Lead Sales Engineer

Black Duck; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 141,000 - 212,000; Full time

Job summary

Black Duck Software, Inc. is seeking a motivated Lead Sales Engineer for our Enterprise/Commercial team in San Francisco.

You will partner with Account Executives to win new business, translate complex security capabilities into clear customer value, and help accelerate deal velocity. You will lead technical discovery, deliver demonstrations, and articulate the advantages of SAST, SCA, DAST and AI-based DevSecOps workflows to both technical buyers and executives.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in sales engineering or pre-sales in security.
• Support new business cycles with Account Executives.
• Strong understanding of application security and testing.
• Hands-on with SAST/SCA/DAST technologies.
• Familiarity with AI-based code development tools.
• Technical background in software security.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder influence.
• Ability to influence technical decision-makers.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Account Executives to drive net-new customer acquisitions.
• Lead technical discovery sessions, product demonstrations, and proof-of-value engagements.
• Position and articulate the value of SAST, SCA, DAST and AI-based solutions.
• Analyze prospect environments and tailor high-impact security solutions.
• Support early-stage opportunity shaping by clarifying risks and impact.
• Create and deliver compelling technical presentations for technical and executive buyers.
• Collaborate with Account Executives to differentiate Black Duck in competitive cycles.
• Contribute to account planning and pipeline growth.
• Support AI DevSecOps validation discussions with customers.
• Stay current on application security trends and competitors.

Skills

Sales engineering

Application security

Communication

Pre-sales

Tools

SAST

SCA

DAST

AI code tools

Job description

Black Duck Software, Inc. helps organizations build secure, high-quality software, minimizing risks while maximizing speed and productivity. Black Duck, a recognized pioneer in application security, provides SAST, SCA, and DAST solutions that enable teams to quickly find and fix vulnerabilities and defects in proprietary code, open source components, and application behavior. With a combination of industry-leading tools, services, and expertise, only Black Duck helps organizations maximize security and quality in DevSecOps and throughout the software development life cycle.

Lead Sales Engineer – Enterprise / Commercial

Black Duck Software, Inc. helps organizations build secure, high-quality software—minimizing risk while maximizing speed and productivity. A recognized pioneer in application security, Black Duck provides SAST, SCA, DAST and LLM based solutions that enable teams to rapidly identify and remediate vulnerabilities across proprietary code, open-source components, and application behavior. With industry-leading tools, services, and deep expertise, Black Duck empowers organizations to integrate security across the entire AI based DevSecOps lifecycle.

We are seeking a motivated and customer-focused Lead Sales Engineer to join our Enterprise / Commercial team, partnering closely with a team of Account Executives focused on new business acquisitions. This individual will play a critical role in helping drive new customer growth by aligning technical expertise with strategic sales execution, ensuring prospects clearly understand the value and differentiation of our application security solutions.

Role Overview

As a Lead Sales Engineer, you will act as a trusted technical advisor throughout the new business sales cycle, working alongside Account Executives to engage prospective customers, uncover their needs, and deliver compelling, solution-oriented outcomes. You must bring a consultative, forward-looking approach to every interaction, helping to accelerate deal velocity and build confidence with technical and executive stakeholders alike.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner closely with Account Executives to develop and execute technical strategies that drive net-new customer acquisition
• Lead technical discovery sessions, product demonstrations, and proof-of-value engagements for prospective customers
• Position and articulate the value of SAST, SCA, DAST and LLM based solutions in the context of customer-specific challenges and priorities
• Analyze prospect environments and requirements to design tailored, high-impact application security solutions
• Support early-stage opportunity shaping by helping prospects understand risks, gaps, and potential business impact
• Create and deliver compelling technical presentations aligned with both technical buyers and executive stakeholders
• Collaborate with Account Executives to differentiate Black Duck in competitive, net-new sales cycles
• Contribute to account planning strategies with a focus on expanding pipeline and increasing win rates
• Support technical validation and integration discussions within customer AI based DevSecOps environments
• Stay current on application security trends, competitive landscape, and emerging technologies

Required Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in sales engineering, solutions engineering, or technical pre-sales, ideally within application security or DevSecOps
• Proven ability to support new business sales cycles in partnership with quota-carrying Account Executives
• Strong understanding of application security concepts, vulnerabilities, and testing methodologies
• Hands‑on or working experience with SAST, SCA, or DAST technologies
• Familiarity with AI based Code Development tools and workflows.
• Technical background in software development, security engineering, or related fields
• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to clearly convey complex technical concepts to diverse audiences
• Demonstrated ability to influence technical decision‑makers and build credibility quickly in early‑stage engagements

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting high‑growth, hunter‑led sales environments
• Prior consulting or solutions engineering experience
• Familiarity with DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and modern development workflows including Agentic development workflows.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to connect technical capabilities to business outcomes and risk mitigation

Pay Range: $141,200 USD - $211,800 USD

Black Duck is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all applicants for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, age, disability, sexual orientation, veteran or military service status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Black Duck complies with all applicable laws prohibiting employment discrimination in every jurisdiction where it operates and provides reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities in accordance with applicable law.