| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Information Technology |
| Level | Senior management |
| Reports to | Head of Delivery |
| Direct reports | None |
| Experience | 10 to 15 years in IT, with 4 or more years in solution design or presales for client projects |
Solution Architect job description template
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Job title: Solution Architect
Department: Information Technology
Reports to: Head of Delivery
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Solution Architect designs the complete answer to a business or client requirement: which systems, products, integrations and infrastructure are needed and how they fit together. In Indian IT services companies they spend much of their time in presales, shaping proposals and effort estimates, and then guide delivery teams through the build. In product and enterprise settings they design how a new capability fits into existing systems. A good Solution Architect wins realistic deals, avoids designs that cannot be delivered and hands over designs teams can build.
Key responsibilities
- Study the client's RFP or business requirement, run discovery workshops and list the functional, integration and non-functional needs.
- Design the solution landscape, deciding what to build, buy or reuse and how each component connects to existing systems.
- Prepare solution documents, architecture diagrams and effort estimates for proposals, stating assumptions and exclusions clearly.
- Present the solution to client stakeholders during orals and answer technical questions from their IT and security teams.
- Compare product and cloud options on cost, licences, support and fit, and recommend one with written reasons.
- Hand over the approved solution to the delivery team with a walkthrough, and review the detailed design that technical architects produce.
- Guide the delivery team through integration issues, scope clarifications and change requests that affect the design.
- Confirm before go-live that the delivered solution meets agreed volumes, response times and availability.
- Build reusable assets such as reference designs, estimation models and case studies for future proposals.
- Keep current on partner platforms such as AWS, Azure, Salesforce or SAP so recommendations reflect what is actually offered.
Requirements
- B.E., B.Tech or MCA
- AWS Solutions Architect, Azure Solutions Architect Expert or TOGAF certification is an advantage
- An MBA is an advantage in presales-heavy roles
- 10 to 15 years in IT, with 4 or more years in solution design or presales for client projects
KRAs and KPIs for a Solution Architect
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Proposal quality | Every assigned RFP response submitted on time, with no rework requested by sales for missing sections |
| Win rate | Win rate on proposals where the architect owned the solution, reviewed each quarter against the team average |
| Estimate accuracy | Actual delivery effort within 15 percent of the estimate for projects the architect sized |
| Design handover | Delivery team accepts the handover within 2 weeks of contract signing, with no major gaps found later |
| Client confidence | Zero project escalations caused by a solution gap or an unrealistic commitment |
| Reusable assets | At least four reference designs or reusable solution assets published each year |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Draw.io, Visio or Lucidchart, PowerPoint, Excel estimation models, AWS or Azure pricing calculators, Confluence, CRM for bid tracking.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Enterprise Architect, Head of Delivery, Chief Technology Officer
Interview questions for a Solution Architect
- Walk me through a proposal you designed from RFP to contract. Why did it win or lose?
- How do you estimate effort for a solution when the requirements are vague?
- The client's budget is half your estimate. Which options do you put in front of them?
- How do you choose between a packaged product and a custom build?
- Tell me about a solution you designed that delivery struggled to build. What did you learn?
- Explain a complex integration to a non-technical business head in two minutes.
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What does a solution architect do?
A solution architect designs how a business or client need will be met with technology. They gather requirements, choose which systems, products and integrations to use, prepare architecture diagrams and estimates, present the solution to clients and guide delivery teams while it is built. In IT services companies much of this work happens during presales.
Is a solution architect a presales role?
In many Indian IT services companies, largely yes. Solution architects spend a good part of their time on RFP responses, estimates and client presentations, then support delivery after the deal is won. In product companies and large enterprises the role is less about sales and more about designing new capabilities inside existing systems.
What qualifications does a solution architect need?
A B.E., B.Tech or MCA is typical, with around ten years of development, design or delivery experience. Cloud certifications such as AWS Solutions Architect or Azure Solutions Architect Expert are often requested, and TOGAF helps in enterprise-heavy roles. Clear writing and presentation skills matter as much as technical depth.