Senior Solution Architect - Procurement
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.
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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