Ensono is a leading, large-scale provider of mainframe and infrastructure services serving mid-tier to large enterprise clients. The Gartner Group says that, “Ensono is one of the top three mainframe services providers and a top ten provider of data center outsourcing services in North America… helping clients transform to a more standardized, and ultimately, cloud-based delivery” Ensono recently spun out of a larger entity (Acxiom) whose core business plan did not include infrastructure and IT services. Ensono is now operating under new ownership as a new, independent entity that is fully focused on IT infrastructure services and dedicated to growing these services and the client base that enjoys them. Ensono has approximately 2,100 associates and is headquartered in Downers Grove, IL within the greater Chicago area. Ensono also has presence in Omaha, NE; Conway, AR; Staines, UK Pune, India and Gdansk, Poland. Our company and community is one that focuses on philosophy of we win together. The right candidate will have a true partnership with all pillars of our business as we work as a team to grow. Ensono’s mission is to deliver technology solutions that enable our clients to be great at what they do. Ensono provides hybrid IT solutions that address our clients’ current needs while anticipating and engineering solutions for the ever-changing demands of tomorrow. We’re trusted by some of the world’s most successful companies because we deliver complete hybrid IT solutions and governance customized to each client’s IT journey. The Solution Architecture and Consulting teams at Ensono are responsible for creating these solutions that progress our clients’ businesses forward. Ensono SAs review business drivers and corporate objectives to craft technology solutions and roadmaps so our clients can adapt to changing industry needs. These technocrats are strategist and advisors in transformation. From Hyperscale Cloud to Mainframe, we cover the breadth of technology platforms. We are looking for an experienced Solution Architect to join our team and grow with Ensono. If you’re excited to build relationships with senior-level technologists and solve business challenges, then Ensono can help you grow. What we are looking for: • Well versed in the hosting technology landscape with 12+ years of experience • Previous experience as an SA (Sales/Solutions Engineer, Solutions Architect) with hosting service providers • Experienced with large Cloud, IaaS and Datacenter outsourcing solutions • Ability to create multi-platform, multi-year outsourcing roadmaps • Has experience with (and preferably certified on) hyper-scale cloud platforms (AWS and Azure) • Comfortable with executive level positioning of complex solutions that span multiple disciplines (hosting, network, security, storage and backup, DR, etc.) • Familiar with complex sales cycles and contracting process • Experienced in planning and executing discovery and design workshops internally and at client sites • Familiar with and can help create complicated financial (pricing) models to support technical solutions Our focus on customer service and our experience in managing business complexity distinguishes us from our competitors. From current platforms to evolving technologies, we deliver results for our clients by flawlessly executing infrastructure operations so our clients can focus on what they do best. We are looking for talented individuals who share this passion.
 

Ensono’s Solution Architects are seasoned technologists focused on pushing forward technical innovation and transformation within the solution sets we provide. They work closely with our clients to understand their business drivers and objectives. Through collaboration with internal technologists, SAs create solutions that drive value for our clients. They also provide client and industry feedback to Ensono’s internal teams, which allows Ensono to adjust our product and technology roadmaps. 

The Solution Architect (SA) team works alongside and supports Sales, Consulting and Client Success organizations to service our Clients. They work with the clients’ business and technical teams to create reference architecture frameworks and templates. They lead the effort to execute multi-year transformation initiatives. To that end, senior SAs must be effective in fostering executive level relationships with an emphasis on client satisfaction. Throughout the engagement process, from discovery to solution implementation, a Sr. SA must work with and often lead multi-disciplinary teams. Ultimately, he/she remains of the owner of the overall technical solution.  

Responsibilities:

• Support strategic client(s) as the Lead Solution Architect for all initiatives
• Collaborate with counterparts in the Sales and Consulting organizations to create Pursuit, Solution, and Sales strategies for Enterprise clients
• Conduct discovery, assessment and solution development workshops (often in collaboration with resources from consulting, operations and product teams) to craft winning solutions
• Develop and document solutions that meet client’s (technical and business) requirements and allow them to adapt to changing industry needs with a focus on transformation and re-platform efforts
• Conduct solution development sessions and present technical solutions and business cases to a wide variety of audience
• Gain executive buy in for complex solutions by engaging in executive and senior-level technology discussions
• Work with finance and pricing teams to create complex multi-year financial models
• Gain clients’ confidence as a trusted advisor by offering consultation and recommendations drawn from insights, technology know-how and past experiences
• Align and partner with Product Management to help drive appropriate product enhancements and changes to technology roadmap
• Aid in driving stability and innovation within the client’s current and future state and create solutions based on client requirements and available product offerings
• Push for higher value/value added services and solutions to the customer in line with Ensono’s offerings

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or computer sciences
• Major Industry accreditations / certifications
• Proven experience in managing projects through the entire project lifecycle. This includes managing multi-phase/multi-dimensional/multi-resource projects to conclusion while maintaining high client satisfaction
• Understanding of (and experience with) public cloud platforms (AWS, Azure) and hybrid solutions preferred
• Well versed in the hosting technology landscape including compute, storage, backup, network, security, DR, DevOps and IT governance
• Complete understanding of the sales process for large and complex opportunities including ITO
• Resourceful and confident in Crisis and Expectation management and confident under pressure
• Has experience in technical documentation to capture solution components in a timely manner while ensuring acceptable level of detail, data integrity, and accountability
• Ability to share knowledge and expertise among various organizations within the company and to facilitate teamwork among those organizations to better serve our clients
• Ability to work in a team environment and demonstrate strong problem-solving skills
• Proficient with common office applications such as MS Outlook, MS Excel, PowerPoint and MS Visio
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills (oral, written and presentation)

Key Attributes:

• Independent, self-directed
• Advanced presentation & communication skills  
• Strong empathy, self-awareness and interpersonal skills 
• Able to challenge status quo

Seniority Level:

• 12+ years of experience as an architect or equivalent in the hosting and network space (preferably with a service provider and/or cloud MSP)

Travel:

• Travel to various Ensono locations and client sites will be frequent; estimated 40% of weeks will involve travel, more in first year of role.