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering and 7+ years of experience in IT architecture and engineering, spanning at least 2 technology practice areas OR equivalent experience.
* 3+ years of experience designing multi-practice solutions for complex customer environments.
* Strong understanding of CDW's portfolio (Cloud, applications, data, security, modern infrastructure, DevOps, SaaS technologies, and AI).
* Proven ability to influence Key stakeholders at the executive level (CIOs, CISOs, CTOs, Presidents/Chancellors, and Superintendents, Superintendents, CTO, EdTech, Cybersecurity Coordinators and CBO)
* Demonstrated success building and delivering enterprise technology roadmaps and digital transformation strategies.
* Certifications across multiple disciplines (e.g., AWS Solutions Architect, Azure Architect Expert), a plus.
* Background in vertical-specific architecture (e.g., Education HiEd and K-12), a plus.
* Strategic Mindset: Anticipates future trends and implications, translates vision into executable strategies, a plus.
* Executive Presence: Communicates with confidence and clarity to influence diverse executive audiences, a plus.
* Cross-Domain Expertise: Applies a systems-level view to architecting integrated technology solutions, a plus.
* Innovation & Agility: Thinks creatively to develop novel solutions and thrives in fast-paced environments, a plus.
* Collaborative Leadership: Works seamlessly across sales, engineering, delivery, and partner ecosystems, a plus.
* Outcome-Driven: Anchors all recommendations in measurable client value and business impact, a plus. Pay range: $121,450 - $170,010 depending on experience and skill set Annual bonus target of 25% subject to terms and conditions of plan Benefits overview: [https://cdw.benefit-info.com/](https://cdw.benefit-info.com/) Salary ranges may be subject to geographic differentials
* CDW is committed to being an AI-fluent organization
* We're looking for people who bring curiosity, a learner's mindset, and a willingness to engage with ever-evolving technology and tools. We value adopting AI as a partner, openness to experimentation, and a shared interest in learning together on AI. Our goal is to create a culture where AI enhances- not replaces- human creativity and decision-making. You don't need to be an expert today; what matters is your readiness to explore, adapt, and grow with us as we integrate AI responsibly and effectively into our work.Additionally, CDW is committed to fostering an equitable, transparent, and respectful hiring process for all applicants. During our application process, our goal is to understand your experience, strengths, skills, and qualifications. As an AI forward company, we see AI not just as a tool, but as a catalyst for new ways of thinking, creating, and communicating. We encourage candidates to embrace an AI mindset, one that's curious, adaptive, and ready to explore what's possible. We welcome thoughtful use of AI to expand your perspective and elevate how you share your story, while ensuring your application remains rooted in your own background, judgment, and voice.
* About Us
* CDW is a Fortune 500 technology solutions provider that helps businesses, government, education, and healthcare organizations achieve what's possible through technology. What makes CDW different isn't just what we do- it's how we do it. At CDW we act as one- building trust, speaking candidly, and working together to achieve more. We play to win- focusing on what matters most and delivering for our customers. And we think forward- staying curious, moving fast, and continuously learning. We believe meaningful work happens when people feel supported, heard, and empowered to contribute. That's why we think of ourselves as coworkers, not just employees- working together to solve complex challenges and deliver real impact for our customers and communities. As a full-stack, full-lifecycle technology partner, CDW brings deep expertise, strong relationships, and broad industry knowledge to help turn ideas into outcomes. When you join CDW, you become part of a collaborative environment where your work matters, your growth is supported, and your contributions help shape what's next. Together, we deliver the full promise of what technology can do.
* Together, we Make Amazing Happen.
* CDW is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regards to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other basis prohibited by state and local law.
As a Consulting Enterprise Strategist (ES) supporting Education enterprise and majors accounts, you serve as the enterprise-wide, multi-practice strategic and architectural authority guiding complex education-sector organizations through long-range digital transformation. This role represents Security, Hybrid Infrastructure, Digital Experience, and Digital Infrastructure, aligning academic, operational, and public-mission priorities to scalable IT strategies. The Enterprise Strategist engages with CIOs, CISOs, CTOs, Presidents/Chancellors, and Superintendents, operating within executive-level, long-cycle, multi-practice sales motions. Acting as the technological strategist for large, institution-wide pursuits, helping customers modernize safely while navigating governance, funding, regulatory, and stakeholder complexity. Your core objective is to align institutional mission and business outcomes with integrated IT strategy, translating educational objectives- such as student success, research enablement, digital equity, safety, resilience, and operational efficiency- into actionable IT roadmaps and multi-year transformation programs. The Consulting Enterprise Strategist ensures Education customers receive cohesive, outcome-driven architectures, not siloed point solutions. This role bridges strategy, architecture, governance, and execution, supporting institutions that operate under:
* Shared governance and decentralized decision-making
* Multi-year budget cycles and constrained funding models
* Regulatory, privacy, and compliance requirements
* Diverse stakeholder communities (academic, IT, finance, public leadership) The Enterprise Strategist partners closely with Client Executives (CEs), Solution Executives (SEs), and practice teams to co-plan accounts, align engagement models, and deliver coordinated, enterprise-scale outcomes.
