Solution Architect (Prototyping)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Solution Architect (Prototyping)

Company: Orcrist Technologies

Location: Remote (Germany-wide)

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Revenue Operations / Sales Operations / Go-To-Market Operations (GTM Ops)

Date Posted: 2026-09-21

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (5-10 years)

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Act as a technical lead for incoming leads, driving the technical dialogue from initial contact through to prototype delivery.

• Translate complex customer needs and workflows into functional, high-standard prototypes for data intelligence solutions.

• Bridge the gap between the GovDev (Government Development) team and Product, ensuring seamless knowledge transfer and market feedback loops.

• Facilitate technical engagements, including deep dives, architecture discussions, and best practices for data integration and application customization.

• Represent the voice of the market to Product teams, influencing the roadmap based on recurring customer requirements and feedback.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Solution Architect," the responsibilities heavily lean into a pre-sales engineering, technical account management, and product feedback role, common in Go-To-Market (GTM) operations. The focus on "prototyping" and "translating prospect needs into working prototypes" aligns with GTM operations' need to quickly demonstrate value and technical feasibility to potential clients. The emphasis on feeding market insights back to Product is also a key GTM Ops function.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own the technical dialogue with incoming leads, including running discovery calls, qualifying technical fit, and addressing architecture and integration queries.

• Collaborate directly with customers to understand intricate workflows, design pilot programs, and translate business requirements into robust technical solutions and prototypes.

• Design and build functional prototypes adhering to a high standard, ensuring they can be cleanly handed over to Product & Engineering teams for further development.

• Lead technical engagements such as platform architecture deep dives, workshop facilitation, and guidance on best practices for data integration and application customization.

• Facilitate the handover of won opportunities to the designated Product & Engineering teams, providing comprehensive documentation and context on customer requirements.

• Act as the "voice of the market" by feeding recurring themes and identified platform gaps from leads and prototype engagements back to Product teams to inform the roadmap.

• Maintain and update reusable demo assets, reference prototypes, and essential technical collateral, including architecture diagrams, integration guides, and FAQs.

• Proactively identify and communicate platform gaps or friction points discovered during the prototyping process to the relevant product development teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a critical GTM Operations function: enabling the sales and business development teams by translating complex technical capabilities into tangible customer solutions. The emphasis on building prototypes that are "not throwaway work" and ensuring "clean handover" indicates a need for structured processes and documentation, core to operations.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• A Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field is typically expected for a Solution Architect role.

• Equivalent practical experience in complex technical environments will also be considered. Experience:

• 5-10 years of progressive experience in solution architecture, pre-sales engineering, technical consulting, or a related role with a strong focus on prototyping and technical customer engagement.

• Proven experience in designing and building functional prototypes for complex software solutions, particularly in a B2B SaaS or enterprise software context.

• Demonstrated ability to translate business requirements into technical specifications and architectural designs. Required Skills:

• Solution Architecture: Deep understanding of platform architecture, integration concepts, and distributed systems.

• Prototyping Proficiency: Proven ability to rapidly design and build functional, high-quality prototypes that can be handed over for production.

• Technical Discovery & Qualification: Expertise in conducting discovery calls, assessing technical fit, and qualifying leads based on architectural and integration capabilities.

• Customer-Facing Communication: Exceptional ability to articulate complex technical concepts clearly and persuasively to both technical (engineers) and non-technical (business stakeholders, executives) audiences.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Strong skills in facilitating workshops, leading deep dives, and working effectively with Sales, Product, and Engineering teams.

• Technical Documentation: Experience creating and maintaining technical collateral such as architecture diagrams, integration guides, and FAQs.

• Fluent German and English (C1+): Essential for direct customer engagement and internal communication within a German-based organization.

• Authorization to work in Germany: A mandatory requirement for this role.

Preferred Skills:

• Kubernetes Expertise: Hands-on experience with Kubernetes for deploying and managing containerized applications, aligning with Orcrist's platform.

• Data Intelligence/Analytics Platforms: Familiarity with petabyte-scale data handling, sub-second query performance, and turning data into actionable intelligence.

• SaaS and On-Premise Solutions: Experience with both B2B SaaS and self-hosted on-premise deployment models, including air-gapped environments.

• GovTech/Defense Sector Experience: Understanding of the unique requirements and procurement processes within defense, law enforcement, or public sector organizations.

• Agile Methodologies: Familiarity with agile development processes and how to integrate prototype development within them.

