Solutions Engineer - US Public Sector (USPS)

About the Role

This role offers a career where challenge and appreciation go hand in hand, surrounded by a dynamic team that values creativity, ambition, and genuine connections. In this collaborative environment, colleagues become friends, managers provide dedicated coaching, and innovative thinking builds every success.

As a Solutions Engineer – USPS, this role functions as a technical sales professional, owning the Cisco brand with customers and partners. The role provides technical solutions to address customer and partner business needs, collaborating with the aligned Inside Account Executives (iAEs) on the customer plan, jointly ensuring customer success. The Solutions Engineer serves as an authority or trusted technical advisor by the account team and customer/partner.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrating solid understanding of Cisco's portfolio, including any specialized/architecture perspective
• Increasing penetration via cross/up-selling and displacing competition
• Leading the technical relationship with customer(s)/partner(s)
• Leading engagements with IT & decision makers at customer/partner and LOB interaction
• Possessing knowledge of the customer environment and market, including competitor plays
• Serving as a primary technical sales influencer
• Translating needs into technical requirements
• Spending most selling time landing opportunities and expanding within an account
• Involvement in territory strategic planning
• Providing active feedback to relevant sales teams on strategic customer needs and market opportunities, and competitive market tactics
• Taking the lead on moving deals across the technical sales process
• Designing and communicating relevant solutions based on technical and business requirements identified by the customer or partner
• Managing a virtual support team of sales resources
• Leveraging relevant tools and resources to support a deal
• Accountable for getting the technical closure
• Increasing revenue – closed opportunities converted to closed deals
• Displacing competitors/increasing market share
• Increasing net new customers on a quarterly basis

Minimum Qualifications

• Experience selling or supporting security, networking, compute, and/or collaboration solutions
• CCNA level understanding or background in campus network design, including switching, wireless, and routing

Preferred Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in a customer-facing sales engineering or technical pre-sales role
• Cisco CCNP Enterprise (CCNP EN) certification or Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) certification
• Proven track record of success in technical sales or solutions engineering roles
• Highly motivated with a "hunting spirit" to assist Account Executives in developing new opportunities and growing business
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to engage effectively with customers and partners

Pay & Location

Ideal candidate will be located in Chicago, Illinois or Ann Arbor, Michigan; however, candidates in the Remote US will also be considered.

The starting salary range for this position is $153,000.00 to $198,900.00 for U.S. and/or Canada locations, not including incentive compensation, equity, or benefits. Individual pay is determined by the candidate's hiring location, market conditions, job-related skillset, experience, qualifications, education, certifications, and/or training.

The applicable full salary ranges for this position, by specific state, are listed below:

• New York City Metro Area: $170,300.00 – $247,200.00
• Non-Metro New York State & Washington State: $163,800.00 – $237,800.00

For quota-based sales roles on Cisco's sales plan, the ranges provided include base pay and sales target incentive compensation combined.

Benefits & Time Off

• Medical, dental and vision insurance
• 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution
• Paid parental leave
• Short and long-term disability coverage
• Basic life insurance
• Eligibility to receive grants of Cisco restricted stock units, vesting following continued employment for defined periods
• 10 paid holidays per full calendar year, plus 1 floating holiday for non-exempt employees
• 1 paid day off for employee's birthday
• Paid year-end holiday shutdown
• 4 paid days off for personal wellness determined by Cisco
• Non-exempt employees: 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year, accrued at rate of 4.92 hours per pay period for full-time employees
• Exempt employees: flexible vacation time off program with no defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may use (subject to availability and some business limitations)
• 80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter, with up to 80 hours of unused sick time carried forward from one calendar year to the next
• Additional paid time away may be requested to deal with critical or emergency issues for family members
• Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer
• For non-sales roles: eligibility to earn annual bonuses subject to Cisco's policies
• Employees on sales plans: performance-based incentive pay on top of base salary, split between quota and non-quota components

Sales Incentive Pay Structure

• For quota-based incentive pay: 0.75% of incentive target for each 1% of revenue attainment up to 50% of quota
• 1.5% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 50% and 75%
• 1% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 75% and 100%
• Once performance exceeds 100% attainment, incentive rates are at or above 1% for each 1% of attainment with no cap on incentive compensation
• For non-quota-based sales performance elements such as strategic sales objectives: 0% up to 125% of target
• Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid
• Employees in Illinois, whether exempt or non-exempt, will participate in a unique time off program to meet local requirements

About the Team

The Global Virtual Sales organization is one of Cisco's fastest growing sales teams and is the talent engine for Cisco Sales with diverse and motivated teams that consistently deliver profitable growth. The team serves the customer life cycle through a series of selling motions to drive higher value and an efficient experience from Cisco solutions. This dynamic and international team brings determination to the sales floor every day, connecting Cisco customers with solutions that can transform their businesses and change the world. A platform for success is provided, including coaching, training and on-the-job learning that strongly supports career advancement. An innovative, flexible and award-winning working environment is offered, using the latest Cisco technology to enable and empower performance to the very best of abilities. The teams promptly adapt to respond to market changes, and all members are highly encouraged to give back to local communities.