Lead Pre Sales Architect Cyber Security

JOB DESCRIPTION 

Lead Pre-Sales Architect - Cyber Security 

POSITION DETAILS 

Position title 

Lead Pre-Sales Architect - Cyber Security 

Reports to (position) 

Head of Technical Pre-Sales 

Team 

Technical Pre-Sales 

Department 

Services & Solutions 

ABOUT BYTES 

Bytes provides technology services and solutions that help customers achieve secure, practical and sustainable outcomes. The Technical Pre-Sales team works across sales, vendors, partners and service delivery to shape opportunities, define clear scopes and support effective transition into delivery. 

WHY BYTES 

This role offers the opportunity to lead and develop the Cyber Security pre-sales capability, influence the security proposition and work directly with customers, vendors, partners and internal teams across a broad portfolio of technologies and services. 

PURPOSE OF JOB 

The Lead Pre-Sales Architect - Cyber Security is responsible for leading the Cyber Security Technical Pre-Sales capability, ensuring that security opportunities are correctly qualified, technically sound, accurately scoped and commercially viable. 

The role provides technical leadership and governance across customer engagements, solution shaping and Statements of Work. It works closely with Account Managers, Sales Specialists, Vendor Managers, delivery teams and practice leadership to translate customer requirements into clear, outcome-led security solutions and services. 

As the lead for the capability, the postholder sets standards for quality and consistency, manages prioritisation across the security pre-sales workload, coaches the team and acts as the senior escalation point for complex or high-risk opportunities. The role also supports the Head of Technical Pre-Sales in developing the team, operating model, partner ecosystem and future service roadmap. 

The successful candidate will bring deep practical knowledge in at least two of the following areas and sufficient breadth to lead customer conversations across the wider portfolio: 

• Identity and Access Management, including PAM, PIM, NHI, ITDR, MFA and SSO. 

• Data Centre and Cloud Security, including CNAPP, micro-segmentation, CSPM and cloud workload protection. 

• Application Security and DevSecOps, including email security, SAST, DAST, software supply chain security and WAF. 

• AI Security, including LLM protection, prompt injection defence, model security and AI governance. 

• Data Security, including DSPM, DLP, encryption, insider risk and HSM. 

• Network Security, including NGFW, NAC, NDR, SASE, SSE and secure SD-WAN. 

• Threat and Exposure Management, including EDR, EPP, XDR, CTEM, vulnerability management and OT security. 

• Security Operations and Governance, including SOAR, SIEM, MDR, GRC and third-party risk management. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES 

Capability leadership and governance 

• Lead the Cyber Security Technical Pre-Sales capability and provide day-to-day technical direction to security-focused architects. 

• Set and maintain standards for discovery, qualification, solution shaping, scoping, Statements of Work and handover into delivery. 

• Act as the senior technical and commercial escalation point for complex, strategic or high-risk security opportunities. 

• Prioritise and coordinate security pre-sales demand, balancing customer deadlines, opportunity value, available skills and delivery capacity. 

• Provide assurance that recommended solutions are outcome-led, supportable and aligned to Bytes standards and customer requirements. 

• Support the Head of Technical Pre-Sales with capability planning, recruitment, skills development, objectives and operational improvement. 

Customer engagement and solution leadership 

• Lead customer discovery, pre-scoping and solution-shaping sessions with technical and senior business stakeholders. 

• Translate business, risk and technical requirements into clear security outcomes, architectures and service engagements. 

• Provide informed, objective technical guidance across the aligned security portfolio and relevant complementary technologies. 

• Challenge unclear requirements, unsupported assumptions and unnecessary complexity while maintaining a constructive customer experience. 

• Present recommendations, risks, dependencies, assumptions and options clearly to technical teams, Directors and C-level security stakeholders. 

Service scoping and Statements of Work 

• Own the quality and consistency of security Statements of Work produced by the team. 

• Lead or support the preparation of accurate SOWs for security consultancy, assurance, testing, vendor-funded engagements and other delivery services. 

• Ensure scope, deliverables, assumptions, exclusions, prerequisites, acceptance criteria, roles and dependencies are clearly defined. 

• Confirm that proposed engagements are deliverable, commercially sound and supported by appropriate validation before customer commitment. 

• Oversee effective handover into service delivery and remain engaged where clarification or scope governance is required. 

Commercial and opportunity management 

• Work with sales teams to qualify security opportunities and focus technical effort where it can materially improve the customer outcome and likelihood of success. 

• Ensure effort, rates, third-party costs, dependencies and delivery risks are understood before proposals are submitted. 

• Support services attach, cross-practice collaboration and appropriate follow-on opportunities without compromising technical objectivity. 

