At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the design and governance of complex tech deals worth millions.
- Company: Join a forward-thinking tech company that values diversity and innovation.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, competitive pay, and wellness initiatives.
- Other info: Great career growth opportunities and mentorship available.
- Why this job: Shape impactful solutions and engage with top-tier clients in a dynamic environment.
- Qualifications: Experience in cloud architecture and strategic deal-making is essential.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
The Deal Architect is a senior strategic leader responsible for shaping, designing, and governing complex multi‑million‑dollar technology and managed services deals. This role is central to orchestrating end‑to‑end solutioning across technical, commercial, delivery, and contractual components of large strategic pursuits. With 18+ years of experience, the Deal Architect acts as the linchpin between customers, sales, delivery, and domain specialists—ensuring that the final solution is winnable, deliverable, cost‑optimised, and aligned with the customer’s business outcomes.
Key Responsibilities
- Deal & Solution Architecture Leadership
- Lead the architecture of complex, multi‑tower solutions covering cloud, data, digital engineering, service management, platforms, and application modernization.
- Translate high‑level business requirements into integrated technical, service, and commercial solution frameworks.
- Govern solution integrity across technology, delivery, transition, pricing, and contractual streams.
- Strategic Pursuit Ownership
- Own and orchestrate end‑to‑end solution development for major RFPs, RFIs, and sole‑source pursuits.
- Gate the progression of opportunities by evaluating strategic fit, solution feasibility, delivery risk, and commercial viability.
- Drive and document win themes, value propositions, differentiators, and commercial levers.
- Cross‑Functional Orchestration
- Coordinate with Solution Architects, Technical Directors, Domain Advisors, Finance, Legal, Delivery, and Commercial teams.
- Ensure all pursuit artefacts (SOWs, pricing sheets, TOM, SLAs/XLAs, transition plans) align to a cohesive solution.
- Facilitate solution workshops, customer discovery sessions, and deep‑dive technical/operational interviews.
- Financial & Commercial Architecture
- Shape pricing models including T&M, Fixed Price, Outcome‑based, or Managed Service constructs.
- Ensure commercial solutions reflect risk‑adjusted costing, transition/run budgets, and margin expectations.
- Challenge cost inputs, optimise delivery models (onshore/nearshore/offshore), and improve deal competitiveness.
- Governance & Compliance
- Lead internal solution reviews, Red Team/Black Hat sessions, and CXO sign‑offs.
- Ensure alignment with enterprise frameworks, risk controls, security standards, and architectural governance.
- Validate compliance with customer‑mandated standards, due diligence requirements, and regulatory expectations.
- Customer Engagement
- Act as a senior customer‑facing solution leader in orals, workshops, and commercial negotiations.
- Build executive‑level trust by articulating solution rationale, trade‑offs, delivery models, and roadmap visions.
- Knowledge Leadership
- Mentor junior architects and presales contributors.
- Evolve solution patterns, playbooks, reusable assets, cost models, and value accelerators.
- Contribute to thought leadership and industry‑aligned solution frameworks.
Qualifications Required Experience
- Technical & Architectural
- End‑to‑end architecture expertise across Cloud (AWS/Azure), Data Platforms, Integration, Modern Applications, DevOps, and Enterprise IT landscapes.
- Experience designing large‑scale multi‑tower solutions including:
- Cloud migrations & managed services
- Digital transformation programmes
- Multi‑region delivery frameworks
- Service management & automation pipelines
- Security & governance overlays
- Extensive experience building complex pricing models for multi‑year deals.
- Strong understanding of cost structures, resource models, rate cards, GP/NP levers, and risk buffers.
- Exposure to constructing managed service contracts with SLAs, XLAs, KPIs, and outcome‑based models.
- Proven track record working on competitive RFPs, framework renewals, and large strategic deals.
- Experience interacting with CxO stakeholders, procurement teams, and architecture governance boards.
- Ability to run deal strategy cycles, competitive analysis, and bid optimisation.
- Ability to orchestrate large virtual teams across sales, delivery, architecture, finance, and legal.
- Excellent communication, storytelling, and executive‑level presentation ability.
- Strong stakeholder management and negotiation capabilities.
Core Competencies
- Strategic
- Enterprise‑level architectural thinking
- Business‑case modelling & commercial optimisation
- Market, industry, and competitive insight
- Innovation & value engineering mindset
- Technical
- Multi‑cloud architectures (Azure/AWS)
- Data, integration, and automation frameworks
- Modern engineering practices (CI/CD, DevOps, SRE)
- Security & compliance frameworks
- Behavioural
- Executive presence and gravitas
- Structured problem‑solving
- Collaborative leadership
- High resilience under bid pressure
- Ability to navigate ambiguity and derive clarity
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor’s / Master’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or related field
- Certifications: TOGAF, AWS/Azure Architect, ITIL, PMP/Prince2 (optional)
- Experience in consulting, system integration, or managed services environments
- Experience engaging with global delivery models
Benefits
- Share in our success with our Quarterly Performance‑Related Profit Share Scheme, where employees collectively benefit from a share of our company's profits.
