Company Description
Sopra Steria offers tailored, end-to-end corporate technology and software solutions that help clients make bold choices and achieve tangible results. With more than 56,000 colleagues across 30 countries, we are one of Europe’s leading digital solutions providers.
Our clients rely on us to modernise their technology landscapes, develop business-critical applications and turn innovation into sustainable business value.
The world is how we shape it. Let’s shape it together.
Job Description
At Sopra Steria Digital Solutions, we help organisations design, build, modernise and operate the digital applications that support their business.
We are looking for a senior Solution Sales Architect who can connect customer challenges, technology and commercial opportunities. You will take the lead in shaping compelling digital solutions during the sales and bid process, with a particular focus on application engineering, Java and .NET ecosystems, cloud-native development, application modernisation, integration and digital experience solutions.
You engage with customers from the earliest stages of an opportunity. You uncover their real needs, define the solution strategy and bring together the right technical, delivery and commercial expertise to develop a winning proposal.
This is not a purely technical architecture or delivery role. You will operate at the intersection of sales, technology and delivery. You will take ownership of the proposed solution, ensure that it is technically credible and commercially competitive, and communicate its value clearly to both business and technology stakeholders.
Qualifications
As a Solution Architect, you will:
- Support business development by identifying, qualifying and shaping opportunities within Digital Solutions.
- Engage directly with customers to understand their business objectives, challenges, technology landscape and decision criteria.
- Lead discovery sessions, solution workshops and technical-commercial conversations with customers.
- Define the solution and response strategy for RFPs, RFIs, tenders and strategic sales opportunities.
- Take end-to-end ownership of the proposed solution throughout the bid lifecycle.
- Translate customer requirements into a coherent solution architecture, delivery model, transformation roadmap and value proposition.
- Shape solutions across application engineering, Java, .NET, cloud-native development, application modernisation, integration, digital experience and AI-enabled software engineering.
- Bring together architects, subject-matter experts, delivery leads, partners and international teams to create a complete and differentiated proposal.
- Drive solution design, effort estimation, staffing models, delivery approach, assumptions, risks and dependencies.
- Work closely with Sales, Finance and Delivery to develop competitive pricing and commercially viable proposals.
- Ensure alignment between the technical solution, delivery commitments, contractual obligations and commercial model.
- Write, review and improve proposal content, executive summaries, solution descriptions and bid presentations.
- Present and defend proposed solutions during customer meetings, workshops, pitches and tender presentations.
- Explain complex technology choices in terms of customer outcomes, business value, risk reduction and total cost.
- Support negotiations and respond to customer questions and clarifications throughout the sales process.
- Contribute to the transition from sales to delivery and remain involved during mobilisation to ensure that commitments are understood and achievable.
- Capture lessons learned from bids and implementations to continuously improve our propositions, reference architectures, estimation models and reusable assets.
- Help develop and position the Digital Solutions portfolio in collaboration with local and international Sopra Steria teams.
- Identify how AI-assisted engineering, automation, DevSecOps and modern delivery practices can create measurable value for customers.
Qualifications
- We are looking for a senior professional who combines strong technical credibility with commercial awareness, customer engagement skills and the drive to win.
- You do not need to be the deepest specialist in every technology. You must, however, be able to understand complex customer environments, ask the right questions, make sound architectural choices and mobilise the right experts around a convincing solution.
- Your profile
- You hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science, engineering or a related field, or have equivalent professional experience.
- You have at least eight years of experience in solution architecture, technology consulting, application engineering or a related role.
- You have significant experience in presales, solution sales, bid management or the development of complex technology proposals.
- You have a proven track record of shaping and presenting solutions for large organisations.
- You understand modern application landscapes and have strong knowledge of several of the following areas:
- Java and/or .NET application engineering
- Cloud-native and distributed application architectures
- Application modernisation and legacy transformation
- APIs, integration platforms and event-driven architectures
- Front-end and digital experience technologies
- DevSecOps, platform engineering and software delivery automation
- AI-assisted and agentic software engineering
- You can translate business requirements into a realistic architecture, delivery approach, roadmap and commercial proposition.
- You are comfortable working with estimates, staffing models, delivery scenarios, pricing assumptions and commercial constraints.
- You understand the realities of software delivery and can balance ambition, risk, quality, time and cost.
- You communicate confidently with CIOs, CTOs, enterprise architects, procurement teams, business leaders and technical specialists.
- You are persuasive and results-oriented without losing sight of technical integrity or delivery feasibility.
- You are comfortable challenging assumptions and making decisions in situations where not all information is available.
- You can structure complex information and turn it into clear, concise and convincing proposal content.
- You enjoy working across organisational boundaries and can coordinate multidisciplinary and international teams.
- You are fluent in English and have a professional command of Dutch and/or French.
- Experience with public tenders, regulated industries, offshore or nearshore delivery models, managed services, architecture frameworks or large-scale transformation programmes is considered an advantage.
Additional Information
What we offer
- A strategic role with direct impact on our growth and market positioning.
- The opportunity to work on complex and high-value customer opportunities.
- Access to a broad European network of technology experts and delivery capabilities.
- Continuous learning through the Sopra Steria Academy and our professional communities.
- A flexible working environment with local and international opportunities.
- A competitive salary and indefinite contract.
- A company car or mobility budget.
- A laptop, phone and phone subscription.
- Insurance coverage, meal vouchers, eco-cheques and other benefits.
- Ready to shape winning digital solutions?
Do you combine technical expertise with commercial drive? Can you turn complex customer challenges into solutions that are compelling, credible and deliverable?
We look forward to meeting you.
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Sopra Steria is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to age, ancestry, nationality, color, family or medical leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, gender (including pregnancy), sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. We foster a work environment that is inclusive and respectful of all differences.