• API Design and Integration: Strong knowledge of RESTful APIs, GraphQL, and various data integration patterns.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize a blend of deep technical architecture skills and strong client-facing communication, characteristic of a GTM Operations role that supports sales enablement through technical expertise. The dual language requirement and work authorization are critical operational considerations for international roles.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Case Studies of Technical Solutions: Showcase 2-3 detailed examples of complex technical problems you've solved, ideally involving platform architecture or integration.

• Prototype Demonstrations: Be prepared to discuss and potentially demonstrate prototypes you have built. Highlight the technology stack used, the problem solved, and the standard to which it was built.

• Architecture Diagrams: Include examples of architecture diagrams you have created for solutions or integrations, illustrating clarity and comprehensiveness.

• Documentation Samples: Provide samples of technical documentation (e.g., integration guides, FAQs, technical overviews) that demonstrate your ability to communicate technical information effectively.

• Process Improvement Examples: If applicable, include examples of how you've improved processes related to technical discovery, solution design, or handover to engineering.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Demonstrate experience in mapping out and optimizing complex customer workflows to identify technical requirements and solution pathways.

• Prototyping Standards: Clearly articulate your methodology for building prototypes that are robust, reusable, and transferable to product teams. This includes version control, coding standards, and documentation practices.

• Technical Handover Processes: Detail your experience in documenting and communicating customer requirements and prototype specifics to engineering teams to ensure a smooth transition from sales to delivery.

• Trade-off Analysis: Show evidence of how you've structured and documented trade-off discussions between commercial priorities and product capabilities/constraints.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Solution Architect role with a strong prototyping component, a portfolio is crucial. It demonstrates practical application of skills, ability to build to a standard, and effective communication of technical concepts. This section focuses on how candidates can visually and narratively showcase their operational process contributions.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Based on industry benchmarks for Solution Architects with 5-10 years of experience in Germany, particularly in tech roles involving complex platforms and client interaction, the estimated salary range is €75,000 - €100,000 annually.

• This estimate considers the "Remote-first, Germany-wide" aspect, the company's focus on cutting-edge technology, and the critical nature of the data intelligence platform for defense and national security clients. The specific salary will depend on the candidate's qualifications, experience, and negotiation. Benefits:

• Remote-first, Germany-wide: Freedom to work from anywhere within Germany, fostering work-life balance.

• Flexible Working Hours: Adaptable schedules to accommodate personal needs and optimize productivity.

• Home-Office Equipment Budget: A personal budget to set up an ergonomic and efficient home workspace.

• 30 Days of Vacation: Generous time off for rest, rejuvenation, and personal pursuits.

• Professional Development: Investment in continuous learning, including courses, certifications, and conferences relevant to your growth.

• Performance Bonuses: Rewards tied directly to achieving agreed-upon Objectives and Key Results (OKRs), incentivizing impact.

• Welcome Goodie Bag: A thoughtful welcome gift for new team members.

• Team Gatherings & Social Events: Regular opportunities for in-person team building, including summer and Christmas parties, and other off-site events to foster camaraderie.

• Mission-Driven Work: Opportunity to contribute to projects with significant impact on public safety and national security.

Working Hours:

• The role is based on a standard full-time commitment, typically 40 hours per week, with flexibility offered through adjustable working hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimation is based on current market data for similar roles in Germany, factoring in experience level, industry (tech/SaaS), and the specialization of solution architecture with prototyping. The benefits are directly pulled from the job description, highlighting flexibility and professional growth, which are key attractors for operations professionals.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology (Data Intelligence Platform, B2B SaaS, Enterprise Software)

Company Size: [Specific company size information is not provided, but the description implies a growing, innovative tech company. Assuming it's between 50-250 employees based on typical Greenhouse ATS usage for such roles.]

Founded: [Specific founding date is not provided, but the mention of "next generation data intelligence platform" and "cutting-edge technologies" suggests a relatively modern or rapidly evolving company.]

Team Structure:

• The "GovDev" team appears to be a specialized unit focused on government and potentially defense sector clients, likely comprising business development, technical pre-sales, and solution architects.

• The Solution Architect will work closely with incoming leads, the GovDev team, and act as a liaison to the Product and Engineering teams.

• This role implies a collaborative, cross-functional environment where technical expertise directly informs sales strategy and product development. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Product Development: The company builds a "data intelligence platform" handling "petabyte-scale data with sub-second queries," indicating a strong emphasis on data processing, performance, and analytical capabilities.

