Overview of the Role
As the Manager, Solutions Architecture - UK/I (Pre-Sales) at GitLab, you'll manage a distributed team of Solutions Architects working with customers across the UK and Ireland, with scope to grow into additional countries within the region over time, such as Sweden and the Netherlands. In this player-coach role, you'll guide technical strategy across complex sales motions while also stepping directly into high-impact opportunities to help your team secure technical wins and build customer confidence in GitLab's platform approach. You'll partner closely with regional go-to-market counterparts and cross-functional teams including Sales, Channel, Marketing, Sales Enablement, Product Management, and the global Solutions Architecture team.
Some of the types of projects you'll work on:
- Running technical evaluations, executive workshops, demos, and proof-of-concept engagements that help customers map GitLab's DevSecOps platform to their business goals.
- Building regional operating practices that improve team execution, strengthen cross-functional alignment, and scale the impact of Solutions Architects across UK/I.
What you'll do
- Manage a team of intermediate and senior Solutions Architects across the UK and Ireland, setting clear direction and enabling high-quality execution.
- Act as a player-coach by partnering directly on strategic opportunities, building executive relationships, and coaching your team through complex sales cycles.
- Guide regional strategy for technical evaluations, workshops, and proof-of-concepts, ensuring customer needs are translated into business outcomes.
- Work cross-functionally with global Solutions Architecture, Sales, Channel, Marketing, Enablement, and Product Management.
- Maintain strong operational discipline across workload planning, resource allocation, headcount planning, and opportunity forecasting.
- Define and track key performance indicators for the team, communicating progress and priorities to stakeholders.
- Hire, develop, and retain high-performing talent while strengthening team capability and innovation.
What you'll bring
- Experience managing technical teams in software or technology sales, pre-sales, or consulting, with direct exposure to the UK and Ireland.
- Strong background in solution architecture or comparable practical experience, with the ability to relate technical depth to customer business value.
- Proven success developing, mentoring, and scaling Solutions Architecture practices in growing businesses.
- Strong communication and technical presentation skills, with the ability to engage effectively across cultures.
- Demonstrated business acumen and sound judgment, balancing technical excellence with commercial outcomes.
- Track record of influencing cross-functional stakeholders and building partnerships across Sales, Marketing, and Product teams.
- Experience building inclusive, high-performing teams in a distributed or remote environment.
- A genuine curiosity for AI, with a habit of weaving AI tools into your own day-to-day work.