Principal Solutions Architect – Enterprise

Role Overview

• 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.

Tech Stack

• Switching

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