Oracle CSS - Services Solutions Architect

Job description / Role

Background:

Customer Success Services (CSS) is a business unit within Oracle that establishes long-term enhanced support and managed service relationships with many of Oracle's largest customers.

CSS Service Solution Consultants (SSCs) are enhanced support and managed services presales subject matter experts. CSS SSCs work alongside highly experienced Service Solution Architects and the CSS sales teams during sales opportunities. The role involves interacting at senior levels within existing and new Oracle customers, with the SSC using their experience of IT support and managed services to capture customer requirements, fully explore all potential options and build compelling service propositions. The SSCs are focused on service solutions for Oracle cloud, on-premises, and hybrid engagements, including leading edge and complex custom requirements.

SSCs have an assigned Senior SSA as a mentor, who guides the SSC through the onboarding process, assists the SSC to build a strong network within the business, gain a deep understanding of the Oracle services portfolio and mentors the SSC through the service solutioning process.

CSS SSCs typically have a proven track record in successful design or delivery of IT services and are familiar with services presales scenarios. They possess broad-based experience in the area of production operations, support and managed services, along with industry experience in areas such as IT infrastructure, database, applications and cloud technologies. CSS SSCs have an understanding of standard service management (ITIL, DevOps etc) and project management best practices.

CSS Preferably, SSCs should have some experience of building service commercial propositions with regard to pricing, approvals, legal and contracting.

All CSS SSCs have strong customer facing presentation and interaction skills, are capable of engaging at senior levels and articulating service and technology solutions in terms of business value and risk.

SCOPE:

- Location: Riyad, Saudi Arabia

- Geographic area of responsibility: Middle East and Africa (MEA)

- Reports to: -Director - CSS MEA Service Solution Architecture

- Languages: Fluent spoken and written English and Arabic language capability

- Customer facing

- Has no direct reports, but may be required to guide the activities of virtual teams to build service solution propositions for customers

- Works with multiple customers across all sectors/countries in the CSS Middle East and Africa region, in collaboration with Oracle CSS and Oracle cross-line-of-business (xLoB) teams

- Works 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 Consultants to work within xLoB teams, covering enhanced support, operations, and managed services requirements

- Works with the local CSS Sales and xLoB teams to:

- Identify, build and win leading edge/new logo services opportunities across existing and new Oracle CSS customers

- Use their IT services expertise to work with customers to identify a complete picture of services requirements, and use their IT services experience to validate that all appropriate options have been considered

- Build and articulate compelling CSS service solutions for each opportunity, addressing identified customer business needs

- Work with our service delivery teams and SMEs to ensure the service requirements, risks and costs associated with each CSS service proposition are fully understood and addressed

- Provide services subject matter expert input into contract and commercial documentation and negotiation

- Assist CSS to continue to achieve its growth targets and strategic initiatives

- Work with appropriate Oracle Partners, i.e. resellers, SIs, partners, and alliances

RESPONSBILITIES:

- To identify, foster and define Oracle CSS services solutions for specific customer opportunities and assist in the sale alongside the CSS sales representative

- Work with the customer, CSS management and the xLoB account teams to:

- Understand the customer's business and IT requirements and identify CSS opportunities

- Gather and assess customer needs, both business and technical and translates these into CSS service solutions

- Co-ordinate virtual teams associated with these opportunities

- Effectively communicate with customers to be able to articulate both the high-level principles and detail of all service components in a proposed customer solution

- Work proactively to build and leverage an effective and extensive network across Oracle xLoBs

- Collaborate effectively internally and externally to ensure effective service solution design and development

- Build compelling proposals, presentations, and other customer and internal communications and discussions during opportunities

- Construct 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 Oracle

- Demonstrate an understanding of the IT services competitive marketplace

- Work with multiple groups including, but not limited to, sales, delivery, customers, risk management, business development, contracts, commercial, product management

- Work with CSS delivery throughout the sales cycle to ensure a smooth transition from sales to delivery

- Navigate Oracle internal tools and processes to effectively participate and enable CSS sales

- Transfers knowledge to other participant roles on the deal, account teams, delivery and across the CSS Service Solution Architect community

EXPERIENCE:

- Candidates are required to have 3 to 4 years' experience of working in a related IT area, ideally in an IT Services customer facing role.

- Candidates are required to have received a degree level education, preferably in an IT related subject area or a numerate degree

A typical experience profile for successful individuals in this role would include most if not all of the following:

- 3-4+ years of IT services, ideally with experience of services roles

- An understanding of typical enterprise applications and IT infrastructures including public and on-premises cloud, including but not limited to Oracle technologies

- Experience of working in a services presale's role within an IT services provider

- General experience in IT services, service operations and service management, including managed services/outsourcing

- IT project management experience

- Construction and negotiation of pricing and custom contracting for service propositions

- Working with Sales in deal negotiation

- Building service solutions for a range of IT environments

- Proven ability to construct and deliver compelling presentations and propositions audiences

- Driving multiple IT services bids in parallel

About the Company

Oracle offers an integrated array of applications, databases, servers, storage, and cloud technologies to empower modern business. For most companies, flexibility is critical. Oracle provides a wide choice of software, systems, and cloud deployment models - including public, on-premises, and hybrid clouds - to ensure that technology flexes to the unique needs of a business.

Oracle Cloud is a complete, integrated stack of platform, infrastructure, and application services. With advanced scalability and security, Oracle Cloud enables technical agility across the enterprise, connects people to information for clearer insights, and fosters efficiency through simplified workflows.

More than 420,000 customers across 145 countries have harnessed Oracle technology to accelerate their digital transformation.