Manager - Pre Sales and Solutions Architecture at MTN Nigeria

MTN Nigeria is part of the MTN Group, Africa\'s leading cellular telecommunications company. On May 16, 2001, MTN became the first GSM network to make a call following the globally lauded Nigerian GSM auction conducted by the Nigerian Communications Commission earlier in the year. Thereafter the company launched full commercial operations beginning with Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt. MTN paid $285m for one of four GSM licenses in Nigeria in January 2001. To date, in excess of US$1.8 billion has been invested building mobile telecommunications infrastructure in Nigeria. Since launch in August 2001, MTN has steadily deployed its services across Nigeria. It now provides services in 223 cities and towns, more than 10,000 villages and communities and a growing number of highways across the country, spanning the 36 states of the Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Many of these villages and communities are being connected to the world of telecommunications for the first time ever. The company\'s digital microwave transmission backbone, the 3,400 Kilometre Y\'elloBahn was commissioned by President Olusegun Obasanjo in January 2003 and is reputed to be the most extensive digital microwave transmission infrastructure in all of Africa. The Y\'elloBahn has significantly helped to enhance call quality on MTN network.

At Bayobab, we are Lead with Care, Can-do with Integrity, Collaborate with Agility, Serve with Respect and Act with Inclusion.
Bayobab formerly MTN GlobalConnect is a Pan-African digital wholesale and infrastructure services company founded in 2017, and an operating company in the MTN Group. Bayobab formerly MTN GlobalConnect manages MTN's international and national major wholesale activities, in addition to offering reliable wholesale and infrastructure solutions for fixed connectivity and wholesale mobility solutions that include international mobile services, Voice, SMS, signaling, roaming and interconnect.

The Manager – Presales & Solutions Architect leads end-to-end solution design and architecture for internal and external customer requirements. The role will form a part of the Product, Pre Sales and Service Excellence team and it will act as the technical bridge between customers, the sales team, product and technology team. 
The role will support Sales teams across different Bayobab footprint on technical aspects including tailoring solutions to best fit customer needs, optimizing capacity, resource utilization and timeliness to maintain balanced cost and spend to energize the solution. The role ensures feasibility, quality, and timely delivery of technical and commercial solutions through close collaboration with key stakeholders. This includes managing presales activities, solution documentation, and contracting processes to enhance customer satisfaction and drive business growth.

Job Requirements 

(Education, Experience and Competencies)

Input into Operational Planning

• Provide input into operational and promotional planning which will ensure revenue growth within an allocated portfolio of accounts.
• Monitor growth opportunities through competitor activity scanning and feedback to business on such opportunities for further development.
• Recommend ways to exploit new opportunities to grow the business further
• Drive continuous improvement in processes, tools, and systems to enhance efficiency and delivery.
• Ensure timely response to customer solution request in line with Bayobab’s Call to Cash process and OLAs.  

Solutions Design & Architecture

• Translate customer requirements into fit-for-purpose, cost-effective solutions.
• Develop feasibility studies, cost models, and documentation (RFPs, proposals, SLAs, Statements of Work).
• Ensure solution governance, technical validation, and timely delivery.
• Prepare, present and maintain technical proposals, high level solution design, KMZ and technical information. 
• Coordinate with Off-net 3rd party providers for offnet solutions or pure resell solutions (i.e. Last mile, Backhaul, DIA etc) to gather technical details.  

Key accountabilities and decision ownership 

• Capture and interpret customer requirements, and design complex and custom solutions to meet customer requirements
• Develop feasibility reports in line with customer requirements
• Build accurate scalable cost models and provide input into pricing strategy
• Identify and document any risks to the solution
• Document solution in RFP responses, proposals and Statement of Works/High Level Designs
• Ensure solutions are deliverable in timeframes committed and have passed all appropriate solution governance.
• Ensure timely response to customer solution request in line with Bayobab’s Call to Cash process and OLAs.

Customer Engagement & Satisfaction

• Build and maintain trusted relationships with internal and external customers.
• Ensure customer issues and requests are resolved within agreed SLAs.
• Proactively identify and convert new solution opportunities to support account growth.
• Provide on-going support to existing accounts and work actively towards creating new profitable revenue streams through new accounts.

Quality & Continuous Improvement

• Maintain high standards of quality, accuracy, and compliance in all solution documentation.
• Apply best practices and gather feedback to drive service and delivery improvements.
• Ensure adherence to standard operating procedures and solution governance frameworks.
• Analyse situations and take necessary action to ensure quality is maintained.
• Seek feedback from clients/ stakeholders and continuously seeks ways of improving on quality and customer service standards.

Innovation & Value Creation

• Recommend and implement innovative solution designs and automation opportunities.
• Share insights to inform product development and enhance service offerings.
• Drive initiatives that improve cost efficiency, delivery speed, and customer experience.
• Encourage continuous service improvement
• Keep up to date with industry trends, vendor solutions and new technology technologies within Telecommunication industry.

Education:

• Minimum bachelor’s degree in engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field 

Experience:

• Minimum 5–7 years’ experience in solution design, architecture, or presales within the telecommunication space, preferably in the enterprise / wholesale or carrier environment.
• Minimum 3 years in Service & Solution Management with relevant technical experience in the international telecommunication industry preferably in carrier/enterprise business.
• Proven track record in developing and implementing complex customer solutions
• Experience in dealing with working on complex solution for key customers (i.e. OTTs, global carrier customers, MNOs) in a solution design or consultancy role
• Experience working in cross-functional, multinational environments
• Fixed connectivity and submarine cable business experience 
• Experience in Account Management (advantageous) 
• In-depth knowledge of Fixed Connectivity technologies (i.e. OTN, Satellite, Cloud Networking, Carrier Ethernet, MPLS etc.)

Competencies:

• Understanding of the fixed connectivity infrastructure wholesale landscape with a focus on emerging markets
• Understanding of product and solution architecture in the fixed connectivity assets space
• Excellent professional expertise and market knowledge, including good understanding of the competitive environment
• Strong public relations and interpersonal skills to be able to function across multiple business lines in a multicultural environment
• Good understanding of wholesale market products in order to manage and support bids
• Multi-tasking capability to manage complex RFP’s.
• Clear understanding and incorporation of the SLA into the customer value proposition.
• Strong networking skills to build Bayobab professional relationships 
• Effective oral and written communication skills
• Strong analytical, organizational and planning skills to execute commercial reports and inputs form Bayobab budgeting
• Relationship based-sales skills and strong customer focused approach 
• Effective oral and written communications and public relations as well as excellent negotiation skills to be able to function across multiple business lines in a multicultural environment
• Strong computer literacy.

Innovation & Thought Leadership: 

• Identify opportunities for service innovation or bundled offers. 
• Feed insights from customer feedback into product development. 
• Represent the company at industry forums or vendor workshops when required.

Other:

• Regional and international travel
• Ability to adapt to changing requirements of business and staff members

Method of Application