Principal Sales Engineer

ZipRecruiter; Birmingham; Remote; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading recruitment platform is seeking a Principal Sales Engineer to drive revenue through technical presales support for UK public sector accounts. This remote role requires 15+ years of IT experience, strong expertise in Cisco technologies, and the ability to engage with clients effectively. Candidates must be comfortable with significant UK travel and hold relevant certifications. Competitive salary package and benefits offered.

Benefits

20% bonus

Car allowance

Extensive benefits

Qualifications

• 15+ years of IT experience, at least 10 years in presales or network engineering.
• Demonstrated success with UK Government or public sector clients.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical discovery and support full sales cycle.
• Create and deliver high-impact demos and presentations.
• Build strong customer relationships and identify upsell opportunities.

Skills

IT experience

Presales

Network engineering

Technical support

Cisco expertise

Communication skills

Education

Degree in Computer Science or equivalent

Relevant certifications (CCNA, CCNP, CCIE)

Tools

TCP/IP

VoIP

Virtualization technologies

Job description

Overview

Principal Sales Engineer. Location: Remote (UK-based) with travel to customer sites. Salary: £(phone number removed)-£(phone number removed) + 20% bonus + car allowance + extensive benefits. Clearance requirement: DV (Developed Vetting) - required. Please note: Candidates with only current SC clearance will be considered only in exceptional cases and must be eligible and willing to undergo full DV clearance.

About the role

Our client is at the forefront of digital transformation, supporting the world\'s most essential organisations through their most complex digital challenges. By providing visibility and insight at an unparalleled scale they help clients solve problems faster, secure what matters, and drive continuous innovation across their digital ecosystems. We are now seeking a Principal Sales Engineer to support the growth of UK public sector accounts. This is a remote, client-facing role for a highly technical and experienced presales professional with a strong Government/Public Sector background and current DV clearance.

Responsibilities

• Leading technical discovery and supporting the full sales cycle
• Creating and delivering high-impact demos and presentations
• Differentiating solutions from competitors using compelling value stories
• Acting as a technical expert across integrators, service providers, and Government
• Partnering with product and engineering to influence roadmaps and relay market feedback
• Contributing to technical documentation, RFPs, and whitepapers
• Mentoring Sales Engineers, attending client meetings alongside them
• Building strong customer relationships and identifying upsell opportunities
• Representing customer needs internally and advocating for technical alignment
• Participating in industry events, speaking engagements, and strategic initiatives

Essential qualifications and experience

• 15+ years\' experience in IT, with at least 10 years in presales, network engineering, or technical support
• Demonstrable success supporting UK Government or public sector clients
• Ability to translate technical challenges into clear commercial value
• Strong expertise in: Cisco routing, switching, gateways, and applications; TCP/IP; SNMP; Netflow; VoIP; LAN/WAN topologies (MPLS, Frame Relay, ATM); security concepts and network infrastructure design; network performance and fault/alert management
• Solid understanding of: Operating systems (Linux, Windows); Cloud and virtualization technologies (SDN/NFV, Public/Private Cloud); performance tools (HP/OV, Tivoli, EMC SMARTS, ArcSight)
• Relevant certifications: CCNA, CCNP, CCIE
• Formal presales training (e.g., Sandler, Siebel, Afterburner)
• Excellent communication and presentation skills (verbal, written, and visual)
• Comfortable with 60-70% UK travel

Desirable qualifications

• Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent technical military training
• MBA or relevant business/leadership qualification
• Knowledge of products such as Arbor, Radwhere, Riverbed, A10, ExtraHop
• Experience authoring whitepapers and contributing to product strategy
• Familiarity with security audits, RFP/RFI responses
• Track record of mentoring technical presales teams

Role & responsibilities

• As Principal Sales Engineer, drive revenue by delivering technical presales support, demonstrating product value, and shaping best-fit solutions
• Report to the Regional Sales Director and act as a trusted advisor for public sector clients and internal stakeholders

Benefits and travel

• Remote working: officially home-based
• Must be comfortable with regular travel for client meetings (3-4 days per week) and annual conferences
• Location preference: Central or Southern UK; Northern England considered for exceptional talent; Scotland is not preferred