What you will do:
* Enterprise Strategy & Architecture (Education)
* Lead enterprise-wide, multi-practice strategy and architectural engagements across higher education systems, large universities, and K-12 districts.
* Translate institutional goals- student success, research enablement, digital access, security, resilience, and operational efficiency- into integrated IT roadmaps and future-state architectures.
* Design high-level designs (HLDs) and scalable architectures supporting campus, district, or system-wide modernization initiatives.
* Executive Engagement & Sales Motion
* Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership, including CIOs, CISOs, academic and operational leaders, aligning technology strategy to mission outcomes.
* Operate within an executive-level, long-cycle, multi-practice sales motion typical of Education.
* Act as the technical quarterback for complex, cross-practice pursuits- driving clarity, alignment, and forward progress across long decision cycles.
* Account & Opportunity Leadership
* Co-plan strategic Education enterprise and major accounts with CE and SE teams to ensure orchestrated engagement and sustained value delivery.
* Shape, qualify, and accelerate large, institution-wide opportunities that span multiple practices and funding periods.
* Guide partner and ecosystem alignment, including OEMs, cloud providers, and software partners appropriate for public-sector environments.
* Cross-Practice Orchestration
* Own alignment across sales, presales, delivery, partners, and leadership for multi-practice Education engagements.
* Standardize enterprise solution approaches while respecting institutional autonomy and governance models.
* Navigate internal processes, approvals, and public-sector procurement dynamics to reduce friction and enable execution.
* Business Outcomes & Value Creation
* Build multi-year roadmaps, business cases, and formal proposals (SOWs, LOEs, RFP responses) aligned to measurable education outcomes.
* Support financial impact and value modeling appropriate for grant-funded, bond-funded, or operating-budget initiatives.
* Drive outcomes such as integrated architecture, modernization at scale, security posture improvement, digital equity enablement, and operational resilience.
* Thought Leadership & Enablement
* Act as a thought leader for the Education enterprise strategy, mentoring presales and delivery teams on large-scale institutional engagement.
* Represent CDW in executive briefings, workshops, advisory councils, and industry forums relevant to higher education and K-12.
* Bridge insights between clients, presales, delivery, and corporate strategy to inform capability evolution and innovation.
What we expect of you:
* Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering and 7+ years of experience in IT architecture and engineering, spanning at least 2 technology practice areas OR equivalent experience.
* 3+ years of experience designing multi-practice solutions for complex customer environments.
* Strong understanding of CDW's portfolio (Cloud, applications, data, security, modern infrastructure, DevOps, SaaS technologies, and AI).
* Proven ability to influence Key stakeholders at the executive level (CIOs, CISOs, CTOs, Presidents/Chancellors, and Superintendents, Superintendents, CTO, EdTech, Cybersecurity Coordinators and CBO)
* Demonstrated success building and delivering enterprise technology roadmaps and digital transformation strategies.
* Certifications across multiple disciplines (e.g., AWS Solutions Architect, Azure Architect Expert), a plus.
* Background in vertical-specific architecture (e.g., Education HiEd and K-12), a plus.
* Strategic Mindset: Anticipates future trends and implications, translates vision into executable strategies, a plus.
* Executive Presence: Communicates with confidence and clarity to influence diverse executive audiences, a plus.
* Cross-Domain Expertise: Applies a systems-level view to architecting integrated technology solutions, a plus.
* Innovation & Agility: Thinks creatively to develop novel solutions and thrives in fast-paced environments, a plus.
* Collaborative Leadership: Works seamlessly across sales, engineering, delivery, and partner ecosystems, a plus.
