Head of Solutions Architecture

Role: Head of Solutions Architecture Hybrid: 3 days in Office / 2 days home / Client Visits Location: South East Salary/Package: £60k -£80K + Bonuses + Benefits 25 Days Holiday and rising (plus bank holidays) Bupa Cash Plan Discounted Gym Membership Cycle Scheme Electric Vehicle Scheme Ability to Buy & Sell Holiday Paid Charity Day Flexible working (WFH incentives) Free Car Parking Our Client is one of the UK's leading technology specialists, proudly recognised as a World Class Place to Work by Best Companies, a nationally respected benchmark for employee engagement and workplace excellence. They are also ranked as the #1 Technology Company to Work For in the UK, reflecting their culture, their people, and their commitment to being an employer of choice. As a privately owned business they continue to achieve year on year growth, anchored by their expertise in IT security, cloud, and managed services. They have earned multiple industry awards showcasing their our reputation for technical excellence and innovation. They believe in working hard and celebrating success equally. Their people are at the heart of everything they do- they invest in their development, support progression from within, and consistently go above and beyond to create an environment where individuals can thrive both professionally and personally. Primary Purpose They are expanding their high‑performing Solutions Engineering team and is seeking a Head of Solutions Architecture to help drive their continued growth and support their busy commercial function. In this pivotal role, you will be the technical leader supporting the sales organisation-regularly attending client meetings, uncovering opportunities, understanding business challenges, and shaping best‑fit technical solutions. You will also host and deliver webinars, workshops, and client‑facing events, showcasing their expertise and helping position us as trusted advisers in the market. You will manage and develop our existing team of Solutions Engineers, setting standards for technical excellence, collaboration, and customer engagement. Alongside this, you will lead on pre‑sales activities, bringing deep technical knowledge and the ability to translate complex technologies into clear, compelling value for our clients through exceptional written, verbal, and presentation skills. You will be expected to confidently differentiate Planet IT's solutions and articulate why our approach delivers superior outcomes. Reporting directly to the Chief Commercial Officer, this role sits at the heart of an ambitious organisation with clear growth plans and a proven track record of success. The ideal candidate will bring strong technical consultancy experience across areas such as firewalls, network security, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Azure, servers, storage, backup and disaster recovery, business continuity, and enterprise networking. Key Responsibilities Lead, mentor, and develop the Solutions Engineering team, providing day‑to‑day management and strategic direction. Deliver high‑quality Technical Pre‑Sales Services (both chargeable and non‑chargeable) to new and existing customers. Build strong technical relationships with prospects and existing clients, acting as a trusted adviser throughout the sales cycle. Support the Sales Team by providing customer‑facing technical expertise across meetings, discovery sessions, and opportunity qualification. Deliver engaging product presentations and demonstrations, and represent Planet IT at internal and external events, webinars, and client workshops. Design and deliver custom demonstrations and Proofs of Concept (POCs) to showcase solution capabilities and value. Analyse and compare competitive products to recommend the most advantageous solution for each customer. Take a leading role in architecting technical solutions and producing high‑quality proposals, scopes of work, and tender responses. Skills and Expertise Requirements Essential Experienced Senior Technical Pre‑Sales Engineer or Solutions Architect. Previous experience working for an IT MSP or VAR and a strong understanding of MSP/VAR delivery challenges. Broad, high‑level understanding of the technology landscape with the ability to discuss all areas of IT infrastructure and security confidently with clients. Motivated, ambitious, and proactive with a strong drive for excellence. Outgoing, personable, and confident presenting to clients and senior stakeholders. Willing and able to travel as required to attend client meetings and events. Proven technical and IT services experience in a customer‑facing capacity (pre‑sales, consultancy, or technical delivery). Strong proposal and tender‑writing skills, or the ability to produce high‑quality customer‑facing documentation. Full, clean UK driving licence. Based in the UK with flexibility to travel nationally. Desirable Previous experience leading or managing a technical or pre‑sales team. Certifications or hands‑on experience with technologies from our core stack (e.g., Cisco, Fortinet, VMware, Sophos, Microsoft 365/Azure, N‑Able, Mimecast, Barracuda). Experience presenting to small and large audiences, including hosting webinars or running workshops. Demonstrable experience in social media thought leadership or technical content creation. Strong commercial acumen with the ability to balance technical depth and business value. Excellent presentation, demo, organisational, listening, and stakeholder‑engagement skills. Ability to articulate complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non‑technical audiences. Strong relationship‑building skills and a natural affinity for working closely with both sales and technical teams. INDIT Planet Recruitment acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and an employment business for the supply of temporary workers. Planet Recruitment is an Equal Opportunities Employer. By applying for this role your details will be submitted to Planet Recruitment. Our Candidate Privacy Information Statement explains how we will use your information. Only candidates with the relevant skills and experience will be contacted after application, if you do not hear back from us within 7 days you have unfortunately been unsuccessful in your application. Please note that no terminology in this advert is intended to discriminate on the grounds of a person's gender, marital status, race, religion, colour, age, disability or sexual orientation. Every candidate will be assessed only in accordance with their merits, qualifications and abilities to perform the duties of the position