Director, Specialist Solutions Architecture – North America

About the Role Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the pioneer and recognized leader in cloud computing. As enterprises accelerate their adoption of generative AI, agentic AI, advanced data and analytics, and large-scale migration and modernization programs, the role of deep technical specialists has never been more critical. AWS customers rely on specialist Solutions Architects who combine authoritative domain expertise with the ability to design and deliver transformative solutions at scale. AWS is seeking an experienced, visionary technical leader to lead, grow, and inspire a large team of specialist Solutions Architects across North America. This leader will build and operate a "Domain-First, Division-Enabled" organization that cultivates world-class depth in AI/ML, generative AI, data and analytics, security, networking, compute, storage, migration, and modernization. They will attract and retain the industry's best domain experts by creating an environment where deep technical mastery is valued, career paths reward specialization, and teams are empowered to drive customer outcomes at the intersection of cutting-edge technology and business transformation. Working closely with AWS service teams, field sales, and cross-functional partners, this leader will ensure customers have access to the right specialist expertise to build, migrate, modernize, and operate mission-critical workloads on AWS. Responsibilities - Lead, coach, and grow a large, geographically distributed team of specialist Solutions Architects and SA managers across North America, building an organization recognized as the premier destination for deep domain experts in AI/ML, generative AI, data and analytics, migration, modernization, security, networking, and compute. - Define and execute the NAMER specialist solutions strategy aligned to a "Domain-First, Division-Enabled" operating model, ensuring deep domain expertise is the foundation, while enabling cross-domain collaboration and scale through mechanisms, tooling, and operational excellence. - Attract, hire, develop, and retain world-class specialist talent by establishing compelling career paths that reward deep domain mastery, creating an environment of continuous learning, and building a leadership bench that represents the best in their respective technical fields. - Drive customer adoption of AI, generative AI, and agentic AI solutions by ensuring specialist SAs can guide customers from ideation through production, covering model selection, data strategy, responsible AI, and enterprise-scale deployment patterns. - Accelerate large-scale migration and modernization programs by equipping specialist teams with the frameworks, methodologies, and deep infrastructure expertise to help customers exit data centers, modernize legacy workloads, and re-platform on AWS at pace. - Establish the technical and customer-engagement bar for the region; champion a culture where specialist SAs produce high-value intellectual property, including reference architectures, patterns, proof-of-concept assets, and best-practice guidance, that differentiates AWS in the market. - Partner across AWS service, sales, marketing, business development, professional services, and partner teams to ensure the specialist SA organization is deeply connected to product roadmaps, customer signals, and go-to-market priorities. Key Job Responsibilities - Assess the NAMER Specialist SA organization's talent, structure, and domain coverage; identify gaps in critical growth areas (generative AI, agentic AI, data/analytics, migration, modernization); and establish a plan to build depth and density in these domains while earning trust with the team and cross-functional partners. - Implement a talent strategy that positions the organization as the employer of choice for elite domain experts, strengthening hiring pipelines in AI/ML, data engineering, security, and infrastructure; creating retention mechanisms anchored in technical growth and impac