Senior Solutions Architect

About the role

You will serve as a technical advisor for major Utilities and Energy sector accounts, helping them adopt the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform. This role requires you to act as a trusted consultant that translates complex business challenges into clear technical narratives. You own the design of data and AI architectures that directly support revenue-generating outcomes for critical infrastructure and utility customers. A core part of your responsibility involves partnering with account teams to build compelling proof points that de-risk adoption decisions. You will shape the technical narrative that defines how the Databricks platform solves some of the most regulated and complex data problems. This position demands a balance between deep technical expertise and the ability to communicate effectively with both technical and executive audiences. You are expected to operate with a high degree of ownership, driving initiatives forward in environments where requirements are initially ambiguous. Success in this role will be measured by your capacity to enable sales cycles and establish Databricks as the strategic platform of choice.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Partner with Account Executives and Solutions Architects to deconstruct complex business problems and co-create engagement strategies for key accounts.
• Translate ambiguous customer needs into technical narratives by building custom prototypes, demos, and hands-on solutions that concretely illustrate platform value.
• Analyze existing customer workflows to identify inefficiencies and architect modern data solutions using the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform.
• Coach internal account teams on adoption strategies, ensuring they can effectively position technical capabilities against competitive alternatives.
• Lead highly interactive technical workshops that guide stakeholders through architecture reviews, trade-off discussions, and future-state design sessions.
• Synthesize insights from customer engagements to influence C-level stakeholders and decision-makers regarding long-term data and AI strategy.
• Conduct in-depth competitive analyses to map the cloud ecosystem, identifying gaps where Databricks provides distinct architectural advantages.
• Navigate complex regulatory and compliance constraints specific to the Utilities and Energy sectors to ensure solutions meet industry standards.
• Facilitate community meet-ups and knowledge-sharing sessions that strengthen the local ecosystem around data engineering and AI on the lakehouse.
• Own the technical validation phase of the sales process, ensuring that proposed architectures are feasible, scalable, and aligned with customer objectives.

Requirements

• Possess a technical background in Data Engineering, Data Warehousing, or Machine Learning/AI, with demonstrable experience in at least one of these domains.
• Bring prior experience in a technical pre-sales capacity where you have managed complex customer lifecycles from discovery through to implementation.
• Demonstrate proficiency in Python or SQL, coupled with a proven willingness and capacity to learn Apache Spark for large-scale data processing.
• Hold hands-on experience with major public cloud platforms, specifically AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform, including core services and architecture patterns.
• Exhibit the ability to thrive in autonomous environments where requirements are not fully defined and decisions must be made with incomplete information.
• Show capability to travel up to 30-40% of the time to customer sites across the UK and to London offices for internal collaboration and planning.
• Hold the right to work in the United Kingdom, ensuring you meet all legal requirements for employment in this location.
• Display a strong commitment to ethical sales practices and compliance, particularly regarding export controls and data sovereignty.

Nice to have

• Hold a current Databricks Certification that validates your technical expertise on the platform.

Practical notes

This role is based in London and operates under a Full-time engagement model. The successful candidate must be prepared to travel up to 30-40% of the time. There may be specific requirements related to export-controlled technology access that could necessitate a U.S. government license, subject to the discretion of the employer.