Senior Solution Architect - Procurement

Talent Segment: Solution Architecture

Role: Operations Solution Architect Senior Manager

Career Level: 6

Location: United Kingdom

Salary: Competitive depending on experience and location + excellent benefits.

Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services in strategy and consulting, interactive, technology and operations, with digital capabilities across all of these services. With our thought leadership and culture of innovation, we apply industry expertise, diverse skill sets and next-generation technology to each business challenge.

We believe in inclusion and diversity and supporting the whole person. Our core values comprise of Stewardship, Best People, Client Value Creation, One Global Network, Respect for the Individual and Integrity. Year after year, Accenture is recognized worldwide not just for business performance but for inclusion and diversity too.

“Across the globe, one thing is universally true of the people of Accenture: We care deeply about what we do and the impact we have with our clients and with the communities in which we work and live. It is personal to all of us.” – Julie Sweet, Accenture CEO

The purpose of the role:

• Interpret and translate client requirements into a Procurement solution that can be configured from our portfolio of offerings, in line with deal specific value propositions

• Operate as a single point of contact or as part of a team (on large deals with multiple Solution Architects) accountable to the SA SPOC from Stage 1 to deal closure including contracting and the handover to the delivery organization

The Role Description:

• Your role includes some or all of the following key responsibilities

• You should review these in conjunction with career level guidelines to gain a clear understanding of the expectations for your role.

Single Point of Contact Accountabilities

• Managing all Market Unit, senior client buyer and functional owner relationships for the designated solution

• Driving the necessary sign-off of the solution with proper input from the Operating Groups on client business objectives, industry, risk assessment, budget and preferences (see service group rules/process and escalation approach for specifics)

• Interfacing with the sales team, Subject Matter Experts required during the sales process and the communication/collaboration with delivery organization(s), ensuring final solution meets value proposition

• Directing and coordinating with Legal & Commercial and Corporate Transaction Services (CTS) in areas specific to the solution to ensure use of standards

• Identifying leadership contacts for service transition and operations and ensuring appropriate solution plan transition for closed deals

• Interfacing with the delivery organization/s to ensure effective transition, shape services, collaborate on clear solution assumptions, determine appropriate service delivery locations and related cost to deliver

• Orchestrating the action points coming out of the opportunity Quality Assurance, Solution and Delivery approval processes

        Solution Planning and Deal Shaping for Qualified Deals

• Understand and translate buyer requirements into a standard solution offering deal approach, solution plan, proposal and cost estimate leveraging standard process methods, deliverables and the optimal collection of offerings

• Preparing the schedule, work plan, resource/sourcing plan

• Understand and clearly define the input required to create cost estimates; Preparing the cost model estimates working with delivery organization(s), Solution Management (if applicable) and CTS to deliver the defined scope of services

• Collaborating as a key member of the sales team to represent the solution offering to the client buyer and other internal Accenture groups

• Aligning final solution architecture (including statement of work, schedules and other contractual documents) with final terms and conditions

• Leading and/or carrying out cost analyses, benchmarking comparisons and price segmentation

Objectives

The performance objectives shown below are specific to this role. If you are in this role, these objectives will appear in myPerformance as a starting point for setting your objectives, using the 3+1 objectives setting approach. Within myPerformance, you will select three focused objectives from this list where you can make the most significant contributions to the business–one for each leadership contribution area (Value Creator, People Developer, Business Operator)–plus one objective for your professional growth (anything you want to achieve outside your daily responsibilities to develop yourself).

        Value Creator

• Meet or exceed sales target ($ and sold margin $)

• Achieve client satisfaction (both internal and external)

• Contribute to achieving the win rates as defined by Global Sales Effectiveness

        Business Operator

• Solutions approved follow all required processes and are deemed deliverable

• Improve sales efficiencies by leveraging standard solutions and most effective cost models to drive down cost to serve

• Manage target margin exceptions through solution sign-off process

• Achieve target for BD spend as % of sales

        People Developer

• Create and execute actionable talent management plan for self (and others) that includes succession plans, capability development plans, contributions to knowledge sharing, etc.

