SOLUTION ENGINEER

Lumen; Frankfort (KY); On-site; USD 111,000 - 132,000; Full time

Job summary

Lumen is a trusted network provider delivering AI-ready connectivity and enterprise solutions. The Solution Engineer role focuses on pre-sales, architecture design, and customer collaboration across sales and success teams to translate business needs into technical outcomes.

You will engage in discovery, craft custom solutions, and present offerings that align with enterprise roadmaps. Expect some travel and collaboration with cross-functional teams to drive digital transformation for customers.

Qualifications

• Education: B.S. Computer Science, Engineering, MIS or equivalent work experience.
• Work experience: Minimum 2 years in pre-sales, engineering, consulting or similar.
• General experience: Technical pre-sales and/or consulting experience.
• Technical knowledge: Enterprise Architecture and design; knowledge of Lumen pillars.
• Communication: Lead technical workshops and executive discussions.
• Sales ability: Lead complex deal discussions with internal teams.
• Problem solving: Translate customer needs into deliverable requirements.
• Work style: Independent or team-based, detail oriented with good time management.
• Presentation: Strong skills for technical and executive audiences.
• Some travel required.

Responsibilities

• Lead customer meetings in person or remote; prepare technical proposals and presentations with business acumen.
• Analyze customer objectives; conduct technical discovery and architect client solutions.
• Advise on technical aspects with sales and success teams.
• Provide internal feedback to product, sales and engineering on customer experience.
• Act as customer advocate in pre-sales activities; deliver ROI and solution demonstrations.
• Support local sales in pursuing opportunities; collaborate with success, product and engineering.

Skills

Pre-sales engineering

Engineering background

Consulting experience

Communication & presentation

Sales acumen

Problem solving

Work under pressure

Detail oriented

Time management

Travel readiness

Education

B.S. Computer Science

Tools

ITIL

Cloud & Architecture basics

Network Virtualization basics

Security solutions basics

Job description

Lumen is the trusted network for the AI‑powered world, connecting people, data, and applications through our expansive fiber network and connected ecosystem. We enable secure, high‑performance connectivity across cloud, edge, and AI workloads for enterprises, governments, and communities.

At Lumen, you’ll work on infrastructure customers rely on today and build for what’s next, where performance, security, and resilience matter.

This is a high accountability environment where bold ideas drive real innovation for our customers, partners, and industry. The work is challenging, expectations are clear, and trust is built into how we operate. If you’re ready to take ownership, deliver meaningful impact, and help shape the future of AI‑ready connectivity, join us today.

The Role

Lumen is looking for Solution Engineers who are passionate about leveraging technology innovation for the betterment of humanity. This exciting customer‑facing solution engineering role will work in partnership with our Sales & Customer Success Executives, leading innovative conversations that help shape the growth of our enterprise customers as they embrace the 4th Industrial Evolution. Solution Engineers design and architect solutions utilizing our technology services platform. The successful Solution Engineer must have a strong desire to leverage their technical and sales skills, including business acumen, to understand business requirements, develop a technical sales strategy, and effectively present solutions that address our customers’ requirements and provide business value.

The Solution Engineer will be responsible for analyzing customer needs and requirements through strategic discovery, utilizing technical thought leadership, discussing industry best practices, and presenting our product offerings to prospects and customers based on each customer's specific business requirements. Recommending and proposing solutions to our customers with a goal to become a trusted advisor by highlighting how our products solutions enabling digital business strategies.

The Main Responsibilities

• Customer Meetings: Leads and attends customer meetings in person and via collaboration tools. Prepares and delivers technical proposals and presentations with the appropriate level of business acumen for the audience. Provides broad scope responses to solution and technology questions. Demonstrates strong solution selling abilities and effective, pro‑active customer communications. Interacts with all levels of customer's management team.

• Customer Solution Development: Analyze and identify our customer's business and technology objectives, conduct full technical discovery, and architect client solutions to meet gathered requirements. Assess business and operations impacted by technology. Craft and propose custom solutions that differentiate Lumen’s services, and meet customer’s requirements and objectives by asking probing questions that are meaningful to the customer to collect information that enables the sales team to be more effective and responsive to customer’s needs. Ability to complete complex custom designs.

