
Principal Solutions Architect – Enterprise
Tekion Corp
full-time
Posted on:
Location Type: Remote
Location: United States
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Salary
💰 $210,800 - $351,000 per year
Job Level
Tech Stack
About the role
- Partner with enterprise Account Executives as a principal-level peer and domain advisor throughout the sales cycle — from discovery and qualification through proposal, executive alignment, and close.
- Lead solution discovery sessions with prospective dealer group executives, developing a thorough understanding of their current DMS environment, operational structure, pain points, and strategic priorities.
- Design and deliver tailored solution presentations and platform demonstrations that connect Tekion ARC capabilities directly to the prospect’s operational realities — grounded in how their business actually works, not generic product pitches.
- Navigate complex, multi-stakeholder evaluations involving dealer group executive leadership (CEO, CFO, COO, CIO), department heads (Controller, Fixed Ops Director, F&I Director), and IT decision-makers, building independent credibility with each audience.
- Travel 40–60% to engage prospects onsite, lead executive briefings, and be present for the moments that determine deal outcomes.
- Serve as Tekion’s deepest subject matter expert on DMS platforms and end-to-end dealer operations, covering fixed operations (service, parts, repair), variable operations (retail, F&I, desking), accounting and financial reporting, and CRM.
- Understand the full operational footprint of large, multi-rooftop dealer groups — including how processes, reporting hierarchies, and system dependencies scale across dozens or hundreds of rooftops.
- Articulate the operational and financial impact of a DMS migration credibly, including data conversion, workflow retraining, integration dependencies, and go-live risk management.
- Stay current on competitive DMS platforms (CDK, Reynolds & Reynolds, DealerSocket) — understanding their strengths, weaknesses, and the switching costs and objections they create.
- Establish immediate and durable credibility with dealer group executives by demonstrating firsthand knowledge of how large dealership operations work — not product features in the abstract, but the operational decisions, tradeoffs, and pressures that define their day-to-day reality.
- Lead executive discovery conversations that go beyond the immediate platform evaluation to uncover strategic priorities: growth and acquisition plans, margin improvement goals, talent and process challenges, and long-term digital transformation ambitions.
- Position Tekion as a long-term strategic partner, not a software vendor — advising prospective customers on industry best practices, operational benchmarks, and how the ARC platform can serve as a foundational capability for their next phase of growth.
- Handle the toughest objections — on platform maturity, migration risk, competitive alternatives, and organizational change — with transparency, data, and the quiet confidence of someone who has seen these transitions succeed.
- Be the person in the room that dealer group executives want to call back. Your credibility extends the relationship beyond the sales cycle.
- Design and document tailored solution architectures for complex, multi-rooftop implementations, including integration requirements, data migration scope, phasing strategies, and third-party connectivity.
- Identify and evaluate solution tradeoffs, clearly communicating implications for timeline, cost, and operational risk to both the prospect and internal Tekion stakeholders.
- Collaborate with Tekion’s product and implementation teams to validate feasibility of proposed solutions and establish realistic delivery commitments.
- Produce high-quality deal artifacts including solution overviews, scope summaries, integration maps, and RFP responses.
- Act as a direct feedback channel from large dealer group prospects to Tekion’s product organization — surfacing gaps, competitive pressures, and feature requests that influence roadmap prioritization.
- Collaborate with Sales, Product, and Implementation leadership to continuously refine Tekion’s enterprise go-to-market approach, demo environments, and competitive positioning materials.
- Contribute to a growing library of enterprise sales assets including reference architectures, objection handling guides, and case studies.
Requirements
- 10+ years in solutions architecture, domain consulting, or senior technical leadership roles, with substantial experience in automotive dealer management systems or dealership operations technology at the enterprise level.
- Comprehensive, hands-on knowledge of DMS platforms and dealership operations across all major departments: fixed ops (service, parts, repair), variable ops (retail, desking, F&I), accounting and financial reporting, and CRM.
- Demonstrated ability to engage with mid-market or large dealer group executives (VP and C-suite) with genuine authority — as a domain peer, not a vendor presenter.
- Deep understanding of DMS migration complexity at scale — data conversion, third-party integrations, workflow change management, and multi-rooftop go-live sequencing.
- Deep familiarity with at least one major legacy DMS platform (CDK, Reynolds & Reynolds, DealerSocket, or equivalent) from an implementation, operational, or consulting context.
- Exceptional executive communication, listening, and presentation skills; able to command credibility in a boardroom and adapt fluently across technical and non-technical audiences.
- Proven experience contributing to complex, high-value B2B evaluations in a domain expert or senior advisory capacity.
Benefits
- Competitive compensation and generous stock options
- 100% employer-paid top-of-the-line medical, dental and vision coverage
- Great benefits including unlimited PTO, parental leave and free snacks and beverages
- The opportunity to work with some of the brightest minds from Silicon Valley’s most dominant and successful companies
- Be part of an early stage, hyper-growth start-up with the opportunity to grow and prosper
- Work on the latest and coolest technologies – everything is home-grown and built ground-up
- A dynamic work environment with a strong sense of community and collaboration
- The open and transparent culture that encourages innovation, rewards performance and discourages hierarchy
- Exciting opportunities for career growth and development
Applicant Tracking System Keywords
Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.
Hard Skills & Tools
solutions architectureDMS platformsdata conversionthird-party integrationsworkflow change managementfinancial reportingCRMintegration requirementssolution architecture designmulti-rooftop implementations
Soft Skills
executive communicationpresentation skillslistening skillscredibility buildingobjection handlingcollaborationstrategic advisingrelationship managementproblem-solvingadaptability