MISSION
The Principal Architect - Electrical is the discipline authority for electrical power systems across all presales engagements. This role owns electrical standards, reference architectures, and capability development for the zone. The PA-Electrical manages a pool of 8-12 SAE specialists, allocates their time between account work (70%) and standards/innovation work (30%), and ensures technical quality across all electrical designs submitted in bids. The role is accountable for electrical solution excellence, standards enforcement, specialist development, and the continuous evolution of electrical capabilities in response to market and technology changes.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Discipline Standards & Architecture
- Define and maintain electrical reference architectures for all datacenter segments (hyperscaler, colocation, sovereign)
- Set Tier 1 non-negotiable standards (code compliance, safety): no exceptions without Technical Sales, Offers & Solutions approval
- Define Tier 2 efficiency standards (power factor, distribution losses): flexibility for customer fit
- Review all qualifying bids for electrical scope: quality gate approval/rework authority
- Document standards exceptions: when customer needs require deviation from architecture
- Evolve standards based on market feedback: new OG products, customer requirements, competitive pressure
SAE Pool Management & Resource Allocation- Manage 8-12 SAE specialists: hiring, performance management, development, retention
- Allocate SAE time: protect 30% for standards/innovation work; manage account requests beyond 70%
- Lock 30% time in calendar: SAE cannot raid without PA approval and Director/Technical Sales, Offers & Solutions visibility
- Approve/deny staffing requests from SSAs: based on capacity, priority, and 70/30 allocation
- Track SAE capacity and forecast: communicate 2-week lookahead to Director for bid planning
- Negotiate timing and substitution when capacity is constrained: ensure fairness across SSA requests
- Manage SAE performance reviews: set expectations, provide feedback, identify high-performers for advancement
Standards Work & Capability Innovation- Lead SAE 30% standards time: define projects (new reference architecture, playbooks, OG evaluations)
- Drive electrical capability roadmap: what new capabilities/products should we develop over next 12-24 months
- Evaluate and qualify new OG products: when SAEs identify gaps, lead product evaluation
- Build standardized design modules: UPS topologies, distribution patterns, monitoring architectures that SAEs can reuse
- Track technology trends and competitive innovation: immersion cooling electrical implications, AI DC power requirements
- Lead SAE community: forums, knowledge-sharing sessions, mentoring next-gen specialists
Quality Assurance & Governance- Review all submitted bid designs for electrical scope: first-pass quality gate
- Issue rework notices when designs don't meet standards: specify corrections required before customer submission
- Escalate standards violations to Technical Sales, Offers & Solutions: when Tier 1 compliance is at risk
- Participate in Technical Architecture Council (monthly): advise on cross-discipline trade-offs, escalate electrical constraints
- Advise on standards exceptions: provide technical context to Technical Sales, Offers & Solutions when SSA/SAE request override
- Track override log: document electrical exceptions and identify trends for standards evolution
Strategic Account & Market Input- Engage with strategic accounts: technical relationships with customer electrical teams on major deals
- Provide competitive intelligence: track competitor electrical architectures and inform market strategy
- Collaborate with Product Management: feedback on product gaps, new product requirements, engineering priorities
- Lead technical representation at industry events: conferences, standards bodies, customer forums
BE / B Tech / MBA
