Manager - Solution Architect

Itron is innovating new ways for utilities and cities to manage energy and water. We create a more resourceful world to protect essential resources for today and tomorrow. Join us.

Itron is seeking a dynamic and experienced Manager of Solution Architects (SAs) to lead a high-impact, customer-facing team within our Sales and Pre-Sales organization. This role is designed for a strategic, sales-focused leader who thrives in a player-coach capacity-balancing direct engagement in strategic pursuits with the development and enablement of a growing team.The Manager of Solution Architects partners closely with Enterprise/Client Executives to co-create compelling, feasible, and commercially aligned solutions that drive customer success. This leader ensures that the SA team translates Itron's technology, roadmap, and value into clear, actionable solution narratives, reducing reliance on Product Management for messaging and enabling direct articulation of capabilities and outcomes.This role requires a collaborative mindset, technical fluency across Itron's portfolio, and a commitment to continuous improvement, innovation, and customer-centricity.Duties and ResponsibilitiesLeadership & Team Development

• Lead, coach, and mentor a geographically distributed team of Solution Architects.
• Operate as a player-coach, actively supporting high-value pursuits while fostering team growth and scalability.
• Develop and maintain a structured onboarding and training program to ensure team readiness and portfolio fluency.
• Promote cross-training and knowledge sharing to reduce single points of dependency.
• Establish and uphold quality standards for architectural clarity, solution alignment, and technical storytelling.
• Define and track KPIs related to solution quality, responsiveness, readiness, and influence on bookings.

Strategic Pursuit Support

• Serve as Solution Owner for select strategic opportunities, modeling best practices in customer engagement.
• Collaborate with Enterprise Client Executive and Client Executives to shape solution architectures, value positioning, scope, and win themes.
• Provide final technical review of Solution Definitions, architecture diagrams, and RFP responses.
• Contribute to Opportunity Review Board documentation with clear, feasible, and commercially aligned technical content.
• Proactively identify and communicate risks and architectural tradeoffs.

Methodology & Process Excellence

• Build and maintain a centralized repository of reusable architecture patterns, templates, and messaging frameworks.
• Define and implement standard operating procedures (SOPs) and RACI models for SA engagement and cross-functional collaboration.
• Partner with Deal Desk, Product Solution Engineers (PSEs), Technical Solution Engineers (TSEs), and Sales Specialists to streamline proposal development.
• Ensure solution narratives emphasize customer outcomes, integration clarity, and use-case alignment.
• Foster a culture of documentation, repeatability, and continuous improvement.

Cross-Functional Alignment

• Maintain strong relationships with Product Business Units (PBUs) to ensure roadmap clarity and product readiness.
• Deliver timely updates to the SA team and provide structured customer feedback to influence future product direction.
• Collaborate with PSEs and TSEs to ensure demo and architecture alignment with customer needs.
• Engage Professional Services early to validate solution feasibility and ensure seamless handoff.
• Align consistently with Sales Specialists, Value Architecture, and Global Managed Services (GMS) teams.

Solution & Portfolio Expertise

• Maintain broad fluency across AMI, DI/Grid Edge, MDMS, network technologies, and partner ecosystems.
• Equip SAs to clearly articulate the differentiated value of AMI 2.0, including regulatory justification and measurable outcomes.
• Ensure team proficiency in explaining both the "what" and the "how" of AMI 2.0, including architectural enablers and operational workflows.
• Guide strategic positioning through competitive and regulatory awareness.

Required Skills & Experience

• 10+ years of experience in solution architecture, technical pre-sales, or enterprise architecture roles.
• 3+ years of leadership or mentorship experience in a technical or sales environment.
• Proven success in supporting complex technical sales pursuits with a customer-first mindset.
• Deep expertise in AMI, DI/Grid Edge, MDMS, and network architecture.
• Exceptional communication and customer-facing storytelling skills.
• Bachelor's degree in engineering, computer science, information systems, or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to lead with authenticity, accountability, and agility in a collaborative environment.

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Experience working with regulated utilities and understanding industry dynamics.
• Proven ability to influence and collaborate with Product Business Units.
• Familiarity with proposal tools such as Loopio.
• Participation in DI/AMI industry groups or meter schools.
• Passion for innovation and continuous improvement in solution development.

Travel : This role requires up to 50% travel to support business needsPhysical Demands: Typical office environment with no unusual physical requirements.Benefits Info:This position also includes a competitive benefit package including; financial, social, health and wellbeing programs, paid vacation, 401k matching, employee stock purchase program, hybrid work schedule, and moreThe successful candidate's starting salary will be determined based on permissible, non-discriminatory factors such as skills and experience and may vary by location. The base salary range is $125,000 - $279,000. This position is eligible for our sales incentive program.#LI-BJ1

Itron is committed to building an inclusive and diverse workforce and providing an authentic workplace experience for all employees. If you are excited about this role but your past experiences don't perfectly align with every requirement, we encourage you to apply anyway. In the end, you may be just who we are looking for

The successful candidate's starting wage will be determined based on permissible, non-discriminatory factors such as skills and experience.

Itron is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. If you require an accommodation to apply, please contact a recruiting representative at 1-800-635-5461 or email Accessibility@itron.com.

Itron is transforming how the world manages energy, water and city services. Our trusted intelligent infrastructure solutions help utilities and cities improve efficiency, build resilience and deliver safe, reliable and affordable service. With edge intelligence, we connect people, data insights and devices so communities can better manage the essential resources they rely on to live. Join us as we create a more resourceful world: www.itron.com

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