Lead Sales Engineer

Equinix; Amsterdam; Hybrid; EUR 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Equinix, a leading global digital infrastructure company, seeks a Lead Sales Engineer in Amsterdam/EMEA to own the technical win on complex partner-led opportunities. You will align with Field Sales, Partner Sales Managers and partner teams to deliver multi-site, interconnection solutions across EMEA.

You will mentor SEs, lead architecture design, and drive responses to RFIs/RFPs while maintaining close partner relationships and ensuring high-quality technical outcomes.

Qualifications

• Proven years of related experience with a bachelor’s degree; or proven years and a master’s degree; or a PhD with proven years’ experience; or equivalent experience.
• Extensive customer- or partner-facing experience in data center, internet, cloud or telecommunications services.
• Deep knowledge of data center and interconnection technologies—colocation, power and cooling, network design, private connectivity to clouds and networks.
• Ability to explain technical issues with products, applications and related technologies.
• Proven stakeholder management and ability to work independently with minimal guidance.
• Excellent interpersonal, presentation and negotiation skills at all levels.
• Fluency in English and German, both written and spoken.

Responsibilities

• Lead discovery to identify business needs, challenges and technical requirements of partners and end customers.
• Understand workloads behind each opportunity and design around outcomes, not just the request.
• Be the consistent technical voice for assigned partners inside Equinix across portfolios.
• Act as a subject matter expert on Equinix products and services for partner and customer stakeholders.
• Lead complex RFI, RFP and RFQ responses with partners and internal teams.
• Mentor SEs and help shape standard practices for designing and quoting with partners.

Skills

Partner engagement

Data center expertise

Solution design

Stakeholder management

English & German

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

Job description

Who are we?

Equinix is the world’s digital infrastructure company®, shortening the path to connectivity to enable the innovations that enrich our work, life and planet.

A place where bold ideas are welcomed, human connection is valued, and everyone has the opportunity to shape their future.

Job Summary

Own the technical win on our most complex partner-led deals and be the trusted technical voice of our partners inside Equinix.

Do you have extensive customer- or partner-facing experience in the data center, internet, cloud or telecommunications industry? We’re looking for a Lead Sales Engineer to join the EMEA Solutions Engineering team and own the technical win on our largest and most complex partner-led data center and interconnection opportunities across EMEA.

Who we are

Equinix is the world’s digital infrastructure company®, operating over 260+ data centers across the globe. Digital leaders harness Equinix's trusted platform to bring together and interconnect foundational infrastructure at software speed. We embrace diversity in thought and contribution and are committed to providing an equitable work environment that is foundational to our core values as a company and is vital to our success.

The role

You’ll be the senior technical voice on strategic partner-led pursuits: leading discovery, owning the design and the technical win, and coordinating across internal teams to deliver complex multi-site, multi-metro colocation and interconnection solutions. You’ll understand assigned partner’s technical requirements as a whole, not deal by deal, and represent them consistently inside Equinix. You’ll work as a peer with experienced Field Sales Engineers, alongside Partner Sales Managers, partner technical teams and our Partner Solutions Architects, who own the longer-term partner technical strategy.

Partners you’ll work with

Global Systems Integrators, Network Service Providers, Managed Service Providers, Value Added Resellers, Distributors and Technology Alliances - from global partners to in-country resellers.

Responsibilities

• Lead discovery to identify the business needs, challenges and technical requirements of partners and their end customers and proactively shape colocation and interconnection architectures on Platform Equinix
• Understand the workloads behind each opportunity - what the customer is running, what they’re trying to achieve and why - and design around those outcomes rather than the immediate request
• Build a holistic understanding of assigned partner’s technical requirements across their portfolio and customers and be their consistent technical voice inside Equinix
• Act as a subject matter expert on Equinix products and services, positioning solutions to partner and customer technical and business decision makers
• Analyze complex problems independently and provide full support for assigned partners and their customers, including global and multi-metro deployments

Solution design and deliverables

• Own the technical win, including Capacity Feasibility Requests, Design Packages, architecture and quoting on the most complex partner-led opportunities
• Provide solution design expertise to Partner Sales Managers, Field Sales Engineers and field teams
• Use judgment to solve problems outside standard procedures, and feed partner requirements back into policies, procedures and products
• Lead complex RFI, RFP and RFQ responses, including joint responses with partners
• Turn complex wins into reusable solution designs and reference architectures with partners

Partner and customer engagement

• Host meetings with partner and customer technical and business decision makers
• Manage relationships with partner technical teams, find new personas and opportunities, and bring deal insight into partner technical account plans
• Provide outstanding technical support in sales presentations, partner and customer meetings and events, with excellent communication verbally and in writing

Business and market expertise

• Exceptional understanding of Equinix data center, network and cloud products and services
• Strong industry knowledge and familiarity with the competitive landscape

Collaboration and team leadership

• Work as a peer with Field Sales Engineers, bringing partner context and design experience to their opportunities
• Mentor and coach SEs, and develop standard practices for designing and quoting with partners
• Motivate internal teams (Customer Success, Global Design and Construction, Capacity, Commercial Solutions, Operations) to ensure a smooth transition from pre-sales to post-sales
• Lead initiatives and team projects, and help shape a positive culture in the Global Solution Engineering community

What success looks like

First 6 months

• You’re the go-to SE on the biggest partner-led pursuits across EMEA, and Field SEs pull you in for partner context
• You’re mentoring SEs and have improved at least one part of how we design or quote with partners

By 12 months

• You’ve owned the technical win on multiple complex partner-led deals
• Partners see you as their consistent technical voice in Equinix
• Other SEs and partners reuse your designs, architectures and practices

Qualifications

What you’ll bring

• Proven years of related experience with a bachelor’s degree; or proven years and a master’s degree; or a PhD with proven years’ experience; or equivalent experience
• Extensive customer- or partner-facing experience in the data center, internet, cloud or telecommunications services industry
• Deep, hands-on knowledge of data center and interconnection technologies - colocation, power and cooling, network design, and private connectivity to clouds and networks
• Ability to understand and explain technical issues, with thorough knowledge of products, applications and associated technologies
• Proven stakeholder management internally and externally, and the ability to work independently with minimal guidance
• Outstanding interpersonal, presentation and negotiation skills, at all levels of internal and external customers
• High-quality business proposals in line with agreed customer needs; strong problem resolution, project management and follow-through
• Able to adapt in a rapidly changing environment
• Fluent English and German, written and spoken

Nice to have

• Experience working with or for SIs, MSPs, VARs or network providers
• Experience mentoring other sales engineers
• Additional European languages

Senior vs Lead

We’re hiring at two levels. This is the Lead role; if you’re closer to the Senior profile, tell us.

Location & languages

• Preferably based in Frankfurt or Amsterdam, hybrid
• Fluent English and German are required
• Regular travel to partners and customers across EMEA

Equinix is committed to ensuring that our employment process is open to all individuals, including those with a disability. If you are a qualified candidate and need assistance or an accommodation, please let us know by completing this form.

Equinix is an Equal Employment Opportunity and, in the U.S., an affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to unlawful consideration of race, color, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, place of birth, citizenship, sex, pregnancy / childbirth or related medical conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or domestic partnership status, age, veteran or military status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, political / organizational affiliation, status as a victim or family member of a victim of crime or abuse, or any other status protected by applicable law.

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This posting is a new position within our organization.