• Agile Prototyping & Iteration: The role involves building "working prototypes" that are "built to a standard" for handover, suggesting an iterative development approach where prototypes are functional starting points, not disposable mockups.

• Customer-Centric Solutioning: The core of the role is translating "prospect needs" and "complex workflows" into tangible technical solutions and prototypes, emphasizing a deep understanding of customer challenges.

• Feedback Integration: A key operational aspect is "feed[ing] back platform gaps and friction discovered during prototyping to the relevant product teams," creating a vital loop between market engagement and product evolution.

Company Website: [Orcrist Technologies website URL is not provided, but the domain is derived as orcrist.org]

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's focus on advanced data intelligence, Kubernetes-based SaaS, and serving critical sectors like defense and law enforcement suggests a high-performance, security-conscious, and technically sophisticated culture. The operations aspect is embedded in how they translate complex technology into viable customer solutions and iterate on product based on market interaction.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level:

• This role sits at a Mid-to-Senior level, often termed a "Senior Solution Architect" or "Technical Solutions Specialist" within a GTM Operations context. It requires significant hands-on technical experience combined with strong business acumen and client-facing skills. The responsibilities involve ownership and leadership in technical engagements, bridging strategic product needs with immediate customer requirements. Reporting Structure:

• The Solution Architect reports within or closely aligned with the GovDev team. They will likely report to a Head of GovDev, Sales Engineering Manager, or a similar leadership role responsible for pre-sales technical strategy and execution.

• Close collaboration with Product Management and Engineering leadership is expected, facilitating a flat, communicative organizational structure. Operations Impact:

• The Solution Architect's impact is multifaceted:

  • Revenue Enablement: Directly supports sales by validating technical feasibility, building trust with prospects, and accelerating the sales cycle through effective prototyping and technical discovery.
  • Product Strategy: Influences the product roadmap by providing real-time market feedback, identifying recurring customer needs, and highlighting platform gaps, thereby ensuring product-market fit.
  • Customer Success: Ensures that customer requirements are accurately understood and translated into solutions, setting the stage for successful implementation and adoption.
  • Operational Efficiency: Develops reusable assets and processes that improve the efficiency of the sales engineering and product development lifecycles.

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Specialization: Deepen expertise in data intelligence platforms, Kubernetes, cloud-native architectures, and specific industry verticals (defense, law enforcement).

• Leadership in GTM Operations: Transition into leadership roles within Sales Engineering, Solution Architecture management, or GTM Operations leadership, managing teams and driving strategic initiatives.

• Product Management: Leverage market insights gained to move into Product Management roles, shaping the strategic direction of the platform.

• Customer Advocacy & Strategy: Develop deeper relationships with key clients, becoming a trusted advisor and influencing long-term customer success strategies.

• Cross-Functional Mobility: Gain exposure to various departments, potentially leading to roles in technical program management or strategic partnerships.

📝 Enhancement Note: This analysis frames the Solution Architect role through an operations lens, emphasizing its strategic impact on revenue, product, and customer success. The growth opportunities highlight typical career paths for individuals in technically-oriented GTM roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type:

• Remote-first, Germany-wide: This indicates a distributed workforce where physical office presence is not mandatory for daily work. The company supports a remote work model as the primary mode of operation.

• Regular Team Gatherings: While remote-first, the company organizes periodic in-person team gatherings in Berlin and other off-site locations. This suggests a commitment to fostering team cohesion and culture through face-to-face interaction.

Office Location(s):

• Primary team gatherings are held in Berlin.

• Other off-site locations may be used for team events. Workspace Context:

• Personalized Home Office: Employees receive a personal budget to set up their home workspace according to their preferences, ensuring comfort and productivity.

• Collaborative Technology: The remote-first nature necessitates strong reliance on digital collaboration tools for communication, project management, and knowledge sharing.

• Flexible Work Environment: The emphasis on flexible working hours and remote work suggests an environment that trusts employees to manage their time and deliver results, promoting autonomy.

• Mission-Oriented: Working on challenges with tangible impact on public safety and national security can create a purposeful and motivating work environment.

Work Schedule:

• Flexible working hours are a core offering, allowing employees to adjust their workdays to better integrate personal life and professional responsibilities.

• A standard full-time commitment (likely 40 hours per week) is expected, but the timing of those hours can be flexible.

📝 Enhancement Note: The work environment description is tailored to reflect the remote-first nature, the importance of structured in-person interactions, and the company's investment in employee well-being and productivity, which are key considerations for operations professionals seeking a supportive and efficient workplace.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your application, resume, and potentially a brief introductory call with HR or a hiring manager to assess basic qualifications and cultural fit.