• Maintain visibility of the security pre-sales pipeline, workload, risks and key decisions, using the agreed CRM and governance processes. 

• Contribute to bid responses, strategic proposals and executive customer engagements where senior security leadership is required. 

People development and wider collaboration 

• Coach and mentor Senior and Associate Pre-Sales Architects, supporting technical growth, judgement, communication and ownership. 

• Create and maintain capability plans, skills visibility, reusable guidance and practical enablement for the team. 

• Build effective working relationships with Cyber Security and Network Security delivery teams, sales leadership, vendors and strategic partners. 

• Support internal and vendor-led enablement, sharing market insight, portfolio changes, lessons learned and good practice. 

• Promote a collaborative culture with clear accountability, constructive peer review and continuous improvement. 

Portfolio and service development 

• Maintain awareness of security market developments, vendor roadmaps, funding changes, customer demand and competitor positioning. 

• Identify gaps or opportunities in the security proposition and contribute to the development or refinement of repeatable services. 

• Support decisions on when Bytes should deliver directly, collaborate across practices or use an approved delivery partner. 

• Work with service and practice owners to ensure new propositions can be scoped, priced, governed and handed into delivery consistently. 

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS 

Requirement 

Status 

Educational qualifications 

Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Cyber Security or a related field. 

DESIRABLE 

Equivalent relevant industry experience in lieu of formal education. 

ESSENTIAL 

Professional qualifications 

Relevant security certifications, for example Microsoft SC-100, CISSP, CCSP, CISM, CCNP Security, Palo Alto Networks or CrowdStrike qualifications. 

DESIRABLE 

Experience 

Substantial experience in technical pre-sales, solution architecture or security consulting, including experience in a senior or lead capacity. 

ESSENTIAL 

Proven experience producing, reviewing and owning Statements of Work and complex service scopes. 

ESSENTIAL 

Experience leading customer discovery, solution shaping and executive-level technical conversations. 

ESSENTIAL 

Experience coaching or managing technical professionals and improving team capability. 

ESSENTIAL 

Experience working with vendor-funded engagements, incentives or partner-led delivery models. 

DESIRABLE 

Other requirements 

Deep practical knowledge in at least two security domains listed in this job description, with broad awareness across the wider portfolio. 

ESSENTIAL 

Strong commercial awareness, including scope control, delivery risk, effort and services economics. 

ESSENTIAL 

Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to challenge constructively. 

ESSENTIAL 

Awareness of security frameworks and regulations relevant to the UK and EU markets. 

ESSENTIAL 

Understanding of security operating models, SIEM, SOC and managed security concepts. 

DESIRABLE 

Ability to manage competing priorities and make sound decisions with incomplete information. 

ESSENTIAL 

CORE COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS 

Competency 

Description 

Status 

Technical leadership 

Provides credible direction across complex security opportunities and supports sound architectural decisions. 

ESSENTIAL 

Customer engagement 

Leads clear, outcome-focused conversations with technical, commercial and executive stakeholders. 

ESSENTIAL 

Commercial judgement 

Balances customer value, scope, risk, effort and deliverability. 

ESSENTIAL 

Governance and quality 

Sets standards and assures consistent, audit-ready scopes and Statements of Work. 

ESSENTIAL 

People leadership 

Coaches others, builds capability and creates clear accountability. 

ESSENTIAL 

Strategic thinking 

Connects market, customer and delivery needs to the development of the security capability. 

ESSENTIAL 

Communication 

Explains complex subjects clearly and adapts style to the audience. 

ESSENTIAL 

Solution objectivity 

Selects suitable security outcomes and technologies without unnecessary platform or vendor bias. 

ESSENTIAL 

Collaboration 

Works effectively across sales, delivery, vendors, partners and other practices. 

ESSENTIAL 

Continuous improvement 

Identifies practical improvements to process, quality, reuse and team efficiency. 

ESSENTIAL 

MEASURES OF SUCCESS 

• Consistent quality, accuracy and governance of security pre-sales outputs and Statements of Work. 

• Effective qualification, prioritisation and progression of security opportunities through the agreed CRM process. 

• Clear handover into delivery, with reduced ambiguity, avoidable rework and scope-related escalation. 

• Growth in team capability, knowledge sharing and ownership across the Cyber Security pre-sales function. 

• Constructive collaboration with sales, delivery, vendors and partners, evidenced through dependable engagement and outcomes. 

• Contribution to relevant Technical Pre-Sales objectives, service development priorities and commercial measures. 

VERSION CONTROL 

Action 

Name 

Version no. 

Date 

Prepared by 

John Tait 

1.0 

06/10/2026