Pre-Sales Systems Engineer

thehrsource; Columbia (MD); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

thehrsource is seeking a customer-focused Pre‑Sales Systems Engineer to support development of complex technology solutions for mission-critical environments, including airport tower operations, advanced air mobility, and maritime applications. You will translate requirements into practical architectures and contribute to proposals and customer-facing materials.

Collaborating with Sales, Product Management, Engineering, and Project Management, you will ensure designs are technically feasible,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent required.
• 3+ years in pre-sales, systems engineering, or equivalent customer-facing role.
• Strong ability to translate technical requirements into practical designs.

Responsibilities

• Understand customer requirements and objectives.
• Design solutions and architectures based on requirements and product capabilities.
• Develop cost estimates for proposed solutions and assist with proposals.
• Prepare technical presentations and demonstrations for customers.
• Collaborate with Sales, Engineering, Product Management, and Project Management.

Skills

Pre-Sales Systems Engineering

Systems Architecture

Technical Presentation

Technical Writing

Customer Collaboration

IT Hardware/Software Networking

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Tools

MS Office Suite

Visio

Job description

Position Summary Our client is seeking a customer-focused and technically skilled Pre‑Sales Systems Engineer to support the development of complex technology solutions within mission‑critical communications environments. This role works closely with customers and the sales organization to understand technical and operational requirements and translate them into practical, cost‑effective solutions. The Pre‑Sales Systems Engineer will support customers within airport tower operations, advanced air mobility, maritime applications, and other safety‑critical environments. This individual will develop system architectures, evaluate technical requirements, present proposed solutions, and contribute to proposals and other customer‑facing materials. The role requires close collaboration with Sales, Product Management, Engineering, and Program/Project Management to ensure proposed solutions are technically feasible, commercially viable, and aligned with customer requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Work directly with customers to understand operational challenges, technical requirements, and project objectives.
• Design technical solutions and system architectures based on customer requirements and available hardware, software, and product capabilities.
• Develop solutions that balance technical feasibility, system performance, cost, and customer needs.
• Develop and maintain cost estimates associated with proposed technical solutions.
• Gather technical and operational requirements from customer stakeholders and incorporate them into solution designs.
• Collaborate with customers, Sales, Engineering, Product Management, and other internal teams throughout the solution‑development process.
• Prepare and deliver technical presentations, solution demonstrations, and architecture discussions to customers and prospective customers.
• Develop technical solution descriptions, system documentation, feasibility assessments, and supporting materials.
• Evaluate competing technologies and solutions and provide relevant technical and market feedback to internal teams.
• Coordinate with Engineering and Product Management to ensure proposed designs effectively utilize existing products and capabilities.
• Ensure technical requirements, architectures, assumptions, and other key information are accurately transitioned to Engineering and Program/Project Management for implementation.
• Develop technical content for RFPs/RFQs, tender responses, proposals, white papers, reports, and other customer‑facing documentation.
• Provide technical support throughout the sales and proposal process, including responding to customer questions and refining proposed solutions.
• Prioritize solution‑development activities based on customer requirements, business opportunities, available resources, and commercial objectives.
• Provide feedback to Product Management and Engineering regarding customer requirements, competitive technologies, market trends, and potential product enhancements.
• Contribute to the definition and development of future product capabilities based on customer and market needs.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited four‑year college or university.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in pre‑sales systems engineering, systems engineering, solutions architecture, technical pre‑sales, or a comparable customer‑facing technical role.
• Strong technical foundation across IT hardware, software, networking, and integrated technology systems.
• Ability to understand complex technical requirements and translate them into practical system designs and solutions.
• Ability to quickly learn a broad portfolio of technologies, products, services, and system architectures and apply them to specific customer requirements.
• Experience working directly with customers to gather requirements, discuss technical solutions, and address technical questions.
• Strong presentation skills with the ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly and confidently.
• Excellent technical writing skills and experience preparing professional customer‑facing documentation.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across Sales, Engineering, Product Management, and Program/Project Management teams.
• Relevant domain knowledge within aviation, air traffic operations, advanced air mobility, maritime systems, mission‑critical communications, or related technology environments.
• Ability and willingness to travel domestically and occasionally internationally.

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Experience supporting technical sales or pre‑sales activities involving complex hardware and software solutions.
• Experience developing technical responses to government or commercial RFPs, RFQs, tenders, and other formal procurement processes.
• Experience developing system architectures, technical solution descriptions, feasibility studies, white papers, and related documentation.
• Familiarity with technology used in safety‑critical, high‑availability, or mission‑critical environments.
• Experience delivering product demonstrations, technical presentations, or customer workshops.
• Experience evaluating competitive technologies and providing technical feedback to product and engineering teams.
• Experience supporting U.S. Government customers or programs is beneficial.

Additional Requirements

• Travel may be required for customer meetings, site visits, trade shows, conferences, demonstrations, and other business activities.
• Occasional international travel may be required for training, customer engagements, or other business needs.
• Must be able to successfully complete applicable employment and project‑related background screening, which may include fingerprinting.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States.
• Must be eligible to obtain any required authorization or clearance necessary to access U.S. Government facilities or project sites.