Sales Architect

Blackfoot Communications; Bozeman (MT); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Blackfoot Communications in Bozeman, MT, is seeking a Sales Architect/Sales Engineer 2 to provide advanced technical assistance and SME support to the sales team. You will engage with customers on complex solutions, support discovery, propose options, and help drive revenue.

The role requires strong communication with both technical and non-technical stakeholders, collaboration with engineering and product teams, and ongoing vendor certifications.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Computer Science, Engineering, Telecommunications, or related field.
• 2–5 years of experience in sales engineering, network engineering, or technical sales support.

Responsibilities

• Attend meetings with prospective and existing customers to support technical discovery and solution alignment alongside the sales team.
• Assess customer network requirements and identify appropriate solutions within the Blackfoot product portfolio.
• Support presentations of solution options and technical alternatives, responding to tech inquiries.
• Perform proactive network assessments for enterprise customers and strategic accounts, including service reviews and upgrade opportunities.
• Create and deliver technical presentations highlighting value proposition and industry trends.
• Support responses to RFPs/RFIs with technical sections.
• Collaborate with network engineering, operations, and implementation teams for successful deployments.
• Act as a technical liaison between Sales, Engineering, Implementation, and Product teams for clear communication.
• Maintain relationships with vendor contacts and participate in training/certification programs.
• Provide internal feedback on competitive offerings and market trends.

Skills

Sales engineering

Technical communication

Network engineering

IP networking

SD-WAN

SASE

Customer relationships

Education

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

Tools

Visio

Microsoft Office

Job description

About Us:Blackfoot Communications reliably connects business of all sizes across the nation using the latest telecommunication technology in voice, network, and managed services. With focus on strong connections, we also provide dedicated account management with a goal to get to know our clients so we can help advise on the best solution.

What We Offer:We offer opportunities in the telecommunications and technology sectors with positions in Western Montana and Eastern Idaho. Blackfoot is proud to offer a competitive salary and a fantastic benefits package that includes; comprehensive medical benefits plan, LTD, life insurance, an outstanding retirement pension plan plus a 401k plan that includes employer match, along with other employer paid benefits. We are proud to have received awards and recognition that highlight our strong company culture. These include "Employer of Choice" from the Missoula Job Service Employer's Council, "Top Tech Employer" from the Montana High Tech Business Alliance, and the "Heart Award" from the United Way of Missoula County in recognition of our ongoing community efforts.

Job Summary: The Sales Architect position provides advanced technical assistance and subject matter expertise to the sales organization, working in close partnership with Sales Engineers and Account Executives to support revenue generation. This role will be customer-facing focusing on complex solution validation, technical discovery, proposal support, and technical engagements, ensuring that customer needs are aligned with solutions supported by Blackfoot Communications. The Sales Engineer 2 participates throughout the technical sales lifecycle, including lead qualification, service availability requests (SARs), opportunity development, proposal creation, presentation support, and installation oversight to project completion. This role requires the ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders, internally and externally.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• Attend meetings with prospective and existing customers to support technical discovery and solution alignment alongside the sales team.
• Assist in assessing customer network requirements and identifying appropriate solutions within the Blackfoot product and service portfolio.
• Support presentations of solution options and technical alternatives, responding to technology-related customer inquiries.
• Perform proactive and recurring network assessments for enterprise customers and strategic accounts, including service performance reviews, security posture evaluations, QBRs, and identification of upgrade or expansion opportunities.
• Assist with the creation and delivery of technical presentations highlighting Blackfoot’s value proposition, competitive differentiation, and relevant industry trends.
• Support responses to technical sections of Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and Requests for Information (RFIs).
• Collaborate closely with network engineering, operations, and implementation coordination teams to ensure successful and timely customer deployments.
• Act as a technical liaison between Sales, Engineering, Implementation, and Product teams to ensure clear communication and efficient solution delivery.
• Maintain working relationships with vendor technical contacts and participate in vendor-specific training and certification programs.
• Provide internal feedback related to competitive offerings, customer requirements, and market trends to support product development and go-to-market strategies.

Additional Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• Perform other duties and responsibilities as required to fulfill the job function or as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledge of:

• Company policies, procedures, and supported products and services.
• Telecommunications technologies and industry trends.
• IP telephony and unified communications architectures.
• OSI model and layered network design concepts.
• Complex IP networking, including MPLS, DWDM, and optical transport technologies.
• Wireless technologies (licensed and unlicensed).
• SD-WAN, SASE, MPLS, fiber, and copper Ethernet services.
• SIP trunking, firewall and network security principles, cloud computing.
• Microsoft Office applications and network design tools such as Visio.
• Sales engineering concepts, technical sales support processes, and customer solution design.

Skill to:

• Assess customer technical requirements and recommend appropriate solutions.
• Communicate technical concepts effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Create, edit, and finalize clear technical documentation and presentation materials.
• Design, document, and present technical solutions.
• Gather, analyze, and report technical and numerical data.

Ability to:

• Work independently while effectively collaborating with cross-functional teams.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with customers and internal stakeholders.
• Explain and position technical solutions aligned to customer business needs.
• Think analytically, solve complex technical problems, and manage multiple priorities.
• Communicate clearly and professionally in both written and verbal formats.
• Work accurately under deadlines and time constraints.
• Maintain confidentiality of company information.
• Provide excellent customer service and contribute to a positive, collaborative team environment.
• Obtain and maintain a valid State driver’s license and meet company insurance requirements.

Education and Experience:

Any combination of education and experience equivalent to the following would qualify:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Telecommunications, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• 2–5 years of experience in sales engineering, network engineering, telecommunications, or a related technical sales support role.

Any noted minimum or maximum years of experience should not be construed as a requirement for consideration; this information is meant to be used as a suggested guideline.