• Technical Discovery & Prototyping Challenge: Expect a deep dive into your experience with solution architecture and prototyping. This may involve a technical assessment, a case study presentation, or a hands-on exercise to build a small prototype or design a solution based on a hypothetical customer scenario.

• Customer-Facing Simulation: You might be asked to simulate a customer discovery call or a pitch, demonstrating your ability to explain complex technical concepts and address stakeholder concerns.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Interviews with members of the GovDev team, Product Management, and Engineering to assess collaboration style, communication effectiveness, and technical alignment.

• Final Interview: A discussion with senior leadership to finalize the decision, focusing on strategic alignment, long-term vision, and cultural fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Selectively: Choose 2-3 of your strongest projects that best demonstrate your solution architecture, prototyping, and client-facing skills.

Focus on impact and complexity.

• Structure Your Case Studies: For each project, clearly outline:

  • The customer's problem/objective.
  • Your role and responsibilities.
  • The technical solution designed and prototyped.
  • The technologies and tools used.
  • The challenges encountered and how you overcame them.
  • The tangible outcomes or impact (e.g., accelerated sales cycle, validated technical feasibility, informed product roadmap).

• Highlight Reusability: Emphasize aspects of your prototypes or documentation that were designed for reusability or easy handover, showcasing your operational efficiency mindset.

• Prepare to Discuss Trade-offs: Be ready to articulate the decisions you made, especially regarding trade-offs between technical perfection, speed-to-market, and customer requirements.

• Demo Capabilities: If possible, prepare a brief live demo or recorded walkthrough of a relevant prototype or technical asset.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Orcrist's Platform: Research Orcrist Technologies, their data intelligence platform, and the technologies they use (Kubernetes, petabyte-scale data).

• Practice Explaining Complex Concepts: Be ready to explain your technical work using clear, concise language, adapting your explanation to different audiences.

• Anticipate Technical Questions: Prepare for questions on Kubernetes, data integration patterns, API design, SaaS architecture, and how you'd approach building a prototype for a specific use case.

• Review Your Portfolio: Be intimately familiar with every project you present, ready to answer detailed questions about your design choices, implementation, and impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section provides actionable advice for candidates, focusing on how to best present their operational capabilities and technical acumen throughout the interview process, particularly concerning their portfolio and any practical challenges.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Kubernetes: Essential for deploying and managing the company's platform. Hands-on experience is critical.

• Cloud-Native Technologies: Familiarity with containerization (Docker), microservices, and related cloud-native principles.

• Prototyping Frameworks/Languages: Proficiency in tools and languages suitable for rapid development (e.g., Python with Flask/Django, Node.js, Go, potentially front-end frameworks like React/Vue for UI elements if applicable to prototypes).

• CI/CD Tools: Experience with continuous integration and continuous deployment pipelines (e.g., Jenkins, GitLab CI, GitHub Actions) for building and deploying prototypes efficiently.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data Visualization Tools: Experience with tools like Tableau, Power BI, Looker, or Grafana for creating architecture diagrams, performance metrics, and potentially showcasing prototype capabilities.

• Monitoring & Logging Tools: Familiarity with tools like Prometheus, ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana), or Datadog for understanding system performance and debugging.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot): While not directly building in them, understanding how solutions integrate with CRMs is often beneficial for pre-sales roles.

• API Integration Platforms: Experience with tools or concepts for integrating disparate systems (e.g., MuleSoft, Zapier, custom API integrations).

• Documentation Platforms: Tools for collaborative documentation (e.g., Confluence, Notion) are likely used for maintaining technical collateral.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section details the technical landscape, emphasizing tools directly related to the company's stated technology stack and the core responsibilities of a Solution Architect involved in prototyping and integration.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Technical Excellence: A commitment to building high-quality, robust solutions and prototypes that meet stringent standards.

• Customer Focus: Dedication to understanding and solving customer problems, translating complex needs into practical, effective solutions.

• Collaboration & Transparency: Open communication and a willingness to share knowledge, feedback, and challenges across teams (GovDev, Product, Engineering).

• Innovation & Continuous Improvement: Embracing cutting-edge technologies and a proactive approach to identifying and implementing improvements in processes and products.

• Impact-Driven: A focus on delivering solutions that have a tangible positive impact on public safety, national security, and customer missions.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Partnership: The role thrives on close collaboration with Sales, Business Development, Product Management, and Engineering, requiring strong interpersonal and communication skills.

