Technical advisor

S3 Technologies is a leading IT services provider in the Greater Montreal area, serving bilingual SMB clients across a range of industries. We’re a young, dynamic, and ambitious company with over 100 employees. Everyone here helps shape where the company goes, so you’ll always be pushed to grow. You’ll build relationships with our clients and play a key role in keeping their satisfaction high.

About the Role

As a Technical Advisor, you’ll guide and advise clients as they maintain and grow their technology infrastructure. You’ll own the technical direction for each of your clients and work hand in hand with an Account Manager on every account.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic planning

• Build an annual strategic IT plan (IT Plan) for each client
• Assess each client’s current state and make recommendations
• Review audits and recommend fixes based on S3 standards and industry best practices
• Work with the client to understand their needs and propose a plan that supports their business goals
• Guide the client through the projects laid out in their IT Plan
• Plan replacements for end-of-life equipment

Client relationships

• Build strong, trusted relationships with the right people on the client’s side
• Maintain, and show, a deep understanding of the client’s infrastructure
• Give high-quality advice on technology opportunities that can make the client more productive and profitable

Proposals and opportunities

• Prepare proposals for projects and other opportunities
• Analyze and assess the needs and requirements for each project to succeed
• Choose the right technologies to meet business needs
• Estimate the tasks and effort each project will take

Vision and standards

• Keep an eye out for new technologies that could benefit S3 and our clients
• Set technology standards with the other Technical Advisors and the tech leads on other teams
• Help build procedures that make work easier for our internal technical teams
• Keep your own knowledge current

What we’re looking for

Education and experience

• College or university diploma in computer science or IT, or equivalent experience
• 5 years of experience in a technical role in infrastructure, managed services, IT projects, analysis, or advanced support
• Experience at an MSP, in professional services, or preparing technical estimates and proposals is a major asset

Technical knowledge

You have a solid general understanding of several of these areas:

• Microsoft 365, Entra ID, Intune, and identity and access management
• Azure, cloud services, and hybrid environments
• Windows Server, Active Directory, and VMware and Hyper-V virtualization
• Networking: LAN, WAN, Wi-Fi, firewalls, VPN, and SD-WAN
• Backup, business continuity, and disaster recovery
• Cybersecurity, vulnerability management, and risk reduction principles
• Monitoring, asset management, and managed services tools

Professional skills

• Ability to act as a trusted advisor to clients
• Ability to build credibility with stakeholders at every level
• Ability to bring stakeholders together around a shared vision
• Strong decision-making skills and sound professional judgment
• Ability to understand business challenges and turn them into practical solutions
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent presentation skills for both technical and non-technical audiences
• Strong writing skills for preparing recommendations and proposals
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking
• Ability to identify risks, opportunities, and business impacts
• Big-picture thinking that aligns technology recommendations with the client’s goals
• Ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams
• Ability to work with incomplete information, spot the gaps, and get the sign-offs you need
• Organized and self-directed, with good judgment and the ability to handle multiple requests at once
• Collaborative and technically curious, and eager to learn our company standards
• Bilingual in French and English, both spoken and written

What you get at S3

Benefits

• Competitive salary based on experience
• Flexible remote work (100% remote, plus access to our new offices at Place des Arts)
• Comprehensive group insurance and telemedicine
• 5 PTO days, paid out if unused
• $700 equipment allowance
• Monthly cell phone allowance

Environment

• A team of 100 IT pros who speak the same technical language you do
• Annual retreat with your family
• Downtown office (Place des Festivals)
• Gym, showers, and social activities

Your path to success

After 6 months

• You’re comfortable with all the tools you use in your role.
• You work independently on your day-to-day tasks.
• You’ve built working relationships with the account managers and the other S3 teams.
• You’ve taken on several clients, you have a firm handle on their infrastructure, and you’ve built trust with each main contact.

After 12 months

• You have a full client load.
• You know your assigned clients’ infrastructure inside and out.
• You can prepare and present several IT Plans each quarter.
• You’re a technical reference for your clients.
• You’re the go-to person for any decision about a client’s environment.
• You play an active part in technology decisions for S3 and our clients.
• You’re comfortable helping choose new technologies and standards that benefit every team, from projects and infrastructure to security and user services, with a cybersecurity-first approach.