Sales Engineer - Public Sector

Zendesk; Virginia (IL); Hybrid; USD 188,000 - 282,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Global offices

Job summary

Zendesk seeks a Public Sector Sales Engineer to lead technical engagements with Federal, State, Local, and Education agencies, translating AI capabilities into business outcomes. You’ll drive discovery, design demos, and guide pilots that prove value while aligning with compliance standards.

You’ll leverage Zendesk APIs and cloud platforms to architect scalable solutions and influence the product roadmap across cross‑functional teams. Travel and government domain knowledge are valued.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of presales experience including traditional Solutions Consulting.
• Experience designing and executing customer pilots and proofs of concept.
• Business Value Literacy with ROI/TCO analysis.
• Understanding of AI technologies and practical CX applications.
• Expertise in CCaaS, ITSM, BI, WFM, or middleware.

Responsibilities

• Lead Technical & Business Discovery to understand challenges and design tailored demos.
• Architect AI‑Driven CX & ES solutions for varied audiences.
• Own end‑to‑end technical engagement from qualification to pilot execution.
• Integrate & scale using Zendesk APIs, middleware, and cloud platforms.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally to align needs with product roadmap.
• Measure ROI with Zendesk analytics and AI performance metrics.
• Champion AI adoption with Customer Success for value realization.
• Stay ahead of the curve by advancing AI and CX technology expertise.

Skills

Presales experience

Solutions Consulting

ROI discovery

AI technologies

CX/ES domain knowledge

Technical storytelling

Cross-functional collaboration

Federal/FSLED knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

Zendesk APIs

Middleware

AWS

Azure

GCP

Job description

Job Description At Zendesk, we’re revolutionizing what’s possible in Customer Experience (CX) and Employee Services (ES) for customers in the Federal, State, Local, and Education (FedSLED) space. Every interaction becomes impactful through our unified Resolution Platform, powered by best-in-class AI, data, and transformative cloud technologies. We’re leading the charge against outdated contact center solutions, helping top brands worldwide deliver smarter, faster, and more personal service at scale. Our rapid innovation and AI leadership have earned the trust of thousands of forward‑thinking businesses.

As a Public Sector Sales Engineer you’ll be at the forefront of transforming how leading government agencies leverage Zendesk’s AI‑powered platform. As a trusted advisor and technical thought leader, you’ll take the lead in navigating complex customer challenges. Delivering innovative, scalable solutions that turn ambitious goals into measurable results.

What You’ll Be Doing:

Lead Technical & Business Discovery: Conduct thorough discovery sessions to understand customer challenges, perform AI readiness assessments, and design tailored demos and proofs of value that demonstrate Zendesk’s differentiated value.

Architect AI‑Driven CX & ES Solutions: Translate advanced AI/ML capabilities (such as automation, conversational bots, predictive analytics, and orchestration) into clear, business‑focused narratives for diverse audiences from IT to the C‑suite.

Drive Technical Strategy Through the Sales Cycle: Own the end‑to‑end technical engagement, from qualification and design through pilot execution. Ensuring each solution aligns with customer goals and compliance standards.

Integrate & Scale: Architect secure, scalable solutions leveraging Zendesk APIs, middleware, telephony systems, and cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) that enable seamless workflows and automation.

Collaborate & Influence: Work cross‑functionally to align customer needs with Zendesk’s product roadmap, influence future innovations, and ensure a unified go‑to‑market strategy.

Measure & Optimize Impact: Use Zendesk analytics and AI performance metrics (sentiment analysis, ticket deflection, time‑to‑resolution) to demonstrate ROI and inform continuous improvement.

Champion AI Adoption: Collaborate with Customer Success to drive AI adoption through value realization initiatives and continued promotion of new AI capabilities.

Stay Ahead of the Curve: Continuously build your expertise in AI, automation, and evolving CX and ES technologies, sharing insights that position Zendesk as a market thought leader.

What You Bring:

• 5+ years of presales experience. This experience must include traditional Solutions Consulting but may include equivalent experience as a developer, customer engineer, Forward Deployed Engineer, or Technical Account Manager in similar environments.
• Proven experience designing and executing customer pilots and proofs of concept that demonstrate business value.
• Business Value Literacy: Ability to conduct basic ROI discovery and use standardized TCO/ROI templates for business case development.
• Understanding of AI technologies (LLMs, ChatGPT, NLP, MCP automation frameworks) and their practical applications in CX.
• Expertise in one or more of the following domains: CCaaS, Customer Service software, ITSM, Business Intelligence, Workforce Management, or Integration & Middleware.
• Strong analytical and storytelling abilities.
• Able to connect technical capabilities to strategic business impact.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, presentation, and writing skills.
• Strongly Desired: Working knowledge or awareness of Federal, State, Local, and Education (FSLED) compliance requirements (e.g., basic knowledge of HIPAA, CJIS, FERPA, FedRAMP, or similar mandates).
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience (graduate degree a plus).
• Willingness and ability to travel as required.

Who You Are:

• Strategic & Consultative: You think beyond features. Framing solutions around measurable customer outcomes.
• Technically Fluent: You have a deep curiosity for how AI and automation are reshaping customer experience.
• Collaborative Influencer: You work seamlessly across functions, aligning teams and earning stakeholder trust.
• Customer-Obsessed: You listen deeply, empathize authentically, and design with the customer at the center.
• Analytical Storyteller: You turn data and metrics into compelling business insights.
• Innovative Problem Solver: You approach challenges creatively leveraging technology to unlock new opportunities and value.

The US annualized OTE (On Target Earnings) range for this position is $188,000.00-$282,000.00 with a pay mix of 80/20 (base/commission).

• This position may also be eligible for bonus, benefits, or related incentives.

Our hybrid way of working enables us to purposefully come together in person, at one of our many Zendesk offices around the world, to connect, collaborate and learn whilst also giving our people the flexibility to work remotely for part of the week.

As part of our commitment to fairness and transparency, we inform all applicants that artificial intelligence (AI) or automated decision systems may be used to screen or evaluate applications for this position, in accordance with Company guidelines and applicable law.

Zendesk is an equal opportunity employer, and we’re proud of our ongoing efforts to foster global diversity, equity, & inclusion in the workplace. Individuals seeking employment and employees at Zendesk are considered without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, medical condition, ancestry, disability, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

We are an AA/EEO/Veterans/Disabled employer.

If you are based in the United States and would like more information about your EEO rights under the law, please click here.

Zendesk endeavors to make reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities and disabled veterans pursuant to applicable federal and state law. If you are an individual with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to submit this application, complete any pre‑employment testing, or otherwise participate in the employee selection process, please send an e‑mail to [e-mail] with your specific accommodation request.

Zendesk is on a mission to simplify the complexity of business and make it easy for companies and customers to create connections. Our customer experience software unlocks the power of billions of interactions, enabling businesses to build rich, meaningful relationships with their customers.

What’s it like to work here? Our offices reflect the global cities we call home, and have spaces for collaboration, quiet, and events. With our hybrid approach, you’ll experience flexibility and connection, collaboration, and learning with your team.