Sr Manager - DC Soln Architect

• Role Summary

• Develop and execute a go-to-market (GTM) and sales plan for data center and edge solutions in the assigned territory/segment.
• Identify, qualify, and close new business opportunities with target customers (enterprise, telecom operators, ISPs, cloud/OTT providers, system integrators, OEMs).
• Deliver and exceed quarterly and annual sales targets (order, revenue, margin).
• Build, manage, and maintain a robust opportunity pipeline in CRM, with clear stages, probability, and timelines.

• Position and sell data center offerings with a strong focus on edge applications: micro/edge data centers, modular DCs, edge colocation, managed DC services, and related infrastructure (power, cooling, racks, connectivity, security, DCIM, etc.).
• Understand customer workloads and application needs (latency, availability, compliance, scalability) and map them to appropriate edge and core data center architectures.
• Work closely with pre-sales/solution architects to design, size, and propose technical solutions, including TCO/ROI justification and business case development.
• Lead RFQ/RFP/RFI responses, commercial proposals, and negotiations in collaboration with technical, finance, and legal teams.

• Develop and manage strong relationships with key decision makers: CIOs, CTOs, Heads of Infrastructure, Network/IT managers, procurement heads, and business owners.
• Act as the primary point of contact for allocated key accounts, driving cross-sell and upsell opportunities.
• Conduct regular business reviews with customers to identify growth opportunities, feedback, and satisfaction levels.
• Coordinate with internal delivery, operations, and customer success teams to ensure successful onboarding and handover after deal closure.

• Monitor market trends in data centres and edge computing: regulatory environment, demand drivers, vertical use cases, and technology shifts.
• Track competitor offerings, pricing, and positioning; provide feedback and recommendations to product and leadership teams.
• Identify new segments, partners, and use cases for edge data centre expansion (e.g., smart cities, Industry 4.0, retail, BFSI, media, gaming).

• Build and manage relationships with partners and ecosystem players:

• System integrators and VARs
• Hyperscalers and cloud providers
• Telecom operators and ISPs
• Hardware OEMs (servers, storage, network, power & cooling vendors)
• Drive joint GTM activities, co-selling, and lead-sharing programs where applicable.

• Maintain accurate records of all customer interactions, opportunities, and forecasts in CRM and internal reporting systems.
• Prepare periodic sales reports, forecasts, win/loss analyses, and account plans for management.
• Ensure adherence to company policies, commercial approval processes, and compliance requirements (including data protection and information security guidelines).
• Required Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, IT, Electronics, or related field; MBA in Marketing / Sales / Telecom / IT (preferred).
• 6–10 years of total experience in B2B technology sales, with at least 3–5 years in:

• Data centre solutions / colocation / hosting, and/or
• Cloud/edge computing, network infrastructure, or related IT infrastructure solutions.
• Proven track record of achieving or exceeding sales targets in enterprise or telecom segments.
• Experience selling complex, solution-based offerings with long sales cycles and multiple stakeholders.

• Strong understanding of data centre fundamentals:

• Data centre types (core, regional, edge, modular/micro DCs)
• Power, cooling, racks, cabling, security, monitoring (DCIM/BMS)
• Connectivity (fiber, MPLS, internet, IX, peering) and redundancy concepts (N/N+1/2N).
• Good grasp of edge computing concepts and associated workloads: IoT, 5G/MEC, industrial automation, content caching, real-time analytics, etc.
• Familiarity with:

• Cloud architectures (public, private, hybrid) and colocation models
• SLA concepts (availability, latency, performance) and commercial models (per rack, per kW, per footprint, managed services).
• Ability to read and explain high-level solution designs, bills of material, and sizing/quotation documents in coordination with pre-sales.
• Proficiency in MS Office (PowerPoint, Excel) and CRM tools (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho).
• Behavioural Competencies

• Strong hunting mindset with disciplined pipeline and territory management.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and negotiation skills, comfortable engaging at CXO and senior management levels.
• Consultative selling approach – able to understand customer business drivers and translate them into solutions and value propositions.
• High level of ownership, self-motivation, and resilience in a competitive, target-driven environment.
• Collaborative team player able to work closely with technical, operations, finance, and product teams.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to balance short-term wins and long-term account development.
• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Achievement of annual and quarterly revenue and margin targets from data centre and edge solutions.
• Number of new logos acquired and depth of penetration in existing accounts.
• Qualified opportunity pipeline value and coverage ratio (e.g., 3–4x of target).
• Win rate on qualified opportunities / RFPs.
• Average deal size and sales cycle time.
• Customer satisfaction and retention / renewal rate.
• Contribution to strategic initiatives (new verticals, new partner relationships, new edge use cases).
• Working Conditions & Travel

• Primarily field-based role with frequent customer and partner meetings.
• Travel requirement: [e.g., 40–60% of time, depending on territory].

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, IT, Electronics, or related field; MBA in Marketing / Sales / Telecom / IT (preferred).
• 6–10 years of total experience in B2B technology sales, with at least 3–5 years in:

• Data centre solutions / colocation / hosting, and/or
• Cloud/edge computing, network infrastructure, or related IT infrastructure solutions.
• Proven track record of achieving or exceeding sales targets in enterprise or telecom segments.
• Experience selling complex, solution-based offerings with long sales cycles and multiple stakeholders.

Schneider Electric