Principal Consultant

Company Description

Ashburn Consulting, a Small Business based in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, specializes in providing network and network security solutions in complex environments to a select set of government and business clients. The company, an established leader in its field, is composed of an elite team of engineers and business consultants, each of whom is recognized —and highly regarded—within the network and security communities.

Job Description

Ashburn Consulting is seeking a client-facing, senior technical leader to serve as its Principal Architect – Client Solutions and Missions. This role fuses deep technical design capabilities with consultative sales leadership to shape impactful, service-led IT modernization solutions for public and private sector clients. Unlike traditional product-heavy roles, this position is rooted in consulting, emphasizing technical outcomes over resale margins, and relationships over transactions.

You will guide customers through the scoping, design, and road-mapping of network, cyber, and cloud solutions—aligning advanced technologies with Ashburn’s services portfolio. You are expected to serve as a trusted technical advisor, capable of identifying business problems, translating them into scalable solutions, and clearly drawing the line between pre-sales value and paid consulting services.

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Key Responsibilities

Client-Facing Technical Leadership

· Partner with Principal Consultants in pre-sales conversations, leading technical discovery and articulating outcomes, especially when clients lack clarity.

· Build client confidence in Ashburn by showcasing deep domain expertise and our differentiated service approach.

· Serve as the technical conscience of the sales process, ensuring proposed solutions are executable and aligned with client needs.

Solution Architecture & Design

· Design and document multi-phase solutions that include assessments, implementation, training, and O&M service components.

· Architect solutions that may involve hardware/software products, understanding that clients may procure those independently of Ashburn.

· Align solution architectures with Ashburn’s services-first delivery model, ensuring product inclusion is only where it enhances the consulting mission.

Services Scoping & Differentiation

· Define level-of-effort, billable phases, and service transitions in a way that clearly separates advisory from paid engagement.

· Distinguish Ashburn’s capabilities from typical VARs and resellers by emphasizing our consulting DNA, advanced services, and specialized expertise.

· Produce clear Statements of Work (SOWs), service packages, and engagement outlines that showcase Ashburn’s value and scalability.

Collaboration & Enablement

· Work cross-functionally with capture, delivery, proposal, and BD teams to translate technical designs into winning proposals.

· Contribute to proposal writing, review, and color team support for RFPs that require deep architectural thought.

· Mentor junior technical staff and support the maturation of Ashburn’s internal solution development playbooks.

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Qualifications

Required Qualifications

· 10+ years of experience in technical consulting, enterprise architecture, or pre-sales solution design.

· Strong expertise in designing and presenting consulting and services-led solutions in the areas of:

o Enterprise Networking

o Cybersecurity / Zero Trust

o Hybrid/Multi-cloud Infrastructure

· Clear understanding of the sales-to-delivery lifecycle, including scoping, billable hours, and services monetization strategies.

· Ability to navigate client environments where desired outcomes are not fully defined, and guide them toward clarity.

· Experience leading technical discovery and client roadmap planning in pre-sales and proposal settings.

· Exceptional communication skills for both technical and non-technical audiences.

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Preferred Qualifications

· Experience architecting solutions for Federal, SLED, or highly regulated commercial clients.

· Familiarity with VAR/reseller models (e.g., Iron Bow, Presidio, WWT) and strategies for differentiating a consulting-first firm.

· Working knowledge of leading OEM solutions, including:

o Networking & Security: Cisco, Juniper, Arista, Palo Alto Networks, F5, CyberArk

o Cloud & Infra: AWS, Azure, Nutanix, Rubrik, Zscaler

· Industry certifications such as: AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Azure Solutions Architect Expert, CISSP, CCIE, TOGAF, or equivalent.

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Performance Metrics (KPIs)

· Win influence on consulting-led pursuits through architecture design and client trust-building

· Alignment of final delivery with proposed architectures and expectations

· Client satisfaction in pre-sales and delivery engagement phases

· Quality of SOWs and solution documentation, including clarity of scope and services boundary

· Differentiation success against VAR/reseller competition in target markets

Additional Information

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled. An Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status

Ashburn Consulting is an Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer.
In compliance with the American with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA), if you have a disability and would like to request and accommodation in order to apply for a position with Ashburn Consulting, please e-mail hr@ashburnconsulting.com.”