Solution Architect

ANS Group are a 750+ team of technology specialists and business experts, who, according to our customers 'get things done'. And we're on a mission to make the world's best cloud and digital services available for all.

Openness, ambition, honesty and passion are what drive us every day. We are bold, courageous, and innovative, and we do it like no other.

At ANS we fundamentally believe every organisation, large or small, has the right to realise their dreams and think bigger. So we've made this our mission. And we do this by giving all organisations access to the best digital transformation technology, people, and processes.

As a trusted UK-based Managed Security Service Provider, we leverage the world's best security technologies, preconfigured and automated, to deliver the highest level of threat monitoring and intelligence.

Partnering with industry leaders like Microsoft, VMware, Fortinet, and Cisco Meraki, we apply our deep expertise and modern security tooling to ensure the safety and resilience of your digital environments.

In the role of Solution Architect for Security we seek candidates with a robust background in Microsoft Security Solutions, and Managed Services to support the growing managed service offerings. Responsibilities include engaging in pre-sales activities for Microsoft security solutions and MDR/Managed XDR services. The role involves collaborating with account managers and sales specialists to develop and produce proposals, presentations, demonstrations, business cases, and proof of concepts during customer-facing engagements.

What will you be doing?

• Qualify and identify MDR & Managed XDR opportunities
• Engage in detailed analysis and assessment of current solutions
• Customer facing technical design workshops
• Develop Security Operations transition plans and target operating models
• Target state architecture designs
• Create and demonstrate TCO/ ROI business case outputs

Practice Development - Work with the security& connectivity team to help develop & deliver:

• New solutions and Go-to-market offerings aligned to ANS' engagement model
• Offerings that align and build on Microsoft security current and Future engagement models
• Solution Accelerators and Productised offerings aligned to specific use cases and verticals
• Develop content for Marketing and deliver training into sales teams

General Requirements

• To demonstrate market, solution and product knowledge utilising meetings, web conferences, phone calls & documentation
• To demonstrate the ANS value proposition
• To support and work in-line with the sales team
• Ensure the Business Systems are always up to date with the correct Solution Architect information
• To ensure all statements of work/proposals are up to date and integral and have been peer reviewed by an appropriate Team Member/Practice Lead/ Technical Architect
• All documentation is uploaded to the relevant location in time for any project award
• Ensure the Project and Managed Service teams obtain the information they require in order to deliver a project and on board a service
• To maintain any accreditations, the company requires for vendor partnerships in line with company requirements
• Ensure the customer is clearly aware of the solution they are buying and assumptions and pre-requisites are clear
• To build clear relationships with customers and potential customers
• To help and drive, wherever possible, the closure of projects and services

What will you bring to the role?

• Experience

• Experience in security architecture, presales, or technical consulting roles.

• Proven experience working in or with Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs).

• Demonstrated success in customer-facing roles, especially in pre-sales or solution design.

• Technical Expertise

• Extensive knowledge of Microsoft Security Tooling, including:

• Microsoft Sentinel (SIEM)
• Microsoft Defender XDR (Endpoint, Identity, Cloud, Office 365)
• Microsoft Defender for Cloud (CSPM/CWPP)
• Microsoft Purview (Compliance & DLP)
• Microsoft Entra (Identity Governance, Conditional Access, PIM)
• Familiarity with SOC technologies:
• SIEM, SOAR, EDR, UEBA, TIP
• Integration with third-party tools (e.g., ServiceNow, Splunk, Palo Alto, etc.)

• Strong understanding of Zero Trust Architecture, Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM), and DevSecOps.

• Presales & Solution Design Skills

• Ability to translate customer requirements into secure, scalable Microsoft-based solutions.

• Experience in creating proposals, solution architectures, and statements of work (SOWs).
• Skilled in delivering demos, workshops, and proof-of-concepts (PoCs).

• Strong presentation and communication skills for both technical and non-technical audiences.

• Soft Skills

• Strong stakeholder management and consultative selling approach.

• Ability to collaborate with sales, delivery, and technical teams.
• Excellent documentation and diagramming skills (e.g., using Visio, Lucidchart).
• Self-motivated, adaptable, and capable of working in a fast-paced environment.

The perfect candidate will have?

• A portfolio of security architecture designs or customer success stories.
• Experience leading Microsoft security workshops or cloud security assessments.
• Familiarity with industry compliance standards (e.g., ISO 27001, NIST, GDPR).
• A mindset focused on continuous learning and keeping up with Microsoft's evolving security stack.
• Ability to mentor junior consultants and contribute to knowledge sharing within the team.

Desirable certification?

• Microsoft Certified: Cybersecurity Architect Expert (SC-100)
• Microsoft Certified: Security Operations Analyst Associate (SC-200)
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert
• Microsoft Certified: Identity and Access Administrator (SC-300)
• Microsoft Certified: Information Protection Administrator (SC-400)