- Strong Career Progression & mentorship coaching through our Strength in Balance & Leadership schemes with a dedicated quarterly Pathways Career Development programme.
- Flexible/remote working, Version 1 is tremendously understanding of life events and people’s individual circumstances and offer flexibility to help achieve a healthy work life balance.
- Financial Wellbeing initiatives including; Pension, Private Healthcare Cover, Life Assurance, Financial advice and an Employee Discount scheme.
- Employee Wellbeing schemes including Gym Discounts, Bike to Work, Fitness classes, Mindfulness Workshops, Employee Assistance Programme and much more.
- Generous holiday allowance, enhanced maternity/paternity leave, marriage/civil partnership leave and special leave policies.
- Educational assistance, incentivised certifications, and accreditations, including AWS, Microsoft, Oracle, and Red Hat.
- Reward schemes including Version 1’s Annual Excellence Awards & ‘Call‑Out’ platform.
- Environment, Social and Community First initiatives allow you to get involved in local fundraising and development opportunities as part of fostering our diversity, inclusion and belonging schemes.
Equal Opportunity Employment
Version 1 is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to building a diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace where everyone feels valued and able to thrive. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities and lived experiences, and we value the different perspectives people bring including those shaped by disability and neurodiversity. If you need reasonable adjustments at any stage of the process, please contact your recruiter at Version 1. We will consider all requests carefully, respectfully and confidentially.
Deal Architect in Manchester employer: Version 1
At Version 1, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters collaboration and innovation. Our Deal Architects benefit from strong career progression opportunities, flexible working arrangements, and a comprehensive suite of wellbeing initiatives, all while contributing to impactful projects in a supportive environment that values diversity and inclusion.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Deal Architect in Manchester
✨Tip Number 1: Get Involved in Consulting Case Competitions
Look for case competitions hosted by universities and consulting firms. They’re a fab way to showcase your problem-solving skills and meet industry players. Plus, winning one can seriously boost your CV, which we know is key when applying for roles like Deal Architect at Version 1!
✨Tip Number 2: Leverage Alumni Networks
Tap into your university’s alumni network; many consultants love to help out new talent. Reach out to alumni who are working in management consulting, they might have insider knowledge about openings at firms like Version 1 or be willing to refer you for that Deal Architect position!
✨Tip Number 3: Attend Industry Events and Conferences
Keep an eye on management consulting events, workshops, or panels. These are prime opportunities to network with top professionals and get your name out there. You might even bump into someone from Version 1 who’s on the lookout for their next Deal Architect star!
✨Tip Number 4: Polish Your Consulting Skills Online
Engage with online platforms that offer consulting simulations or courses. Prove your chops by completing relevant projects — this not only beefs up your experience but also gives you concrete examples to chat about during interviews for that full-time Deal Architect role at Version 1!
We think you need these skills to ace Deal Architect in Manchester
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Problem-Solving Skills:In management consulting, it's all about problem-solving—so make sure your CV highlights your analytical and critical thinking skills. Include examples from your studies or previous roles where you tackled complex issues or came up with innovative solutions. Quantify your achievements whenever possible to demonstrate your impact!
Tailor Your Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to explain why you're a perfect fit for the consulting world. Focus on your motivation for joining the industry and how your skills align with the requirements of the role at Version 1. Remember to mention any relevant coursework or projects that showcase your understanding of strategic frameworks or business models!
Highlight Team Experience:Consultants often work in teams, so it's vital to showcase your collaborative skills. Include experiences where you've worked effectively with others, whether in academic group projects or internships. Discuss your role in the team and how you helped achieve common goals, demonstrating you can thrive in a consultancy environment.
Professionalise Your Online Presence:Make sure your LinkedIn and any other professional profiles are up to date, reflecting your career aspirations in management consulting. Connect with industry professionals and follow relevant groups—show you’re serious about entering this field. Applying through our website is a great way to get noticed, so showcase your personality and enthusiasm there!
How to prepare for a job interview at Version 1
✨Master the Case Study Game
In management consulting, case study interviews are all the rage. Make sure to practice structuring your thoughts and analysing data on the fly. Use resources like example case studies to get comfortable with frameworks and solutions. Remember, it’s not just about getting the right answer but showcasing your thought process, so talk us through your reasoning!
✨Know Your Numbers
Be prepared for some numerical and analytical questions. Brush up on your mental math and be ready to interpret data from charts or graphs. We might throw some business scenarios at you that require a quick turnaround on numerical analysis, so practice these skills to feel confident and swift!
✨Show Your Leadership Flair
As this is a full-time role, we want to see your potential as a seasoned consultant. Be ready to discuss experiences where you've led a project or a team. Think about times you've influenced decisions or navigated challenges—this is your chance to show how you can thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
✨Be a Cultural Fit
We’re not just looking for brains; we want to see if you vibe with our company culture at Version 1. Prepare to share how your values align with ours. Have a think about what makes a great team environment for you and how you can contribute to that. A good cultural fit goes a long way in management consulting!
