Leader, Solutions Engineer

020 Cisco Systems, Inc.; Glendale (CA); On-site; USD 247,000 - 327,000; Full time

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. is seeking a seasoned leader to guide solutions engineering teams across a defined region. You will align Cisco architectures with customer needs, drive revenue through strategic engagements, and foster strong, lasting relationships with key customers and partners.

You will collaborate with cross-functional teams, shape account plans, and execute complex multi-year sales cycles. This role emphasizes market expansion, customer success, and scalable solution delivery.

Qualifications

• 7-10+ years of experience leading technical sales or solutions engineering teams across multiple geographic regions.
• Deep knowledge of Cisco core architectures (Networking, Security, Collaboration, Cloud, Data Center).
• Experience engaging with CXO-level stakeholders to negotiate large-scale enterprise deals.
• Ability to translate corporate vision into actionable technical sales strategies and manage long enterprise sales cycles.

Responsibilities

• Oversee technical sales management activities for a defined region or geo.
• Engage with senior customers and partners at strategic accounts and large deals.
• Support teams with discovery, consultation, and presentation to maximize impact.
• Drive cross-functional collaboration with Engineering, CX, and Partners to advance strategic initiatives.
• Lead high-stakes client engagements and develop demand-driving initiatives.

Skills

Leadership Experience

Executive Presence

Sales Strategy & Operations

Cisco Core Architectures

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Business, or related field

Tools

CCIE Certification

Job description

Position Overview

The application window is expected to close on: 10/15/2026

Meet the Team Leads solutions engineering teams to align Cisco architectures with customer needs, driving optimal outcomes for customers through sustained team and individual performance. Builds and sustains strong, long-term relationships with customers. Collaborates with customers to understand their business goals, identify cross-architecture solution opportunities, and build demand based on what’s possible in the customer roadmap, new technologies and industry challenges. Transforms strategic goals into actionable sales initiatives and ensures successful execution and alignment with interpersonal objectives. Emphasizes market expansion and revenue opportunities, aligning with the corporate vision to drive growth and Cisco’s market leadership.

Facilitates cross-architecture/business unit (e.g., Engineering, CX, partners, and marketing) teamwork to ensure client-focused solutions, continued growth/demand generation, and technological evolution of Cisco’s architectures.

Key Responsibilities

• Specialization and Focus - Oversees technical sales management activities for a defined region, operation, theatre/country or geo.
• Customer Engagement and Accountability - Involves up to 25% customer/partner-facing time, engages with high-level team members such as CXOs, Directors, and key IT personnel; direct customer engagement is limited to strategic accounts and large competitive deals.
• The Internal Sales Process - Supports teams with consulting, problem-solving and delivering the most impact during discovery, consultation, and presentation.
• Corporate Interlock - Medium to high corporate interlock, leverages extensive internal and external contacts to drive collaboration, achieve diverse business goals, and advance corporate initiatives.
• Typical Sales Cycle - Sales cycle varies by segment - when directly involved in sales activities, the sales cycles often exceeds one year and sometimes span multiple years.
• Success Measures - Revenue Growth & Market Expansion, Enhanced Customer Success, Profitability and Increased Operational Efficiency, Strategic Sales Execution/ Team’s Quota Performance, Partner & Customer Engagement.

Your Impact

• Typically, leads a team of Managers - both those handling Managers and those leading Solutions Engineers - within multiple Regions.
• Unifies technical sales strategy with account planning, streamlining processes and improving sales cycle.
• Develops technical sales initiatives aligned with strategy and articulates market expansion and revenue goals.
• Leads high-stakes technical client engagements, forging partnerships on sophisticated, large-scale solutions.
• Builds demand-driving events that showcase Cisco’s technology experiences and develops tools and roadmaps that drive customer connection.
• Unifies multi-functional feedback to coach towards sustainable quota achievement and develop team’s leadership capabilities.
• Facilitates collaboration, demonstrating cross-functional influencers to compose account strategies.

Minimum Qualifications

• Leadership Experience - Minimum of 7-10+ years of experience leading technical sales or solutions engineering teams, with a consistent track record of leading managers and directing teams across multiple geographic regions.
• Industry & Architecture Expertise - Deep knowledge of Cisco’s core architectures (e.g., Networking, Security, Collaboration, Cloud, or Data Center) and a strong understanding of emerging technology trends and industry challenges.
• Executive Presence - Extensive experience engaging with CXO-level participants, directors, and key IT decision-makers to establish relationships and negotiate large-scale, or highly competitive strategic deals.
• Sales Strategy & Operations - Validated ability to translate corporate vision into actionable technical sales strategies, lead quota performance, and navigate long-term enterprise sales cycles exceeding one year.
• Education - Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Business, or a related technical field (or equivalent experience).

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced Education & Certifications - Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA), Technology Management, or a related field, alongside advanced technical certifications such as CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert), CCDE, or equivalent industry credentials.
• Multi-functional Orchestration - Proven success collaborating across large-scale corporate matrix environments—specifically partnering with Product Engineering, Customer Experience (CX), and Channel Partners—to accelerate demand generation and influence long-term product roadmaps.
• Large-Scale Deal Architecture - Demonstrated experience leading technical strategy and closing high-value, multi-million-dollar cross-architecture enterprise agreements (EAs) with sales cycles spanning multiple years.

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.

Message to applicants applying to work in the U.S. and/or Canada:

The starting salary range posted for this position is $246,800.00 to $327,200.00 and reflects the projected salary range for new hires in this position in 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 full salary range for certain locations is listed below. For locations not listed below, the recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.

• U.S. employees are offered benefits, subject to Cisco’s plan eligibility rules, which include medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability coverage, and basic life insurance.
• U.S. employees are eligible for paid time away as described below, subject to Cisco’s policies: 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, and 4 paid days off for personal wellness determined by Cisco.
• Non-exempt employees receive 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 participate in Cisco’s flexible vacation time off program, which has 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, and 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, employees are also eligible to earn annual bonuses subject to Cisco’s policies.
• Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components, subject to the applicable Cisco plan.
• For quota-based incentive pay, Cisco typically pays as follows: .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%; and 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, Cisco may pay 0% up to 125% of target.
• Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid.

• New York City Metro Area: $266,100.00 - $394,300.00
• Non-Metro New York state & Washington state: $246,800.00 - $383,500.00
• For quota-based sales roles on Cisco’s sales plan, the ranges provided in this posting include base pay and sales target incentive compensation combined.

Employees in Illinois, whether exempt or non-exempt, will participate in a unique time off program to meet local requirements.

Cisconians power the future. We make impact as a team, innovating fast and fearlessly to create meaningful solutions on a large scale. The depth and breadth of our technology doesn’t just benefit our customers – it also means limitless opportunities for us to experiment and learn. We understand the power each of our unique backgrounds bring when we work together. Because of that, we have a global network of thinkers, doers, experts, and curious creators who help one another do their life’s best work.