Area Vice President, Solutions Engineering - Splunk Germany (m/f/d)

Cisco Systems, Inc; Berlin; On-site; EUR 170,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Executive-level exposure

Job summary

Splunk, a Cisco company, in Germany seeks an executive leader for Solutions Engineering to drive business outcomes and transform the pre-sales motion. You will partner with sales, engender executive trust, and shape strategic accounts across industries.

You will coach leaders, build a high-performing team, and represent the function in executive forums, ensuring long-term value for customers and growth for Splunk in the German market.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in technical selling and Solutions/Sales Engineering within enterprise software.
• 7+ years of leadership experience with managers in a complex setting.
• Deep-dive knowledge in the Germany region across multiple segments.
• Fluent in German and English (written & spoken).
• Ability to travel 25-40% and base in Germany.

Responsibilities

• Lead business outcomes and customer success for Germany, aligning with executive stakeholders.
• Transform the pre-sales motion to a proactive, value-selling model.
• Build a visionary sales partnership with field sales leadership and strategic account plans.
• Engage VP/CxO level executives to understand buying processes and market challenges.
• Position Splunk + Cisco solutions to win in strategic accounts.

Skills

Technical selling

Leadership

Enterprise software

German (fluent)

English (fluent)

Executive communication

Strategic planning

Transformation leadership

Education

BS/MS in CS / MIS

Job description

The Role

Splunk, a Cisco company, isseekinga dynamic and visionary leader for a pivotal role at a time when our technologyishyper-relevant in the age of AI. As the Director of Solutions Engineering for the Germany region, you are more than a "leader of leaders"-you are a strategic force who will shape the technical future for our customers.

The Role

Splunk, a Cisco company, isseekinga dynamic and visionary leader for a pivotal role at a time when our technologyishyper-relevant in the age of AI. As the Director of Solutions Engineering for the Germany region, you are more than a "leader of leaders"-you are a strategic force who will shape the technical future for our customers.

This is a highly transformational role. We are looking for a leader with a growth mindset and a fresh perspective to elevate our organization from a traditional pre-sales motion to an innovative, proactive, and business-opportunity-focused mission. You will drive transformationalchange, champion a value-selling approach, and forge a mature, visionary partnership with the sales organization. By converting our approach from reactive to proactive, you will empower a world-class team to deliver exceptional business outcomes for Splunk’s customers.

As an active member of the Splunk Germany Leadership Team, you will be a technical visionary, a business driver, and an inspirational coach, building strong executive relationships to drive market success.

What You'll Do

As an executive technical sales leader, you will orchestrate teams and cross-functional resources to deliver impactful results across three core pillars:

• Drive Business Outcomes and Customer Success (Lead Business)
• Transform the Pre-Sales Motion:Drive the shift from a traditional, reactive technical support function to a proactive, value-selling organization focused on long-term business outcomes and strategic opportunities.
• Build a Visionary Sales Partnership:Forge a strong, mature, and innovative partnership with field sales leadership. Jointly develop strategic account plans and orchestrate resources to win in the market.
• Engage at the ExecutiveLevel:Act as a trusted advisor to our most strategic customers. Proactively engage at the VP/CxOlevel to understand their buying processes, business drivers, and market challenges-particularly withinPublic Sector,Financial Services, Insurance, Telecommunications, and Retail sectors.
• Position to Win:Leverage deep market intelligence to strategically position Splunk + Cisco solutions, clearly articulating our trade-offs, advantages, and competitive edge.

• Lead and Develop Elite Talent (Lead Others)
• Cultivate a Growth Mindset:Champion an inclusive, agile culture where team members are empowered to innovate and thrive amidst market shifts.Bring a fresh perspective that challenges the status quo.
• Develop "Leaders of Leaders":Coach, mentor, and develop a team of managers and engineers. Proactivelyidentifytalent, implement succession plans, and co-develop individual growth plans.
• Drive Operational Excellence:Manage performanceclosely usingthe skill/willmethodology. Establish scalable frameworks for enablement, and organizational alignment to ensure your team can support complex, high-valuetechsolutions.
• Embody Executive Leadership and Vision (Lead Yourself)
• Be a Thought Leader:Amplify Splunk's market presence by representing the company as a strategic expert in industry forums, customer advisory boards, and internal strategy councils.
• Master Cross-Functional Alignment:Work seamlessly withSales, Partners org,Professional Services, Education, Product Management, and Engineering to ensure alignment between pre- and post-sales activities, scope new opportunities, and resolve critical customer situations.
• Demonstrate Executive Accountability:Navigate organizational challenges with resilience and adaptability, ensuring sustained strategic alignment and business excellence.

Who You Are

You are a visionarypre-sales and solution architectureleader who thrives on definingstrategiesfor innovative technology in a dynamic, AI-driven landscape. You seek out and solve complex, high-impact problems, leading by example and influencing from the front.

YourQualifications:

• 15+ yearsof experience in technical selling and Solutions/SalesEngineering within enterprise software.
• 7+ yearsof leadership experience, with a proventrack recordof managing people managers (leader of leaders)in a complex work environment.
• Deep-dive experience and market knowledge within theGermany region.
• Proven experience working across multiple customer segments (Enterprise, Public Sector, Service Provider, Commercial).
• Strong domainexpertisein enterprise software (e.g., Cybersecurity, Observability, Cloud & AI, IT Operations, Application Performance Management, or Big Data).
• Exceptional communication and articulation skills; ability to translate complex technical ideas into clear business value for executive audiences.
• Proven experience drivingorganizational transformation, specifically shifting a pre-sales team from a reactive technical function to a proactive, value-selling business driver.
• M&A (Mergers & Acquisitions) experienceis desirable.
• BS/MS or equivalent experience in Computer Science, Management Information Systems, or a related field.
• Ability to travel up to 25-40%.
• Fluent in German and English (both written & spoken).
• Successful candidate must be based in Germany.

Why Cisco?

At Cisco, we’re revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era – and beyond. We’ve been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint.

Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you’ll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere.

We are Cisco, and our power starts with you.