GSA Solution Coach - Asso Director

Profile description for Global Solution Architecture (GSA) Technical Solutions pursuit Coach – Large & Standard Deals:

The Technical Solutions (TS) Coach is a professional responsible for providing review, support and pursuit (submission) content oversight for both reactive and proactive client proposals mainly revolving around themes like Managed Services construct, rate cards, vendor consolidation, offshore capability center setup through BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer), cost optimization, operating model transformation etc.

Selected candidate should be able to independently review each assigned client RFP/RFI and work with the lead Solution Architect (SA) to gain a full understanding of the client’s bid request/requirements, client expectations, stated objectives and evaluation criteria. Then working with the SA and help build a framework and approach for not only a technically sound solution built by the GSA team but also focusing on Cognizant competencies and differentiators to create a compelling and competitive solution proposal.

The GSA technical solution should dovetail to the overall pursuit sales strategy that is set by the sales/pursuit leads. The TS Coach will support the sales leads as they develop the overarching sales strategy. This will ensure that the GSA team then follows and supports with a technical solution that maps to the win themes and executive summary that is developed.

The TS Coach should also have a solid and robust background of technology landscape elements, platforms, architecture patterns, frameworks, tools, processes etc. to be able to understand and support complex, strategic and multi service line pursuits.

Technical Solution Coach

Key Responsibilities

• Support the Solution Architect in helping to define, develop & build a strong, compelling and winning technology solution approach that addresses the client pain-points by translating a strong understanding of the customer business context that was stipulated in the RFP/RFI
• Support the Global Large Deals (GLD) team that comprises the sales leadership for the pursuit (those pursuits >$50M TCV) by engaging in kickoff calls and helping to contribute ideas and craft meaningful win themes and strategic approach that help build a construct for the GSA team to follow.
• Work to support both Large (>$50M TCV) and Standard technical ($5M-$50M TCV) pursuits.
• Coordination with the GSA technical lead and support them to ensure timely and high-quality technical proposal content, review of GSA material and response submission for the technical solution component of the overall bid response.
• Lead and contribute to the crafting of differentiated and winning technical solutions approach for customers that introduce and establish new ideas, outcomes, metrics etc. via Cognizant technology solutions into their business and IT environment that are impactful to client evaluation criteria.
• Good understanding of various industry trends, concepts, opportunities, threats & constraints so that where appropriate, you are able to recommend innovative ideas to bolster the technical solutions.
• Support and review the content developed by the lead SA for the planned technology solution that aligns with the larger pursuit engagement model. ensure the GSA team is positioning a solution that helps build upon and states a narrative that supports the sales and strategy overarching pursuit themes.
• Collaborate with the respective BU lead (from GSA), the SA and other sales stakeholders as needed to ensure the most optimum, creative and differentiated technical solution is meeting and exceeding the pursuit strategy and framework approach for the bid.
• Support the SA and GSA team in the client pursuit from inception through to shortlist, orals preparation and final BAF submissions. Basically support the assigned RFP/RFI through entire life cycle of the pursuit.
• Candidate should also possess the following soft skills necessary to orchestrate and support technical solution team.
• Ability to independently work to read/review and understand client RFP/RFI and be able to articulate and discuss key pursuit tenets that can help build a technical solution approach with the lead SA.
• Help to assist/support and resolve solution bottlenecks with the lead SA.
• Ability to actively participate and/or lead a discussion to ensure consensus within GSA and then set and agree to the technical solution framework approach that aligns to the overall sales/strategy objectives.
• Closely work with markets / accounts, GLD (sales) teams, as required in supporting the lead SA, to align overall technical response with client expectations
  
  

• 10+ years of experience in working in business development, bid management, pre-sales, sales, or outsourcing services creating robust information technology solutions for large, complex and strategic clients. Candidate has preferably worked at large or midscale professional services company.
• Excellent understanding of entire pursuit RFP/RFI lifecycle.
• ability to independently read, review and digest the client issued RFP/RFI. then participate/lead a discussion with the lead SA to establish an overarching construct of the following: client objectives, solution tenets, evaluation criteria, industry insights, innovative ideas for solution approach etc.
• Experience in supporting full deal lifecycle from bid submission to preparing for down select and orals preparation and presentations.
• Experience in providing thought leadership, innovative ideas and out of the box thinking when developing differentiated technical solutions approach.
• Experience in Cognizant processes is a plus.
• Experience in client presentations and creating storylines that are relevant to the client bid objectives.
• Hands-on experience with responding to complex RFP, RFI, and proactive proposals.
• Experience in supporting in the development of complex IT solutions with lead solution architects.
• Experience in translating client business and IT requirements into an overall technical approach
• Experience in evaluating technologies for their appropriateness to proposed solutions, including assessing their strategic and/or tactical benefits to the overall bid submission.
• Experience in building effective relationships with a wide range of technical and non-technical peers.
• Ability to support US based work hours.
  
  

• Minimum of xxx University degree – NOTE for the offshore team, can you please fill this in as appropriate. I am not familiar with similar fields/degrees to the USA. Thinking the candidate should have minimum of Bachelor of Arts (BA), or Business Degree?
• Proficient in English