• Knowledge Sharing: A culture that encourages sharing best practices, reusable assets, and lessons learned from customer engagements and prototyping efforts.

• Feedback-Oriented: Openness to providing and receiving constructive feedback to improve both individual performance and team processes.

• Agile & Iterative: Working within a dynamic environment that values quick iteration, learning from feedback, and adapting solutions as needed.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section translates the company's mission and operational focus into specific values and collaboration dynamics, providing insights into the day-to-day working environment for an operations-minded professional.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Rapid Prototyping Demands: Balancing the need for speed in building functional prototypes with the requirement to build them to a production-ready standard.

• Translating Ambiguous Requirements: Effectively eliciting and clarifying requirements from diverse stakeholders, especially when dealing with novel or complex government/defense use cases.

• Bridging Technical Gaps: Acting as a translator between highly technical product teams and potentially less technical customer stakeholders, ensuring clear communication and mutual understanding.

• Market Feedback Integration: Systematically capturing, synthesizing, and communicating market feedback to influence product roadmaps effectively amidst competing priorities.

• Navigating Security & Compliance: Understanding and working within the strict security and compliance requirements often associated with defense and public sector clients.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Platform Architecture: Deepen expertise in Orcrist's proprietary data intelligence platform and its underlying technologies.

• Kubernetes & Cloud-Native Specialization: Enhance skills in managing and deploying complex containerized applications in production environments.

• Industry Vertical Expertise: Develop specialized knowledge of the challenges and opportunities within defense, law enforcement, and national security sectors.

• Technical Leadership & Mentorship: Opportunity to mentor junior team members, lead technical initiatives, and potentially grow into a management role.

• Product Strategy Influence: Gain a deeper understanding of product management principles and contribute significantly to strategic product decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section identifies potential hurdles and outlines the professional development pathways available, focusing on how challenges can be leveraged for growth within the operations and technical domains.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Prototyping Methodology: "Describe your process for building a functional prototype from initial requirements. What standards do you adhere to, and how do you ensure it's ready for handover to engineering?"

• Technical Discovery & Qualification: "Walk me through how you would conduct a technical discovery call for a new prospect. What key questions would you ask, and how would you qualify their technical fit for our platform?"

• Stakeholder Management: "How do you manage differing priorities or technical disagreements between a customer's technical team and their business stakeholders, or between your Product and Sales teams?"

• Market Feedback Loop: "Describe a time you translated customer feedback or market observations into actionable insights for a product team. What was the outcome?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• Understanding Orcrist's Mission: "What interests you about Orcrist's mission in the defense and national security space?"

• Remote Work & Collaboration: "How do you maintain effective communication and collaboration within a remote-first team environment?"

• Handling Trade-offs: "Describe a situation where you had to balance commercial needs with technical constraints or product limitations. How did you approach the trade-off discussion and documentation?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Focus on Impact: For each portfolio piece, clearly articulate the "so what?" – the business or technical impact achieved. Quantify results where possible.

• Showcase Process: Be ready to explain how you approached each project, highlighting your problem-solving methodology, your design process, and your prototyping standards.

• Demonstrate Communication Skills: Practice explaining your technical work clearly and concisely, using analogies or simplified diagrams where appropriate for non-technical parts of the audience.

• Tailor to Orcrist: If possible, subtly link your past experiences and portfolio examples to the types of challenges Orcrist addresses and the technologies they use.

📝 Enhancement Note: This provides specific, operations-relevant interview questions and preparation strategies, focusing on the practical application of skills and the candidate's understanding of Orcrist's business context.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Solution Architect position:

• Submit your comprehensive resume and a cover letter detailing your relevant experience, particularly in solution architecture, prototyping, and customer-facing technical roles.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Prepare a portfolio that showcases 2-3 of your strongest projects. Focus on demonstrating your ability to build functional prototypes to a professional standard and effectively communicate technical solutions. Include examples of architecture diagrams and technical documentation.

• Research Orcrist Technologies: Thoroughly understand the company's mission, their data intelligence platform, the technologies they employ (Kubernetes, SaaS), and the sectors they serve (defense, law enforcement).

• Practice Your Pitch: Rehearse how you will articulate your experience, particularly your approach to technical discovery, prototyping, and cross-functional collaboration. Be ready to walk through your portfolio with clarity and confidence.

• Prepare for Technical Scenarios: Anticipate questions about Kubernetes, data integration, and how you would approach building prototypes for complex, mission-critical applications.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

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