* Outcome-Driven: Anchors all recommendations in measurable client value and business impact, a plus. Pay range: $121,450 - $170,010 depending on experience and skill set Annual bonus target of 25% subject to terms and conditions of plan Benefits overview: [https://cdw.benefit-info.com/](https://cdw.benefit-info.com/) Salary ranges may be subject to geographic differentials
* CDW is committed to being an AI-fluent organization
* We're looking for people who bring curiosity, a learner's mindset, and a willingness to engage with ever-evolving technology and tools. We value adopting AI as a partner, openness to experimentation, and a shared interest in learning together on AI. Our goal is to create a culture where AI enhances- not replaces- human creativity and decision-making. You don't need to be an expert today; what matters is your readiness to explore, adapt, and grow with us as we integrate AI responsibly and effectively into our work.Additionally, CDW is committed to fostering an equitable, transparent, and respectful hiring process for all applicants. During our application process, our goal is to understand your experience, strengths, skills, and qualifications. As an AI forward company, we see AI not just as a tool, but as a catalyst for new ways of thinking, creating, and communicating. We encourage candidates to embrace an AI mindset, one that's curious, adaptive, and ready to explore what's possible. We welcome thoughtful use of AI to expand your perspective and elevate how you share your story, while ensuring your application remains rooted in your own background, judgment, and voice.
* About Us
* CDW is a Fortune 500 technology solutions provider that helps businesses, government, education, and healthcare organizations achieve what's possible through technology. What makes CDW different isn't just what we do- it's how we do it. At CDW we act as one- building trust, speaking candidly, and working together to achieve more. We play to win- focusing on what matters most and delivering for our customers. And we think forward- staying curious, moving fast, and continuously learning. We believe meaningful work happens when people feel supported, heard, and empowered to contribute. That's why we think of ourselves as coworkers, not just employees- working together to solve complex challenges and deliver real impact for our customers and communities. As a full-stack, full-lifecycle technology partner, CDW brings deep expertise, strong relationships, and broad industry knowledge to help turn ideas into outcomes. When you join CDW, you become part of a collaborative environment where your work matters, your growth is supported, and your contributions help shape what's next. Together, we deliver the full promise of what technology can do.
* Together, we Make Amazing Happen.
* CDW is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regards to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other basis prohibited by state and local law.
CDW Chicago, Illinois, USA Office
625 W Adams St., Chicago, IL, United States, 60661
Similar Jobs at CDW
Information Technology
Sell CDW Security services and products across the full sales lifecycle. Develop strategic account plans, build relationships with enterprise clients and partners, manage pipeline and forecasts in Salesforce, coordinate cross-functional resources, mentor junior sellers, represent CDW at events, and achieve bookings, revenue, and profit targets while tracking market trends and driving customer security program adoption.
Top Skills:
AICloud SecurityData PrivacyEmerging Security TechnologiesIdentity And Access ManagementPhysical SecuritySalesforceSecure InfrastructureThird-Party Risk ManagementThreat And Vulnerability Management
Information Technology
Sell CDW Security services and products, manage full sales lifecycle, develop strategic account plans, build and grow client and partner relationships, coordinate internal resources, maintain Salesforce pipeline and forecasts, mentor junior sellers, represent CDW at industry events, and meet bookings, revenue, and profit targets.
Top Skills:
AICloud SecurityCyber Workforce DevelopmentEmerging Security TechnologiesIdentity And Access ManagementPhysical SecurityPrivacyRisk And ComplianceSalesforceSecure InfrastructureThird-Party Risk ManagementThreat And Vulnerability Management
Information Technology
Sell CDW Security services and products through full sales lifecycle management: strategic account planning, opportunity qualification, relationship building, partnering with services and OEMs, pipeline forecasting, and closing. Mentor junior team members, engage partners and marketing, maintain Salesforce, represent CDW at industry events, and drive revenue, bookings, and gross profit targets.
Top Skills:
Salesforce
What you need to know about the Chicago Tech Scene
With vibrant neighborhoods, great food and more affordable housing than either coast, Chicago might be the most liveable major tech hub. It is the birthplace of modern commodities and futures trading, a national hub for logistics and commerce, and home to the American Medical Association and the American Bar Association. This diverse blend of industry influences has helped Chicago emerge as a major player in verticals like fintech, biotechnology, legal tech, e-commerce and logistics technology. It’s also a major hiring center for tech companies on both coasts.
Key Facts About Chicago Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 245,800; 5.2% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: McDonald’s, John Deere, Boeing, Morningstar
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, biotechnology, fintech, software, logistics technology
- Funding Landscape: $2.5 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Pritzker Group Venture Capital, Arch Venture Partners, MATH Venture Partners, Jump Capital, Hyde Park Venture Partners
- Research Centers and Universities: Northwestern University, University of Chicago, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Illinois Institute of Technology, Argonne National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
