Solution Architect – Proposals

Avanceon is seeking a Solution Architect to develop technically compliant, commercially competitive, and executable solutions for complex industrial automation and system integration projects across the Middle East. This role involves leading technical bid activities from understanding requirements through solution design, costing, proposal preparation, and submission support. The Solution Architect will collaborate closely with Regional Delivery Managers, Sales, Proposal Engineers, OEMs, vendors, and internal teams. Additionally, the role includes providing technical leadership and mentoring to Proposal Engineers, ensuring effective workload distribution and capability development within the team.

Key Responsibilities

Solution Architecture & Technical Design:
Review customer RFQs, specifications, drawings, BOQs, datasheets, and tender requirements. Develop optimized technical solutions aligned with customer needs, defining system architecture, control philosophy, communication protocols, redundancy, and third-party interfaces. Select suitable technologies, hardware, software, and OEM platforms. Identify technical gaps, ambiguities, integration risks, and specification conflicts, preparing clarifications, assumptions, deviations, and exclusions. Ensure solutions are complete, compliant, scalable, maintainable, and commercially viable.

Solution Portfolio:
Possess broad exposure to industrial automation and system integration solutions, including PLC & RTU systems, SCADA & HMI, DCS/ESD/F&G systems, instrumentation and control, industrial cybersecurity, networking & ICT, building management, power management, low current/ELV systems, servers/storage/virtualization, industrial IoT & edge computing, water/wastewater automation, tunnel automation, intelligent transportation systems, and data center monitoring. Strong expertise is expected in at least two to three core automation/control domains.

Proposal Development & Bid Execution:
Lead technical proposal development for assigned bids. Collaborate with Bid and Regional Delivery Managers to develop execution plans. Break down tender requirements into technical work packages and assign tasks to Proposal Engineers. Define internal milestones and monitor progress toward submission deadlines. Prepare and review technical proposals, compliance statements, system architectures, BOMs/BOQs, scope and interface matrices, clarifications, assumptions, deviations, exclusions, and vendor scopes. Ensure consistency between technical scope, BOM, vendor quotations, services, and commercial costing. Review proposal quality before submission.

Technico-Commercial & Costing Responsibilities:
Prepare and review comprehensive project cost estimates, including hardware, software, engineering, project management, FAT/SAT, installation, commissioning, site services, training, travel, vendor, and subcontractor scopes. Develop BOMs and engineering-hour estimates. Evaluate vendor and subcontractor quotations, identify missing scope, commercial exposure, and technical risks. Support pricing strategy, cost optimization, value engineering, and margin improvement while considering execution risks and contingencies. Take hands-on ownership of complete bid costing.

OEM & Vendor Coordination:
Prepare technical RFQs for OEMs, suppliers, subcontractors, and technology partners. Review vendor proposals for technical compliance and completeness. Identify scope gaps, assumptions, exclusions, and deviations. Define clear vendor scope boundaries and interface responsibilities. Coordinate multi-vendor solutions and support technical and commercial negotiations.

Technical Compliance & Risk Management:
Ensure compliance with customer specifications and applicable standards. Identify technical, integration, execution, and vendor-related risks during the bid stage. Address missing scope and third-party dependencies. Recommend mitigation measures and participate in technical and bid risk reviews for complex opportunities.

Technical Leadership & Team Development:
Lead and mentor Proposal Engineers, allocate tasks based on competency and workload, monitor quality and deadlines, and provide technical guidance. Develop junior and mid-level engineers through mentoring and cross-training. Identify competency gaps and recommend development plans. Build backup capability to reduce dependency on individual resources and support other Solution Architects when specialist expertise is required.

Cross-Regional & Stakeholder Coordination:
Support opportunities across KSA, Qatar, UAE, and other Middle East markets. Collaborate with multiple Regional Delivery Managers and Sales teams. Participate in pre-bid discussions, technical clarification meetings, and solution workshops. Support opportunity qualification and Bid/No-Bid decisions. Contribute to technical win strategies and manage multiple bids across regions.

Required Qualifications

Education:
Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, or Mechatronics Engineering.

Experience:
Minimum of 8 years of relevant experience in proposal development, solution design, estimation, and technico-commercial roles within industrial automation and system integration.

Key Performance Indicators include on-time proposal submission, technical proposal quality, costing accuracy, compliance accuracy, bid turnaround time, win rate, reduction in scope gaps and post-award exposure, team utilization and development, cross-regional support effectiveness, and reduction in single-person dependency.

The Solution Architect will report to the Bid Manager and interface regularly with Regional Delivery Managers, Sales, Proposal Engineers, Engineering, Project Management, Procurement, Commercial/Finance teams, OEMs, vendors, consultants, and customers.