CSS is a business unit within Oracle that establishes long-term service relationships with many of Oracle's largest customers.CSS have a proven track record in successful delivery of IT services for mission critical environments in major organizations. In addition to a specialization in the area of cloud, they possess extensive, broad-based expertise in the area of mission critical production operations, support and managed services. They have proven experience in industry standard service management and project management best practices.In addition to extensive broad based experience of IT services and technologies, each individual Service Solution Architect has deep expertise in specific services & technology areas, and acts as the subject-matter lead in those areas within the team.All CSS Service Solution Architects have extremely strong customer facing presentation and interaction skills, are capable of engaging at senior management and C-level, articulating service and technology solutions in terms of business value and risk.SCOPE:Location: Nairobi, Kenya or Johannesburg, South AfricaGeographic area of responsibility: Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Ghana expanding to Middle East and Africa.Languages: Fluent spoken and written English language capability requiredCustomer facingHas no direct reports, but often leads and/or guides the activities of virtual teams to build service solution propositions for customersWorks with multiple customers across all sectors/countries in the CSS MEA region, in collaboration with Oracle CSS and Oracle cross-line-of-business (xLoB) teamsWorks on services related opportunities across the entire lifecycle of all Oracle cloud and on-premises products. CSS opportunities typically involve extensive Oracle xLoB collaboration, and require the CSS Service Solution Architect to work within xLoB teams covering Oracle product and services requirements across design, deployment, migration, operations/management and supportWorks with the local CSS Sales and xLoB teams to:Identify, build and win innovative/large scale services opportunities across existing and new Oracle CSS customersBuild and articulate compelling CSS service solutions for each opportunity that address identified customer business needsEnsure the service requirements, risks and costs associated with each CSS service proposition are fully understood and addressedProvide subject matter authority input into contract and commercial documentation and negotiationAssist in closing opportunities in a timely fashionAssist CSS to achieve its growth targets and critical initiativesWork with appropriate Oracle Partners, . resellers, SIs, partners, and alliancesRESPONSBILITIES:To identify, foster and define Oracle CSS services solutions for specific customer opportunities and assist in the sale alongside the local CSS team consisting of sales representative, CSS pre-sales and CSS deliveryWork with the customer, CSS management and the xLoB account teams to:Understand the customer's business and IT strategic requirements and identify large scale CSS opportunities to assist the customer achieve its strategic goalsGather and assess customer needs, both business and technical and translates these into CSS service solutionsBuild and lead virtual teams associated with these large scale opportunitiesEffectively communicate with customer to CxO levelBuild customer loyalty through achieving a trusted advisor relationshipWork proactively to build and demonstrate an effective and extensive network across Oracle xLoBs – be seen, respected and in demand across Oracle as a high value asset and an SME in service solutionsCollaborate effectively internally and externally to ensure effective service solution design and developmentDrive compelling proposals, presentations, and other customer and internal communications and discussions during opportunitiesDrive service solution costing & pricing associated with specific opportunities and ensure that service solutions proposed are appropriately shaped to meet the commercial and contracting requirement of OracleEffectively communicate and articulate the details of the service components in a proposed customer solutionDemonstrate a strong understanding of the services competitive marketplace to anticipate and plan for competitive threatsWork with disparate groups including, but not limited to, sales, delivery, customers, risk management, business development, contracts, product managementWork with CSS delivery to ensure a smooth transition from sales to deliveryNavigate Oracle internal tools and processes to effectively participate and enable CSS salesProduce appropriate and timely opportunity reporting/tracking information for CSS managementTransfers knowledge to other participant roles on the deal, account teams, delivery and across the CSS Service Solution Architect communityEXPERIENCE:This is a senior role. CSS Service Solution Architects at this level typically have 20+ years of experience in relevant IT services, across a wide range of technologies and customer sectors.A typical experience profile for successful individuals in this role would include most if not all of the following:15+ years of IT services, including substantial direct experience in services roles within multiple external IT services providersBroad understanding of typical enterprise applications and IT infrastructures including public and on-premises cloud, including but not limited to Oracle technologiesExtensive experience of working in a services presales role within an IT services providerExtensive experience in IT services, service operations and service management, including managed services/outsourcingLarge scale IT project and programme management, including major transformation, migration and solution deployment projectsCommercial and contract management, including construction of TCO analyses and pricing for complex service offersSales and complex deal negotiationArchitecting, implementing and delivering complex service solutions for large scale, critically important IT environmentsConsulting and trusted-advisor roles to C-level within major customer organizations in relation to IT servicesProven ability to construct and deliver compelling presentations and propositions to C-level and large audiencesDriving large scale IT services bidsWHAT WE WILL OFFER YOU:A competitive salary with exciting benefitsLearning and development opportunities to advance your careerAn Employee Assistance Program to support your mental healthEmployee resource groups that champion our diverse communitiesCore benefits such as life insurance, and access to retirement planningAn inclusive culture that celebrates what makes you uniqueAt Oracle, we don't just respect differences—we celebrate them. We believe that innovation starts with inclusion and to create the future we need people with diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and abilities. That's why we're committed to creating a workplace where all kinds of people can do their best work. It's when everyone's voice is heard and valued that we're inspired to go beyond what's been done before.South Africa: In line with our obligations under the Employment Equity Act 1998, preference will be given to candidates from designated groups.
