Data & AI Presales Architect in Leatherhead

Established in 1982, Bytes has grown rapidly and now employs over 800+ people across 6 locations in the UK and Ireland. Our turnover in Financial Year 2024 was in excess of £2bn. We work with SME’s, corporates and public sector organisations to modernise and digitally transform their IT infrastructures.

We invest in our employees through on-going support, training and advice to help them achieve their career aspirations, rewarding success both financially and personally. There is opportunity to grow and move internally which can be seen through our long‑standing employees who have developed existing and new skills to move into senior positions in the organisation leaving space for new team members to begin their journey.

Your Future Starts Here

Purpose Of Job:

As a Microsoft Data & AI Cloud Presales Architect, you will play a pivotal role in shaping how our customers adopt and scale Microsoft’s intelligent cloud and data services. This is a highly consultative role that blends deep technical expertise with commercial acumen and customer engagement.

You will work closely with account teams, solution specialists, and delivery consultants to design and position scalable, secure, and innovative Data & AI solutions. These solutions will span Microsoft Azure, Fabric, Azure AI services including Azure OpenAI. Cognitive Services, and Machine Learning and will be tailored to meet the unique needs of enterprise and public sector clients.

Your responsibilities will include leading technical discovery sessions to develop solution architectures, and supporting the sales cycle with compelling demos, proposals, and proof‑of‑value engagements. You’ll also act as a trusted advisor to customers, helping them understand how to unlock value from their data and AI investments.

This role is ideal for someone who thrives at the intersection of technology and business, and who is passionate about helping organisations transform through data‑driven decision‑making and AI innovation.

Key Responsibilities:

• Advise customers on the use of Azure AI services including Cognitive Services, Azure Machine Learning, and Azure OpenAI to solve business challenges.
• Lead technical discovery sessions with customers to understand business and technical requirements.
• Design and present Data & AI solutions using Microsoft Azure, Fabric, and OpenAI services.
• Collaborate with internal teams to shape proposals and ensure solution feasibility.
• Support the sales cycle with technical expertise, demos, and proof‑of‑value engagements.
• Stay current with Microsoft’s Data & AI roadmap and emerging technologies.
• Ensure proposed solutions align with Microsoft’s “Metrics that Matter” to drive measurable customer outcomes.
• Collaborate with AI‑focused delivery teams to shape PoC engagements and ensure feasibility of AI‑driven solutions.

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE & SKILLS:

Educational Qualifications:

• Degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, or related field.
• Equivalent industry experience in lieu of formal education.

Professional Qualifications

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert or equivalent.

Years of Experience

• 5+ years in a Technical Pre‑Sales, solution architecture, or consulting role.
• Experience designing and presenting Data & AI solutions.

Other Requirements

• Hands‑on experience with Azure AI services including Cognitive Services, Azure ML, and Azure OpenAI.
• Strong understanding of Microsoft Azure Data & AI stack.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Fabric and Azure OpenAI.
• Understanding of responsible AI principles and governance in enterprise environments.
• Experience with AWS Data & AI services.
• Ability to simplify complex data topics for customer conversations.
• Experience planning Proof of Concept (PoC) projects.
• Understanding of Microsoft’s “Metrics that Matter.”
• Deep knowledge of Azure Data & AI services, architecture, and deployment.
• Ability to lead discovery sessions and translate needs into solutions.
• Skilled in designing scalable, secure, and innovative architectures.
• Clear communicator with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Works effectively with sales, delivery and partner teams.
• Keeps up to date with Microsoft roadmap and emerging technologies.
• Understands licensing, pricing and commercial models for Microsoft cloud.
• Ability to align solutions with customer business outcomes.
• Ability to design and position AI‑driven solutions using Microsoft’s AI stack.
• Familiarity with responsible AI practices and customer data governance.