AHEAD builds platforms for digital business. By weaving together advances in cloud infrastructure, automation and analytics, and software delivery, we help enterprises deliver on the promise of digital transformation.
At AHEAD, we prioritize creating a culture of belonging, where all perspectives and voices are represented, valued, respected, and heard. We create spaces to empower everyone to speak up, make change, and drive the culture at AHEAD.
We are an equal opportunity employer, and do not discriminate based on an individual's race, national origin, color, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, marital status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law, whether actual or perceived.
We embrace all candidates that will contribute to the diversification and enrichment of ideas and perspectives at AHEAD.
AHEAD is seeking a Principal Solutions Architect to join our Data and Analytics practice. This role is a senior solutions architect and go-to-market sales leader position that balances client delivery leadership, pre-sales ownership, and practice development. The Principal Solutions Architect serves as a client-facing technical leader and trusted advisor who helps win clients define and deliver complex data, analytics, cloud, and AI engagements.
This individual serves as the Solutions Lead on sales campaigns, aligning AHEAD solutions, partner capabilities, and delivery execution to client outcomes. In delivery, they may act as Engagement Lead and/or Technical Lead with accountability for engagement success, quality, stakeholder alignment, and business impact. Within the practice, they are expected to build practice pillars, create reusable intellectual property and service offerings, and drive innovation across modern data platforms, analytics, and AI-enabled solutions.
AHEAD’s Data and Analytics practice helps clients accelerate the impact of data through consultative strategy, modern data platform architecture, data lifecycle management, analytics, and AI capabilities. This role is central to translating those capabilities into scalable client solutions and repeatable practice growth.
Key Responsibilities
Client Delivery
Serve as the senior technical leader for large, complex, and strategic Data and Analytics engagements
Lead strategy, roadmap, architecture, design, and planning workshops for enterprise clients
Act as Engagement Lead and/or Technical Architecture Lead on customer-facing projects, when assigned
Own delivery success by managing scope, objectives, requirements, milestones, dependencies, risks, timelines, and stakeholder expectations
Guide cross-functional delivery teams through the successful execution of consulting engagements
Ensure deliverables are high quality, aligned to client business outcomes, and presented effectively to technical and executive stakeholders
Break down complex risks or issues into manageable parts, identify root causes, and drive practical resolution paths
Support enterprise stakeholder management across business, data, analytics, cloud, and technology teams
Apply knowledge of AHEAD’s project lifecycle management practices to support successful delivery from initiation through closure
Lead clients through modern data and analytics transformations, including data strategy and governance, data lifecycle management, platform modernization, data engineering, reporting, analytics, and AI enablement
Pre-Sales and Business Development
Serve as the Solutions Lead on sales pursuits for Data and Analytics opportunities
Own the pre-sales process, including discovery, qualification, solution alignment, scoping, estimation, and proposal development
Lead client discovery and visioning sessions to understand business drivers, current-state challenges, and desired outcomes
Translate client needs into differentiated solution strategies that align practice offerings, partner capabilities, and delivery execution
Represent AHEAD service offerings throughout the sales cycle, including presentations, workshops, and proposal reviews
Develop statements of work, proposal packages, and engagement scope for strategic opportunities
Partner with sales specialists, client directors, and other practice leaders to identify and shape cross-practice opportunities
Support complex pursuits involving cloud platforms, data engineering, business intelligence, AI, platform engineering, and adjacent AHEAD capabilities
Practice Development and Thought Leadership
Help define and mature the Data and Analytics practice strategy, service portfolio, and go-to-market offerings
Build practice pillars that improve scale, quality, differentiation, and delivery consistency
Create reusable intellectual property, accelerators, methodologies, frameworks, and delivery assets
Drive innovation in modern data architecture, analytics platforms, AI, and emerging technologies
Contribute to the development, enhancement, and standardization of in-practice offerings and capabilities
Identify opportunities to improve how AHEAD delivers data platform architecture, pipelines, governance, semantic models, analytics, and AI solutions for clients
Partner across AHEAD practices to develop integrated solutions that address broad client transformation goals
Maintain a strong point of view on industry trends, partner ecosystems, and modern technology standards
Contribute thought leadership internally and externally through mentorship, enablement, and practice visibility
Team Mentorship and Enablement
Mentor consultants, architects, and engineers across delivery, solutioning, and client engagement leadership
Coach teams on architecture quality, executive communication, consulting presence, and delivery excellence
Support team capability development through peer reviews, solution reviews, knowledge sharing, and reusable enablement content
Positively impact both individual growth and overall practice maturity through leadership and example
Qualifications
Undergraduate degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Business, or a related field preferred, but not required
Minimum of 15 years of consulting, architecture, engineering, and related experience, or commensurate work experience
Prior experience in a senior leadership, principal architect, program leadership, or practice leadership role
Demonstrated success leading large, complex, client-facing delivery engagements
Demonstrated experience owning or leading pre-sales pursuits, including discovery, scoping, and proposal development
Deep experience designing and delivering modern data and analytics solutions such as data platforms, data pipelines, cloud data architectures, reporting and analytics solutions, and AI-enabling data foundations
Strong knowledge of enterprise data strategy, governance, platform architecture, engineering, and analytics operating models
Experience working with modern data and analytics technologies such as cloud-native data platforms, data warehouses, lakehouse platforms, orchestration tools, business intelligence platforms, and AI or machine learning ecosystems
Strong executive communication and presentation skills in virtual and in-person settings
Demonstrated business acumen and the ability to connect technical strategy to business value
Ability to solve complex, abstract problems and guide teams through ambiguity
Excellent interpersonal skills, including listening, collaboration, and stakeholder influenceExecutive presence with the ability to build trust across client and internal leadership teams
Demonstrated experience as a technology change agentProfessional and/or technical certifications aligned to cloud, data, analytics, or AI disciplines preferred
What Success Looks Like
Wins and delivers complex Data and Analytics engagements with strong client outcomes
Builds trusted advisor relationships with client stakeholders and AHEAD account teams
Strengthens AHEAD’s market position through solution leadership and differentiated offerings
Expands the practice through reusable IP, scalable service development, and innovation
Elevates team capability through mentorship, enablement, and leadership