Lead Solutions Engineer

About WSO2

Founded in 2005, WSO2 is the largest independent software provider of open source API management, integration, and identity and access management (IAM) products. WSO2's products and platforms—including our next-gen internal developer platform, Choreo—empower thousands of enterprises in over 90 countries to drive their digital transformation journeys in delivering secure digital services and applications. Our open-source, API-first approach frees developers and architects from vendor lock-in, enabling rapid digital product creation. Recognized for our leadership by industry analysts, WSO2 has over 700 employees worldwide with offices in Spain, Australia, Brazil, Germany, India, Sri Lanka, the UAE, the UK, and the US. WSO2 is an EQT portfolio company with more than USD100M in annual recurring revenue.Visit https://wso2.com to learn more.

About the Role

The WSO2 Solutions Architecture (SA) Team acts as trusted technical advisors to prospects and customers who engage with WSO2. SAs at WSO2 focus on various roles, including pre-sales engineering for prospects, technical ownership of customers, and subject matter expertise for architecture consultancies. As a Lead Solutions Engineer - Solutions Architect, you will act as the linchpin connecting customers, internal sales, research and development (R&D), and customer success, across all of WSO2’s products and solutions, including API management, integration, identity and access management, and our internal developer platform vision. You will engage with prospects from the outset, grasp both technical and business needs, architect the right solution, advocate and recommend the ideal product, translate the product into a tailored solution or specific use case, construct a proof of concept, facilitate the conversion of prospects into customers, and persistently foster and expand customer relationships.

We encourage you to read this article to learn more about the importance of Solutions Architects today and their role in technology sales. This critical role is known by various names in the industry, including Pre-Sales Engineering, Sales Engineering, Technical Consultants, and Customer Engineering. At WSO2, we encompass all of the above under Solutions Architecture.

Your Key Responsibilities

• Analyze customer business needs, technical requirements, digital transformation initiatives, and integration requirements.
• Architect solutions leveraging WSO2 products and related technologies to meet customers' unique business and technical needs.
• Design custom demos with an understanding of the customer’s business, potential uses of WSO2 technology mapping with their business, and technical requirements.
• Demonstrate our products' technical and business value to customers, showcasing proof-of-concept (POC) solutions that meet their specific needs and expectations.
• Develop and maintain subject matter expertise in critical technical areas, including WSO2 products/architecture, relevant industry verticals, and competitor products. This involves practical application of knowledge, showcasing expertise, and documenting findings through written contributions.
• Provide technical guidance to customers on effectively utilizing WSO2 products and related technologies.
• Share your knowledge and expertise with the SA team and wider WSO2 teams.
• Relay customer feedback to product teams regarding feature usage and alignment with design, implementation, and integration strategies.
• Maintain a strong understanding of current technology usage, trends, and future predictions within relevant industry domains.
• Lead technical project delivery, collaborating closely with the Delivery/Product Manager. Assume technical ownership, manage expectations, and communicate effectively with all stakeholders throughout customer engagements. Develop project estimates and schedules with detailed task breakdowns, working with product specialists to ensure realistic timelines and contingencies.
• Perform architecture and deployment reviews for customers, assessing solution and deployment architectures. Recommend architectural, development, and DevOps best practices for WSO2 product usage tailored to specific customer needs and use cases.
• Deliver technical workshops to customers, partners, and public audiences, tailoring content for diverse technical backgrounds, including CXOs, Enterprise/Solution Architects, Developers, and DevOps professionals.
• Assume the role of lead technical owner for customer accounts, driving pre-sales activities, including technical discussions, demonstrations, and successful conversion of prospects into paying customers. Spearhead post-sales expansions, architectural discussions, and architecture/deployment reviews to ensure customer success.
• Evaluate the technical feasibility of RFPs and complete RFP responses, showcasing the platform's technical and business capabilities.
• Mentor new team members, ensuring clarity on role expectations and providing support for their professional development and success within the company.
• Actively contribute to and lead technical discussions within the SA team.

Qualifications and Skills

• BSc in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent.
• Minimum of 7 years of industry experience.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Experience in Solutions Architecture and Solution Design.
• Experience in Technical Sales, Pre-Sales, or a similar role will be an advantage.
• Good communication skills.
• Knowledge of containerized deployments and CI/CD technologies.
• Hands-on experience with integration technologies, preferably experience working with API management and ESB products.
• Experience in cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud will be an advantage.
• Experience with Java, Javascript, .NET, or C/C++ languages or other programming languages/development platforms.