Fast Facts
Join CDW as a Principal Field Solutions Architect to lead AI/HPC architecture strategies, mentor architects, and influence partner roadmaps, ensuring delivery-ready solutions for customers.
Responsibilities: You will own and evolve reference architectures for AI/HPC platforms, mentor other FSAs, represent the organization in public forums, and ensure scalable designs align with delivery needs.
Skills: Broad expertise in AI/HPC infrastructure, exceptional executive communication, and experience building reusable frameworks for presales efficiency.
Qualifications: Preferred qualifications include experience with AI/HPC service offers, publications on architecture, and familiarity with governance/compliance for AI workloads.
Location: This position is based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Compensation: $180000 - $252000 / Annually
Description
At CDW, we make it happen, together. Trust, connection, and commitment are at the heart of how we work together to deliver for our customers. It’s why we’re coworkers, not just employees. Coworkers who genuinely believe in supporting our customers and one another. We collectively forge our path forward with a level of commitment that speaks to who we are and where we’re headed. We’re proud to share our story and Make Amazing Happen at CDW.
The Principal FSA extends the Senior role with visible technical leadership and portfolio influence. You will own repeatable architecture patterns, set a clear point of view for AI/HPC platforms, mentor other architects, and proactively solve problems that shape partner strategy and services offerings. Your work is highly visible across the company and ecosystem: you lead complex, multi‑stakeholder engagements, create accelerators, and raise the bar for presales excellence.
Why this role matters
Enterprises are standardizing on scalable AI/HPC platforms. The Principal FSA ensures we lead with differentiated, delivery‑ready architectures and coherent guidance—accelerating customer outcomes while informing our portfolio, partner alignments, and enablement programs. You’ll create clarity at executive level, de‑risk major initiatives, and multiply impact through reusable assets and mentorship.
What you’ll do:
Architecture Leadership & Strategy
- Own and evolve reference architectures and blueprints for AI/HPC platforms (compute/GPU, networking, storage, orchestration, security, and operations).
- Frame executive decisions and trade‑offs for large programs (performance vs. cost, portability vs. optimization, build vs. buy).
- Establish quality gates, review checklists, and risk‑mitigation guidelines for complex deals.
Portfolio & Partner Influence
- Provide structured feedback that influences partner roadmaps and internal services offerings; help shape joint go‑to‑market motions.
- Coordinate technology validations, performance findings, and design reviews with strategic vendors; publish POVs that clarify recommended patterns.
Enablement & Mentorship
- Coach Senior/Intermediate FSAs on discovery depth, architecture rigor, quantifying benefits, and storytelling.
- Build accelerators (estimators, benchmarks, templates) and lead internal enablement sessions for sellers and architects.
Executive & Public Presence
- Represent the organization in high‑visibility briefings, advisory boards, and technical events; author guidance that aligns stakeholders around a clear architecture strategy.
- Serve as escalation point for architecture decisions and program risks; bring order to ambiguity.
Deal Governance & Delivery Alignment
- Partner with delivery leadership to ensure designs are deployable at scale; advise on SOW structure, acceptance criteria, and risk management.
- Improve handoff quality and post‑delivery feedback loops to refine patterns and offers.
What we expect of you:
Must-have
- Broad, comprehensive expertise across AI/HPC infrastructure theories, techniques, and technologies, demonstrated in large, complex programs.
- Recognized internal subject‑matter leadership with a track record of influencing cross‑functional teams and partner strategies.
- Exceptional executive communication: ability to set technical direction, socialize a clear POV, and drive consensus among senior stakeholders.
- Proven experience building reusable frameworks, benchmarks, or accelerators that improve presales efficiency and delivery readiness.
Nice-to-have:
- Experience defining or refining service offers (assessment, design, implementation readiness, managed operations) for AI/HPC platforms.
- Publications, patents, or external speaking on AI/HPC architecture and performance.
- Familiarity with governance/compliance considerations for AI workloads (data protection, model risk, observability).
How you’ll work
- Presales leadership role (no hands‑on implementation) with tight alignment to delivery, program management, and managed services.
- High visibility across sellers, architects, services, and strategic vendors; drives quality standards and reusability.
- Occasional travel based on customer and event needs.
At CDW, we strive to offer market-competitive total rewards packages to attract and retain talent. As such, we are committed to pay transparency and ensuring fair compensation for all our coworkers. Each of our roles is assigned a salary range that is informed by multiple sources of market data. We determine individual pay within a given range based on a candidate's prior experience, knowledge, skills and abilities. This approach allows us to offer competitive and equitable salaries that reflect the value and responsibilities of each role at CDW. Salaries are based on a 40-hour workweek, and paid on a bi-weekly payroll schedule.
Pay range: $ 180, 000- $ 252,000, depending on experience and skill set
Current Opening: This posting reflects a currently available position within our organization for which we are actively recruiting.
We make technology work so people can do great things.
CDW is a leading multi-brand provider of information technology solutions to business, government, education and healthcare customers in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. A Fortune 500 company and member of the S&P 500 Index, CDW helps its customers to navigate an increasingly complex IT market and maximize return on their technology investments. Together, we unite. Together, we win. Together, we thrive.
CDW is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regards to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other basis prohibited by state and local law.
CDW is committed to fostering an equitable, transparent, and respectful hiring process for all applicants. During our application process, CDW’s goal is to get to know you as an applicant and understand your experience, strengths, skills, and qualifications. While AI can help you present yourself more clearly and effectively, the essence of your application should be authentically yours. To learn more, please review CDW's AI Applicant Notice.
