This role is designed for a strategic Managed Services architect capable of shaping commercially compelling, AI-enabled and outcome-driven service models across applications, infrastructure and cloud operations. 

Position Purpose 

Avanade is accelerating the growth and evolution of its Managed Services business across Applications, Infrastructure, Cloud and Digital Operations. As part of this ambition, we are looking for a Managed Services Solution Architect with strong deal shaping, service model design and strategic transformation capabilities. 

This role will be responsible for shaping compelling, commercially viable and future-ready Managed Services solutions for new and existing clients. The successful candidate will combine deep understanding of Managed Services delivery models with a strong business mindset, helping Avanade define differentiated value propositions, modern operating models and scalable service frameworks. 

A key focus of the role will be to contribute to the evolution of Managed Services through AI-enabled operations, automation, observability and Agentic AI service models, supporting both infrastructure and application managed services. The candidate will help clients move from traditional service models towards more intelligent, proactive, measurable and outcome-based services, combining human expertise with AI-driven service orchestration. 

The role requires strong customer-facing skills, executive communication, commercial awareness and the ability to translate complex technical and operational concepts into clear business value for clients. 

Key Responsibilities 

The Managed Services Solution Architect will be accountable for shaping and developing Managed Services solutions across new opportunities and existing client accounts. Responsibilities will include: 

• Lead the end-to-end shaping of Managed Services opportunities, from early qualification and discovery to proposal development, commercial modelling and contract support.  

• Work with Sales, Account Leadership, Delivery, Finance and Offshore/Nearshore Delivery Centers to design solutions that are operationally robust, commercially competitive and aligned with Avanade’s delivery capabilities.  

• Interpret explicit and implicit client requirements, identifying business drivers, operational pain points, service integration needs, risks and transformation opportunities.  

• Design next-generation Managed Services operating models across Applications, Infrastructure, Cloud, Workplace, Security and Service Management domains.  

• Define service models that include governance, roles and responsibilities, SLAs/XLAs, KPIs, service integration, transition approach, delivery locations, automation opportunities and continuous improvement mechanisms.  

• Contribute to the development of AI-enabled and agentic service frameworks, identifying practical use cases for automation, AI agents and intelligent operations across incident management, request fulfilment, monitoring, application support, infrastructure operations, knowledge management, service reporting and software delivery lifecycle support.  

• Support the transition from reactive service models to proactive, predictive and increasingly autonomous service operations, ensuring that AI adoption is measurable, governed and aligned with business outcomes.  

• Develop clear and compelling value propositions, business cases and executive narratives that articulate the expected impact of the proposed service model in terms of efficiency, quality, resilience, scalability, user experience and innovation.  

• Own or contribute to effort estimation, cost modelling, solution plans, risk assessments and pricing inputs, ensuring full visibility of service costs across the contract lifecycle.  

• Support commercial strategy and client conversations, helping shape pricing models, transformation roadmaps, value-based propositions and long-term service evolution plans.  

• Prepare and present proposals, solution plans and service transformation approaches to client stakeholders, including technical, operational and executive audiences.  

• Identify and mitigate solution risks related to delivery feasibility, transition complexity, tooling, data quality, security, AI governance, commercial assumptions and contractual commitments.  

• Promote the use of Avanade assets, accelerators, delivery methodologies and Microsoft ecosystem capabilities to differentiate Managed Services solutions.