Lead Solutions Architect

Upwork ($UPWK) is the world’s work marketplace. We serve everyone from one-person startups to large, Fortune 100 enterprises with a powerful, trust-driven platform that enables companies and talent to work together in new ways that unlock their potential.

Last year, more than $3.8 billion of work was done through Upwork by skilled professionals who are gaining more control by finding work they are passionate about and innovating their careers.

The Upwork Sales team brings our contingent staffing solutions to our enterprise customers. The Solution Architects work to scope, deploy and optimize customizable platforms for our largest customers. 

As Team Lead, you will be responsible for the day to day mentorship of your team, including strategic selling, prescriptive solutioning & effective configurations. You will partner cross functionally to improve business processes and escalate issues. Specifically, you will focus on the expansion of our managed services business line, creating optimization and processes for scale. As a Strategic Solutions Architect, you will be responsible for closing and deploying new customers in Upwork’s Fortune 100 & PE/VC books of business.  This role reports to our Director of Solution Architecture and Delivery.

Your Responsibilities:

• Foster a collaborative culture of success and goal achievement by leading with empathy and coaching a high caliber team
• Partner with Account Executives to drive complex, multi-stakeholder deal cycles across industries to solve diverse mission-critical business problems
• Solve complex customer challenges and drive goals with the team to focus on elements of our services that will drive technology adoption
• Define team goals and objectives aligned with the company’s strategic goals
• Share best practices and lead by example from partnering with sales to managing complex projects to building scalable solutions
• Partner with Product teams on  releases and evolve our services and delivery methods to complement and co-exist to rapid changes
• Drive innovative solutions to help grow adoption
• Drive change in our ability to operate with enterprise sized customers 
• Remove roadblocks for the team to scale growth
• Prepare and deliver high impact presentations and demonstrations that tell Upwork’s differentiated story with value driven data 

What it takes to catch our eye:

• Experience leading pre-sales team of Sales Engineers or Solution Architects
• Experience working with enterprise-level customers in designing new processes and implementing technology for the contingent labor and staffing space OR the digital marketing and agency space
• Experience working with integrations and APIs
• Creativity to identify new approaches to solving old problems through the Upwork platform. You will communicate the solutions in a way that is simple and credible. You are able to balance the requirements of a complex industry with building to scale and simplicity.
• A customer-centric mindset and passion for designing solutions that meet enterprise needs.
• A consultative approach with solving your customers business challenges and have a track record of successfully overcoming objections. Problem solving is in your DNA!
• Prior experience working with sales teams and sales leadership to provide strategic partnership to grow an existing sales portfolio.
• Ability to thrive and adapt to a rapidly evolving product and market that will define the future of work

• Experience with enterprise software specific to human capital management or procurement: Recruiting (ATS), Human Capital Management (HCM) system deployment / solution architecture, Vendor Management System familiarity , e-Procurement.
• Motivation and autonomy to drive through programs and achieve results.
• Ability to lead and play a critical role in forming our offering and critical thinking and then transforming that strategy into tactical action.
• Previous experience with Advisory/Consultant roles

Come change how the world works.

At Upwork, you’ll shape talent solutions for how the world works today. We are a remote-first organization working together to create exciting remote work opportunities for a global community of professionals. While we have physical offices in San Francisco and Chicago, currently we also hire full-time employees in 19 states in the United States. 

At the core of our vibrant culture are shared values that form the foundation of our organization. These values revolve around trust, risk-taking, customer focus, and excellence. Our overarching mission is to create economic opportunities so that people have better lives. We foster an environment where individuals are encouraged to bring their authentic selves to work, nurturing personal and professional growth through development opportunities, mentorship programs, and participation in Upwork Belonging Communities.

We take pride in providing exceptional benefits to our employees. These include comprehensive medical insurance coverage for both you and your family, unlimited paid time off, a 401(k) plan with matching contributions, 12 weeks of paid parental leave, and an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. To explore these benefits in detail, as well as gain insights into our company values, working principles, and the overall employee experience, we invite you to visit our Life at Upwork page.

Check out our Careers page to learn more about the employee experience.   

Upwork is proudly committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse and inclusive workforce. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we never discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical condition), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.