• Contribute to a positive work environment that influences high employee engagement and supports the entity's retention and diversity targets

• Actively participate in your Community

Career Level Expectations

Below are the expectations for all employees in this role. Please note that additional criteria may apply in some countries.

Complexity

Degree of difficulty of an assignment or the level of problem-solving assessment and resolution required, as indicated by degree of problem-solving, strategic vs. routine focus, and stakeholder interactions (e.g., Executives, Supervisor, etc.)

• Requires identifying and assessing complex problems for area of responsibility. Creates solutions in situations in which analysis requires an in-depth evaluation of variable factors.

• Requires adherence to strategic direction set by senior management when establishing near-term goals.

• Interaction is with senior management at a client and/or within Accenture, involving matters that may require acceptance of an alternate approach.

Authority

Power to influence or complete assignments independently and ability to make decisions, as indicated by latitude to devise work products or plans, reliance on instruction and decision-making ability

• Some latitude in decision-making. Acts independently to determine methods and procedures on new assignments

Impact or Decision Impact

Risk or consequences in the event of failure, as indicated by range of expected impact, such as within a team or across a team or area of responsibility and level of risk

• Decisions have a major day to day impact on area of responsibility

Scope

Degree of accountability for assigned tasks, our clients and/or the organization, as indicated by size of work effort and scale of entity and/or program

• Manages large - medium sized teams and/or work efforts at a client or within Accenture

#LI-EU

Skills and Proficiency Expectations

Below are the skills and minimum levels of proficiency (or depth of skill) that employees in this role are expected to possess. Adaptations to these criteria apply in some countries:

Proficient:

• Accenture`s High Performance Selling Approach 

• ADM Estimators     

• Business Case Creation    

• Cost to Serve Solution Optimization           

• Deal Shaping          

• Negotiation             

• Offering Acumen   

• Proposal Development      

• Sales Opportunity Management    

• Single Point of Contact Management         

• Solution Planning  

• Transition to Delivery          

• Value Proposition Development    

Novice:

• Alliance Management 

Travel

• 10% expected, may vary

Please note:

When applying to an open internal position, all employees must meet the Permanent Transfers Requirements in Policy 500 – Permanent Position and Career Model Transfers.  A summary of the employee requirements are listed below.  See the policy for full information (link to policy is highlighted below)

• Employees must meet the requirements for the position, including the minimum and/or basic qualifications and performance requirements (Consistent With or higher rating as their most recent performance rating).

• Employees are expected to be in their current position for a minimum of 12 months before applying to a new position.

• If considering a cross-border position, please pay particular attention to the visa and/or work permit requirements.  In most cases, employees must already possess the appropriate work authorization for the country where the position is located.

• Employees participating in a group program for temporary international transfers, including those in the Global Careers Program (GCP), who are interested in applying to a posted internal position outside of their home location, need to comply with Policy 750 International Temporary Transfers for Groups (link to policy is highlighted below).

• Employees applying concurrently for more than one position must make the recruiter aware of the other applications during their first interview.

Policy 500 – Permanent Position and Career Model Transfers

Policy 750 – International Temporary Transfers for Groups

About Accenture

Accenture is a leading global professional services company that helps the world’s leading businesses, governments and other organizations build their digital core, optimize their operations, accelerate revenue growth and enhance citizen services—creating tangible value at speed and scale. We are a talent- and innovation-led company with 750,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Technology is at the core of change today, and we are one of the world’s leaders in helping drive that change, with strong ecosystem relationships. We combine our strength in technology and leadership in cloud, data and AI with unmatched industry experience, functional expertise and global delivery capability. We are uniquely able to deliver tangible outcomes because of our broad range of services, solutions and assets across Strategy & Consulting, Technology, Operations, Industry X and Song. These capabilities, together with our culture of shared success and commitment to creating 360° value, enable us to help our clients reinvent and build trusted, lasting relationships. We measure our success by the 360° value we create for our clients, each other, our shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at www.accenture.com

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement     

All employment decisions shall be made without regard to age, race, creed, colour, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, citizenship status or any other basis as protected by applicable law.                                                          

Job candidates will not be obligated to disclose sealed or expunged records of conviction or arrest as part of the hiring process.