Director, Cloud Transformation, Data and AI Presales

Role OverviewThe Director, Cloud Transformation, Data and AI Presales Leader will drive strategic presales activities, solution architecture, and advisory engagements for Cloud, Data and AI transformation across US or EMEA markets. This executive will lead a high-performing team, collaborate with partners and product marketing, and engage directly with C-suite stakeholders to secure complex, multi-million-dollar transformational deals. The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise, strong business acumen, and proven leadership in presales and solution development across Advisory, Professional Services, Managed Services, and Solution Architecture.Presales Leadership & Team ManagementWork with sales leaders to synthesize GTM motions that can scale effectively across regions.Lead and mentor advisory, enterprise, and solution architects with a complete client-outcome mindset.Coach junior architects on customer engagement, deal strategy, and elevating technical conversations to business outcomes.Build methodologies for value-driven POCs and repeatable frameworks.Develop and deliver sales enablement programs and training.Establish governance across AI, analytics, and data-modernization presales motions to ensure consistency with the Solution Director framework.Define cross-portfolio qualification criteria ensuring AI initiatives map to underlying data platform readiness.Strategic Customer EngagementLead complex transformational sales engagements and multi-discipline solution teams.Engage directly with CxO-level stakeholders.Conduct discovery engagements to define business problems and identify value opportunities.Run advisory engagements including GenAI-driven business process analysis.Drive dual-track customer engagement approaches: AI-first executive visioning paired with data-platform modernization discovery.Lead art-of-the-possible sessions using Amazon Bedrock, Amazon Q, QuickSight Q, and RAG architectures when appropriate.Solution Architecture & Practice DevelopmentBuild capability and motion alignment for Palantir on AWS customer bootcamps and projects.Oversee the design, implementation, and delivery of AI, Data, Application Modernization, Managed Services, and Cloud Migration solutions.Collaborate with product marketing to simplify collateral and messaging.Create service offerings, packages, and GTM strategies.Leverage AWS funding and partnerships (Palantir, Rubrik, Databricks, Snowflake, Dynatrace, Datadog).Integrate generative AI/LLM solution patterns---including Bedrock, Amazon Q, and lakehouse architectures---into practice offerings to maintain parity with the Solution Director portfolio.Own reference architectures spanning AI, lakehouse modernization, and unified analytics, ensuring cross-team consistency.Technical & Advisory ExpertiseMaintain technical foundation in data engineering (Redshift Spectrum, Airflow, ETL), machine learning (LSTMs, CNNs), and data architecture.Demonstrate hands-on experience in ML and cloud-native tooling.Provide strategic advisory, value discovery, and stakeholder management.Possess dual expertise across generative AI (Bedrock, Amazon Q, RAG patterns, vector databases) and lakehouse data platforms (Glue, Databricks, Snowflake, Iceberg/Delta).Guide customers on AI readiness assessments, linking LLM ambitions to required data modernization.Public Speaking & Thought LeadershipRepresent the company at public events.Contribute to IP including white papers and presentations.Publish thought leadership covering both generative AI strategy and modern data-platform architecture patterns.Qualifications RequiredExperience in presales leadership, solution architecture, and advisory for AI/Data/Cloud Transformation in US and UK markets.Proven record of securing multi-million-dollar transformational deals.Deep technical expertise in AI, Data Engineering, App Modernization, Managed Services, Cloud Migration.Experience with technology partners and hyperscalers.Strong business acumen and stakeholder management.Excellent communication and negotiation.Demonstrated team-leadership capability.Experience building offerings, GTM strategies, and enablement programs.Bachelor's or Master's degree; MBA preferred.Demonstrated expertise spanning generative AI and data-modernization architectures, aligned with Solution Director competency expectations.Ability to lead executive-level AI sessions and translate them into data-modernization programs.Qualifications PreferredLeadership roles in presales or solution architecture.Hands-on experience with data engineering stacks and ML frameworks.Experience in US, UK, German, LATAM, KSA; APJ a plus.AWS Solutions Architect or equivalent.Certifications in AI/ML (AWS ML Specialty), Data Analytics, or platform-specific certs (SnowPro, Databricks).Experience designing dual-portfolio (AI + Lakehouse) solution strategies.TravelAs per business requirementsSponsorshipNot sponsorship eligible; must be legally allowed to work in the US.$202,100 - $355,410 a yearThe following information is required by pay transparency legislation in the following states: CA, CO, HI, NY and WA. This information applies only to individuals working in these states. The anticipated starting pay range for California, New York City and Washington is: $202,100 - $355,410.Based on eligibility, compensation for the role may include variable compensation in the form of bonus, commissions, or other discretionary payments.These discretionary payments are based on company and/or individual performance, and may change at any time.Actual compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. Information on offered is here.#LI-VM1"Remote postings are limited to candidates residing within the country specified in the posting location"About Rackspace TechnologyWe are the multicloud solutions experts. We combine our expertise with the world’s leading technologies — across applications, data and security — to deliver end-to-end solutions. We have a proven record of advising customers based on their business challenges, designing solutions that scale, building and managing those solutions, and optimizing returns into the future. Named a best place to work, year after year according to Fortune, Forbes and Glassdoor, we attract and develop world-class talent. Join us on our mission to embrace technology, empower customers and deliver the future.More on Rackspace TechnologyThough we’re all different, Rackers thrive through our connection to a central goal: to be a valued member of a winning team on an inspiring mission. We bring our whole selves to work every day. And we embrace the notion that unique perspectives fuel innovation and enable us to best serve our customers and communities around the globe. We welcome you to apply today and want you to know that we are committed to offering equal employment opportunity without regard to age, color, disability, gender reassignment or identity or expression, genetic information, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity status, military or veteran status, nationality, ethnic or national origin, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or any legally protected characteristic. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.