Managed Service Architect

Who are we?

Telana is a technology partner that helps tech functions rebalance the run/drive ratio. We believe ambitious tech functions have two jobs: run the technology that keeps the business moving, and drive the innovation that takes it forward. But, most tech teams are struggling to do both jobs effectively; and when tech gets stuck, the business pays the price. Delivered as a self-funding journey from Get Control to Get Moving to Get Ahead, we systematically optimise, modernise, build and manage platforms so tech teams can spend more time on active business innovation and less on firefighting.

As a top-tier partner of Microsoft and Google Cloud, and market leaders for AI, data, cloud, and managed services, Telana partners with some of the UK’s most ambitious organisations to reduce toil, modernise platforms, and deliver secure, scalable AI and innovation solutions.

Telana is recognised as a Leader for Data, Analytics, and Machine Learning in the ISG Provider™ Lens; we are an accredited Azure Expert MSP provider, and have also been awarded a Partner of the Year award from Google Cloud.

What will your role be?

As the design authority for Telana’s managed service solutions, the Managed Service Architect reports to the Head of Solutions and owns the Managed Service product catalogue. In this role, you will maintain and expand the catalogue as new services are introduced, analyse live delivery data and costs to refine offerings and commercial models, and prepare contracts for renewal.

You will also lead the pre-sales shaping of new complex, non-standard managed service requirements—guiding opportunities from discovery and architecture through pricing, bid submissions, and internal approvals. You will ensure every custom solution seamlessly aligns with operational capabilities, maintains target profitability, and successfully transitions into live delivery.

What will you be doing?

• Designing non-standard services. Leading the requirements gathering and design of managed services where customer needs fall outside our standard catalogue, across Azure, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and Google Cloud: scope, inclusions and exclusions, service levels, operating model, staffing and tooling.
• Partnering with presales solution architects. Working alongside our presales solution architects on each opportunity: they shape the technical solution, you shape how it will be run as a managed service, so the customer gets one joined-up proposal.
• Owning the cost model. Maintaining and, through the analysis of live data from existing services, continually improving our managed service cost model, including building costs for new, non-standard and renewal services, and working with commercial leads to set pricing and margin.
• Transforming renewals. Assessing existing contracts ahead of renewal (what was scoped, what is actually delivered, what the actual effort is, where the gaps and risks sit, whether the customer requirements have evolved) and redesigning them onto our standard model with a clear transition path and new pricing.
• Growing the catalogue. Owning our standard service catalogue, including service definitions, tiers, add-ons and SLAs, and designing and launching new services as our offering evolves.
• Bridging sales and delivery. Validating designs with our Managed Services team before we commit, leading the handover into service transition, and feeding lessons from live services back into the catalogue.
• Sharing what you know. Coaching presales and account teams so more opportunities can be scoped against the standard model without needing you.

This may be you:

• You have significant experience in IT managed services, including time in service delivery or service management roles running live operational services. You know how services work in practice, not just on paper.
• You have a track record of writing high-quality RFP and tender responses, ideally including public sector procurement frameworks.
• You have designed managed services end to end and have experience of owning or contributing to a service catalogue or product portfolio, including lifecycle management from introduction through to retirement.
• You are confident building bottom-up effort and cost models and turning them into commercially viable pricing.
• You have reviewed and restructured existing service contracts, including reconciling scope and repricing at renewal.
• You have a working knowledge of ITIL 4 service management practices.
• You have an understanding of service transition and onboarding, and of what delivery and project teams need from pre-sales to transition successfully.
• You understand cloud and workplace platforms, ideally Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365. Google Cloud or Google Workspace experience is a strong plus.
• You write clearly, producing service descriptions that customers, commercial teams and delivery teams all understand.
• You are comfortable presenting designs and pricing to customers, and challenging internal stakeholders when a design isn’t deliverable.
• You are commercially minded and pragmatic: you favour a standard answer and depart from it only for good reason.
• You are calm in ambiguity and enjoy sharing knowledge rather than becoming a bottleneck.
• Nice to have: experience at an Azure Expert MSP or Google Cloud partner; building a productised service catalogue; security services such as SOC or vCISO and frameworks like ISO 27001 or Cyber Essentials; public sector or regulated-industry bids; ITIL 4 Managing Professional or Strategic Leader.

There are many roads leading up to being a Managed Service Architect. Not sure you meet 100% of our qualifications? Have an untraditional background? Our team is already a mix of self-taught and formally educated people. Don’t self-select out!

What we offer you:

• You will be a part of a skilled, inspiring, and supportive team, and work in an environment that encourages long term personal growth.
• Flexible, and trust-based work environment with a healthy work life balance.
• Our people come first. That’s why you’ll have access to private medical insurance, employee assistance programmes, group life assurance, income protection and access to a market leading benefits platform.
• Learning & development. We will support you in your growth journey and cover the costs of your role-based certifications.
• We have first hand experience that diversity encourages creativity and innovation and makes us better placed to understand a wider range of customers' needs. This means that whatever your background, you won’t find a more welcoming place to work.
• We have family friendly policies and encourage a work-life balance, including flexible working options in roles which permit it.