Sales Solutions Architect - AV

Key Responsibilities

Pipeline & Opportunity Development

- Work alongside Account Managers to identify, qualify, and pursue AV opportunities across their customers, bringing technical credibility early in the sales cycle
- Generate pipeline by spotting AV needs in active customer conversations, facility projects, refresh cycles, and adjacent Modern Workplace engagements
- Co-sell with manufacturer and alliance partners, including deal registration and joint pursuit planning on shared opportunities
- Maintain accurate opportunity, stage, and forecast data in Salesforce for every opportunity the role supports
- Expand AV opportunities into broader Modern Workplace solutions, such as Microsoft Teams Rooms into Teams voice, collaboration platforms, and managed AV services

Consultative Solution Selling

- Lead client discovery to understand business goals, user needs, space constraints, budget, and decision process, and document results in a needs analysis summary (program report) for client review before detailed design begins
- Perform site surveys and facility walkthroughs to assess existing infrastructure, identify coordination requirements, and validate design assumptions
- Build business cases that tie the proposed solution to client outcomes, including ROI and total cost of ownership where appropriate
- Present solutions to stakeholders at every level — from IT and facilities staff to C-suite and department leadership — translating technical concepts into clear business value
- Position Black Box against competing integrators and approaches, and handle technical and commercial objections throughout the sales cycle
- Own the close plan with the Account Manager and take part in commercial negotiation through contract award
- Represent the company at pre-bid meetings, RFP walkthroughs, and industry events

Solution Design & Technical Documentation

- Author detailed Statements of Functionality (SOFs) defining system capabilities, operational intent, and limitations — the primary technical document guiding project execution
- Create conceptual signal flow / functional block diagrams to illustrate system architecture for client review and as a programming reference for control system and DSP teams
- Direct and quality-review Bills of Materials (BOMs) in D-Tools and infrastructure drawings (floor plans, reflected ceiling plans, and elevations) produced with engineering support, ensuring they match the agreed scope
- Apply AVIXA standards to design decisions and documentation, including display image size (V202.01), image contrast ratio (V201.01), documentation (D401.01), and performance verification (D402.02), plus energy management (S601.01) and networked AV security practices (RP-C303.01) where in scope
- Engage client IT, network, and security stakeholders early to define networked AV requirements, such as VLAN and IP addressing, PoE budget, multicast, device credentials, and firmware/patch policy
- Identify code and accessibility requirements that affect AV scope, such as assistive listening systems under the 2010 ADA Standards, and work from architectural and engineering drawing sets to flag coordination requirements early

Pricing, Proposals & Margin Ownership

- Own the labor hours and material estimates applied to each opportunity, with Delivery consulted on labor assumptions and Finance-approved labor rates applied
- Build pricing and fixed-bid quotes that are technically accurate, commercially competitive, and within approved margin guardrails
- Complete pre-approval review with Practice and Delivery leadership before release, including independent design peer review on large or complex opportunities
- Produce Scopes of Work (SOWs) that clearly delineate project scope for both internal teams and client-facing agreements
- Lead formal RFP and RFQ responses, including technical narratives, product submittals, and compliance documentation
- Lead value-engineering discussions when scope or budget constraints require design changes, protecting both client outcomes and deal margin
- Confirm availability, lead times, lifecycle/end-of-life status, and warranty terms for specified equipment, and propose alternates where supply or support risk exists
- At contract award, transfer the opportunity to Delivery with complete documentation (SOF, BOM, SOW, labor assumptions, and open items)

Partner & Market Engagement

- Build co-sell relationships with manufacturer sales and channel teams to source opportunities and strengthen Black Box’s position on shared pursuits
- Help Account Managers recognize AV opportunities and position Black Box AV and managed services in their accounts
- Maintain AVIXA and manufacturer certifications in good standing and stay current with emerging AV, UC, and AV-over-IP technologies and trends across target verticals
- Contribute to internal design standards, templates, and documentation best practices

How Success Is Measured

Performance is measured on commercial and technical results together:

- Contribution to the team bookings and gross margin target
- Pipeline generated
- Win rate on supported opportunities
- Managed services attach on AV opportunities
- Design accuracy, measured by change orders caused by design errors

Qualifications

Experience

- 5+ years of commercial AV system design and integration, including complex, multi-space, and multi-site projects with networked AV and UC integration
- 3+ years in a customer-facing solution sales or pre-sales role, with demonstrated contribution to revenue or quota attainment
- Track record of leading opportunities from discovery to close alongside Account Managers or sales teams
- Demonstrated experience working across one or more of the following verticals: Enterprise, Healthcare, Finance, Higher Education, or State/Local Government
- Familiarity with commercial construction processes, drawing sets, and coordination with GCs and MEP trades

Sales & Commercial Skills

- Working command of a consultative sales methodology, from discovery and qualification through close
- Ability to build business cases and translate technical solutions into financial and operational value for executive buyers
- Comfortable negotiating scope, pricing, and terms while protecting margin
- Experience co-selling with manufacturer partners, including deal registration
- Disciplined use of Salesforce for opportunity, pipeline, and forecast management
- Strong executive presence in presentations, workshops, and pre-bid meetings

Technical Knowledge

- In-depth understanding of AV signal flow, system architecture, and the integration of audio, video, control, and unified communications technologies, plus fundamentals of room acoustics, speech intelligibility, and loudspeaker coverage
- Strong working knowledge of IP networking fundamentals as they apply to AV systems: VLANs, subnetting, IGMP, QoS, PoE, and AV-over-IP transport protocols; awareness of networked AV security practices (device hardening, credential management, network segmentation)
- Proficiency with audio DSP platforms, control systems, video conferencing ecosystems, and matrix switching/distribution — see Certifications section for specific platform expectations
- Experience with Microsoft Teams Rooms (MTR), Zoom Rooms, and Cisco (Webex/RoomOS) ecosystems, including room kit hardware from Logitech, Poly, Lenovo, Yealink, and Cisco
- Working knowledge of the AVIXA standards used in design and verification (V202.01, V201.01, D401.01, D402.02) and of codes that affect AV scope, such as ADA assistive listening requirements and NEC requirements for low-voltage and plenum-rated cabling

