Solution Architect - Presales, IT/Ites

Solution Architect – Government Accounts 

About the Role

Fortinet is seeking a highly skilled and hands-on Solution Architect to support and drive technology engagements across Government and Public Sector customers in India. The ideal candidate will combine deep technical expertise with strong customer-facing skills, helping government agencies design, implement, secure, and modernize their IT infrastructure.

This role requires a versatile technology professional who can engage with CXOs, IT leadership, security teams, architects, and operations teams while also being capable of hands-on demonstrations, proof-of-concepts (PoCs), troubleshooting, and solution implementation.

The Solution Architect will work closely with sales, engineering, partners, and customer stakeholders to position Fortinet's cybersecurity and networking solutions as strategic enablers of digital transformation initiatives within government organizations.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership

• Act as the primary technical advisor for assigned Government and Public Sector accounts.
• Design end-to-end secure architectures aligned with customer business and security requirements.
• Lead technical discovery workshops, solution design sessions, and architecture reviews.
• Develop solution blueprints, reference architectures, and technical recommendations.

Customer Engagement

• Engage with government agencies, ministries, defense organizations, PSUs, smart city projects, and other public sector entities.
• Present complex technical concepts to both technical and executive audiences.
• Build trusted advisor relationships with CISOs, CIOs, CTOs, enterprise architects, and infrastructure teams.
• Support RFPs, RFIs, tenders, technical compliance documentation, and bid responses.

Hands-On Technical Execution

• Lead and execute Proof of Concepts (PoCs), Proof of Value (PoVs), and technical evaluations.
• Perform solution deployment, integration, migration, and troubleshooting activities when required.
• Conduct technical demonstrations, workshops, and customer training sessions.
• Support escalated technical issues and collaborate with internal engineering and support teams.

Security & Architecture Consulting

• Architect solutions covering:
  • Network Security
  • Secure SD-WAN
  • SASE
  • Zero Trust Architecture
  • Network Access Control
  • Security Operations (SOC)
  • SIEM and SOAR
  • Endpoint Security
  • Cloud Security
  • Data Center Security
  • OT/ICS Security
  • Identity and Access Management
  • Application Security

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with account managers, channel partners, system integrators, and consulting organizations.
• Support strategic account planning and technology roadmaps.
• Provide technical mentorship to partners and internal teams.
• Contribute to solution strategy for large and complex government projects.

Required Qualifications

Experience

• 10–15+ years of experience in enterprise networking, cybersecurity, infrastructure, or solution architecture roles.
• Experience working with Government, Defense, PSU, Smart City, or Public Sector customers in India.
• Proven experience designing and implementing large-scale enterprise security and networking solutions.
• Strong experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder customer engagements.

Technical Expertise

Networking (understanding is enough)

• Routing and Switching
• BGP, OSPF, MPLS
• SD-WAN
• Data Center Networking
• Wireless Technologies
• Network Segmentation

Cybersecurity (Hands-on experience required)

• Next-Generation Firewalls
• IPS/IDS
• Web Application Firewall (WAF)
• DDoS Protection
• NAC
• Zero Trust
• VPN Technologies
• Security Operations
• Threat Intelligence
• Incident Response

Automation & DevOps

• Python
• REST APIs
• Ansible

Desired Skills & Competencies

• Strong solution design and architecture skills.
• Ability to be both strategic and deeply technical.
• Excellent troubleshooting and problem-solving capabilities.
• Strong presentation and communication skills.
• Experience handling government procurement and tender processes.
• Ability to influence technical and business decision-makers.
• Self-driven, customer-focused, and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment.
• Willingness to travel for customer engagements across India.