AWS Solution Engineer (Pre-Sales Engineer) at VML in Kansas City, MO

Who We Are VML, part of WPP, is a leading creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce, creating connected brands to drive growth. VML is celebrated for its innovative and human first, award-winning work for blue chip client partners including AstraZeneca, Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, Ford, Microsoft, Nestlé, The Coca-Cola Company, and Wendy's. The agency is recognized by the Forrester Wave™ Reports, as a Leader among Marketing Creative and Content Service Providers, Commerce Services, Global Digital Experience Services, Global Marketing Services and, most recently, Marketing Measurement & Optimization. In addition, VML’s specialist health network, VML Health, is one of the world’s largest and most awarded health agencies. VML’s global network is powered by 26,000 talented people across 55+ markets, with principal offices in Kansas City, New York, Detroit, London, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore, and Sydney. About WPP WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com. ALLIANCE SOLUTION ENGINEER, AWS (Pre-Sales Engineer) Location: US Focus: Technical Pre-Sales & Co-Sell Support Region: North America The Opportunity VML Enterprise Solutions is expanding our technical pre-sales capability to support AWS alliance-powered growth in North America. We're seeking a hands-on technical expert to prove the value of our joint AWS solutions—delivering demos that wow, POCs that convert, and reference architectures that accelerate pursuits. This role bridges AWS technology and VML delivery, providing co-sell technical support that removes doubt, proves feasibility, and gives clients confidence that VML can deliver. You will work alongside Alliance Sales and Alliance Solution Leads to support pursuits with technical depth, proof-of-concept delivery, and client-facing credibility. Your POCs become production systems. Your architectures become blueprints for transformation. Your technical credibility tips competitive pursuits in VML's favor. Role Summary This is a technical pre-sales role focused on enabling AWS co-sell success. You provide hands-on technical support for AWS-related pursuits across North America—building reference architectures, delivering client-facing demos, and leading POC engagements that prove VML's delivery capability. Accountability Model: Delivery metrics. Success is measured by POCs delivered, POC-to-production conversion rate, reference architectures created, and technical win rate on supported pursuits. Core Responsibilities 1. Co-Sell Technical Support (50%) Provide technical pre-sales support for AWS co-sell opportunities across North America Deliver compelling technical demos and presentations to client technical teams alongside AWS SAs Lead POC engagements—scoping, building, and presenting proof-of-concept solutions on AWS Present reference architectures and solution designs that address client requirements Support RFP/RFI responses with technical content, architecture diagrams, and demo assets Participate in technical deep-dives with client architects and engineering teams Remove technical objections and build client confidence in VML's AWS delivery capability Coordinate with AWS Solution Architects (SAs) and Specialist SAs on joint technical engagements 2. Reference Architecture Buildout (30%) Create reference architectures for common AWS use cases and industry patterns Build and maintain demo environments, assets, and reusable components on AWS Develop technical documentation, implementation guides, and best practices Stay current on AWS technology roadmaps, new services, and capabilities Build expertise in priority AWS services: Bedrock, SageMaker, Personalize, AMC, Clean Rooms, Lambda, Step Functions Collaborate with Alliance Solution Leads on architecture standards and patterns Contribute reference architectures to AWS Partner Central and internal repositories 3. Enablement & Knowledge Sharing (20%) Train VML delivery teams on AWS technologies and implementation patterns Support proposal teams with technical content and solution design Share best practices, lessons learned, and reusable assets across the alliance team Coordinate with AWS technical teams (SAs, CSAs, ProServe) on joint solutions Maintain AWS technical certifications and stay current on new offerings Support hackathons and technical enablement events Technical Focus Areas Generative AI: Amazon Bedrock, SageMaker, generative AI application patterns Data & Analytics: Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC), AWS Clean Rooms, data lakes, analytics pipelines Customer Experience: Amazon Personalize, Amazon Connect, serverless architectures Modern Applications: Lambda, Step Functions, API Gateway, container orchestration Integration Patterns: Event-driven architectures, microservices, API design Team Leadership & Management Accountability: Accountable for individual technical contribution. Mentorship and knowledge sharing expected but not primary measure of success. Leadership Expectations: Train and mentor delivery teams on partner technologies. Share best practices and technical standards across the organization. Coordinate with partner technical resources on joint solutions. Management Scope: Individual contributor; may mentor junior engineers and coordinate with partner technical resources. Success Metrics POCs delivered (20+ annually) POC-to-Production conversion rate (80%+) Reference architectures created and published (15+) Technical win rate on supported pursuits Demo effectiveness ratings AWS certification maintenance Internal enablement sessions delivered Qualifications Required 6-10+ years in technical pre-sales, solution architecture, or technical consulting Hands-on AWS expertise with demonstrated project delivery Strong demo/POC delivery track record Enterprise architecture patterns knowledge Technical presentation skills and client-facing credibility Background in Global Systems Integrator (GSI), agency, or professional services environment Preferred AWS certifications: Solutions Architect Professional, specialty certifications (ML, Data Analytics) Experience with Amazon Bedrock and generative AI implementations Familiarity with Amazon Marketing Cloud (AMC) and advertising technology Previous AWS partner company or direct AWS experience Vertical compliance familiarity (HIPAA, PCI, etc.) Experience supporting co-sell motions with AWS field teams Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field Role Positioning This is a technical expert role that enables co-sell success—not a quota-carrying seller, alliance relationship manager, or post-sale delivery engineer. You will be in the room for technical deep-dives with AWS SAs and client architects. You will build the POCs that prove we can deliver on AWS. You will create the architectures that become client solutions. And you will be the technical credibility that tips competitive AWS pursuits in VML's favor. Your technical excellence directly enables AWS alliance revenue growth. About VML Enterprise Solutions VML Enterprise Solutions is a global leader in technology-driven transformation, combining deep industry expertise with strategic alliances across AWS, Google Cloud, Adobe, Microsoft, Salesforce, and an expanding ecosystem of platform and data partners. As part of WPP, we bring unmatched capabilities in customer experience, commerce, and data—helping the world’s leading brands reimagine how they connect with consumers through the intelligent application of technology. The base salary range for this position at the time of this posting is indicated below. Individual compensation varies based on job-related factors, including location, business needs, level of responsibility, experience, and qualifications. We offer a competitive benefits package, click WPP Benefits for more details. _ $100,000—$230,000 USD We believe the best work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach, with teams in the office an average of four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process. WPP (VML) is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers. VML is a WPP agency (NYSE: WPP). For more information, please visit www.vml.com, and follow along on Instagram, LinkedIn, and X. When you click "Submit Application", this will send any information you add below to VML. Before you do this, we think it's a good idea to read through our Recruitment Privacy Policy. California residents should read our California Recruitment Privacy Notice. This explains what we do with your personal data when you apply for a role with us, and, how you can update the information you have provided us with or how to remove it.