Software Tools

- Required: Salesforce for opportunity and pipeline management; D-Tools System Integrator (SI) for BOM and project documentation; AutoCAD for reviewing and marking up infrastructure drawings; Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, OneNote); Adobe Acrobat / Bluebeam for PDF markup and document management. Prior hands-on experience with Salesforce, D-Tools, and AutoCAD is strongly preferred; specific workflows can be learned on the job
- Preferred: AFMG EASE, EASE Evac/EASE Address, or EASE Focus for acoustic modeling and coverage simulation; manufacturer design and configuration software (e.g., Q-SYS Designer, Biamp Tesira, Shure Designer); Microsoft Visio; Autodesk Revit or equivalent BIM platform for coordination on BIM-required projects

Certifications

AVIXA CTS is required at hire, or within 6 months for otherwise strong candidates. Other required certifications are expected within 12 months of hire; most are free, self-paced online programs. Preferred certifications should be pursued in coordination with the Practice Leader.

Platform / Technology Required (within 12 months of hire) Preferred AVIXA CTS (Certified Technology Specialist) — at hire or within 6 months CTS-D (Certified Technology Specialist – Design) Dante / AoIP Dante Level 1 Certification Dante Level 2 or Level 3 Certification Q-SYS Q-SYS Level 1 Certification Q-SYS Level 2 (Control 101 is a Level 2 prerequisite) Extron — Extron AV Associate (EAVA); Network AV Specialist (NAVS) Biamp — Tesira 101: Core Concepts; TesiraFORTE Certification; Biamp Designer role-path training Shure — Collaboration & Conferencing Certification Level 1 (CCLevel1) and Level 2 (CCLevel2) Crestron — DigitalMedia Certified Designer (DMC-D-4K) Collaboration Platforms — Manufacturer sales and solution accreditations (e.g., Microsoft Teams Rooms, Cisco Webex/RoomOS, and Zoom partner programs)

Nice to have: Q-SYS Control 101/201, Extron Control Specialist (ECS), and Crestron DM NVX certifications. Programming is not a core function of this role, but this background strengthens design credibility.

Professional Competencies

- Commercial acumen — understands how deals are priced, structured, and won, and makes design decisions with margin in mind
- Ownership — treats the team’s bookings and margin target as their own and drives opportunities through to close
- Excellent written and verbal communication and strong executive presence; presents clearly to both technical practitioners and executive stakeholders
- Resilience and strong organization to manage multiple concurrent opportunities through long sales cycles
- Consultative mindset — approaches client engagements as a trusted advisor, not a transactional vendor
- Collaborates effectively across Account Managers, Delivery, Engineering Support, and partners, with the professional maturity and emotional intelligence to manage client and internal expectations

Education

No single degree path defines the ideal Senior AV Solutions Architect, and we evaluate academic background in the context of the whole candidate. The following programs of study provide a particularly strong foundation:

- Audio Production, Music Technology, or Sound Engineering: Practical grounding in acoustics, signal flow, gain structure, and DSP.
- Broadcast Technology, Media Systems, or Telecommunications: Signal-chain intuition and hands-on routing, switching, and distribution experience.
- Electronics Technology or Systems Engineering Technology: Low-voltage systems, circuit behavior, and technical documentation.
- Communications Technology, AV Systems, or IT/Network Administration: Networked AV, AV-over-IP, unified communications, and endpoint management.
- Business, Marketing, or Sales: A strong foundation for the commercial side of the role when paired with solid AV technical credentials.

An Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in any of the above areas, or a closely related field, is preferred. Equivalent combinations of industry certifications, manufacturer training, and hands-on sales and design experience are given serious weight. We are looking for people who understand how sound and signal behave in a room — and how to turn that into a solution a customer wants to buy.

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

This position involves a combination of client-facing selling, office-based design and proposal work, and periodic site visits. Typical demands of the role, performed with or without reasonable accommodation, include:

- Regular work at a computer workstation for extended periods (design review, proposal development, and opportunity management)
- Travel up to 33% to client sites, including active construction environments requiring appropriate PPE and site safety compliance; valid driver’s license and a driving record that meets company vehicle policy
- Occasional lifting, carrying, or maneuvering of equipment or materials weighing up to 50 lbs during site surveys or on-site reviews
- Use of ladders to inspect above-ceiling and in-wall conditions during site surveys
- Work in varied environments: server rooms, data centers, conference rooms, classrooms, clinical spaces, and building mechanical areas
- Completion of site safety training (e.g., OSHA 10-Hour Construction) within 90 days of hire, and compliance with facility access requirements such as healthcare vendor credentialing, infection-control protocols, and background checks for government and financial sites
- Standard business hours with flexibility required to meet client deadlines and pre-sales response timelines

Black Box is a leading technology solutions provider. Our mission is to accelerate our customers’ business by valuing relationships with our team members, clients and stakeholders. By continuously growing our knowledge, we remain relevant in the market and are in a superior position to help customers design, deploy and manage their IT infrastructure. Through our values, such as innovation, ownership, transparency, respect and open-mindedness, we deliver high-value products and services through our global presence and 2,500+ team members in 24 countries and growing. Black Box is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AGC Networks.

Black Box is an equal opportunity employer. Black Box does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, color, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other protected status, and endorses those policies and practices which seek to recruit, hire, train and promote the most qualified persons into available jobs.

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