• Internal and External Training: Advises customers, sales and customer success on technical aspects of proposed solutions including fit to customer’s needs, features, availability, etc.

• Thought Leadership: Internal feedback loop to product management, sales and customer success leadership teams regarding the customer experience, product features/functionality, and service implementation/management.

• Customer Advocate: Acts as customer advocate, participating in pre‑sales efforts including technical sales presentations, architecture design discussions, proof‑of‑concept engagements, RFP/RFI responses, solution demonstrations, and technical workshops. Deliver findings including key pain points, proposed solutions to meet business needs, and ROI where applicable. Contribute to development of technical sales strategy. Design, architect and demonstrate visionary solutions in a way that closely reflects our customers technology roadmap.

• Lifecycle / Ecosystem Partnership: Support local sales teams in pursuit of key business opportunities, engage customers to address aspects of the data lifecycle. Collaborate with Client Success Executive/Manager, Solution Sales Overlay teams, and Product Management to deliver the appropriate solution and establish credibility and trust with the customer.

What We Look For in a Candidate

• Education: B.S. Computer Science, Engineering, MIS or equivalent work experience in the private sector or military

• Work experience: Minimum 2 years of experience with technology focused in pre‑sales, engineering, consulting or similar background.

• General Experience: Technical pre‑sales and/or consulting experience.

• Technical Knowledge: Possess knowledge of Enterprise Architecture and Design. Technical knowledge across one or more Lumen technology pillars (Global network infrastructure, edge cloud capabilities, connected security, communication and collaboration services).

• Communication: Ability to lead & engage in technical workshops, RFP and final solution discussions with customers’ mid‑level IT stakeholders.

• Sales Ability: Ability to lead & engage in complex deal discussions with internal ecosystem, driving solutions & outcomes with sales, customer success, product & engineering.

• Problem Solving: General problem‑solving skills and ability to methodically understand and resolve complex issues. Must demonstrate the ability to focus ambiguous customer needs into specific, deliverable requirements. Must demonstrate creative solution development.

• Work Style: Ability to work independently, or as part of a team to build complex customer solutions. Must be able to build strong team relationships and easily transfer technical information. Ability to work under pressure with tight deadlines and on multiple projects simultaneously. Must be very detail oriented and demonstrate a high degree of accuracy. Attention to detail with good organizational capabilities. Ability to prioritize with good time management skills.

• Presentation Skills: Strong presentation skills as well as the ability to build and present high‑quality solutions to both technical and executive audiences.

• Strong listening, reasoning and objection handling skills.

• Some Travel required.

• Desired Skills

• Industry certifications: In 1 or more specialized technologies.

• Experience in solution consulting - ITIL.

• Basic understanding in Cloud & Architecture design.

• Basic understanding in Network Functions Virtualization.

• Basic understanding in Security solutions.

Compensation

This information reflects the anticipated base salary range for this position based on current national data. Minimums and maximums may vary based on location. Individual pay is based on skills, experience and other relevant factors.

Location Based Pay Ranges:

$99,225 - $132,300 in these states: AL, AR, AZ, FL, GA, IA, ID, IN, KS, KY, LA, ME, MO, MS, MT, ND, NE, NM, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, UT, VT, WI, WV, and WY.

$104,192 - $138,915 in these states: CO, HI, MI, MN, NC, NH, NV, OR, and RI.

$109,148 - $145,530 in these states: AK, CA, CT, DC, DE, IL, MA, MD, NJ, NY, TX, VA, and WA.

Lumen offers a comprehensive package featuring a broad range of Health, Life, Voluntary Lifestyle benefits and other perks that enhance your physical, mental, emotional and financial wellbeing. We're able to answer any additional questions you may have about our bonus structure (short-term incentives, long-term incentives and/or sales compensation) as you move through the selection process.

Learn more about Lumen's:

• Benefits (https://jobs.lumen.com/global/en/benefits-statement)

• Bonus Structure

What to Expect Next

Requisition #: 344276

Life at Lumen

Life at Lumen is human and connected, even in a fast moving, AI‑focused organization. We set clear expectations and trust people to meet them. With real support and shared accountability, teams collaborate better, move faster, and deliver meaningful outcomes.

Our Lumen 8 behaviors guide how we interact, make decisions, and work together, shaping a culture built to perform and win.

To learn more about Life at Lumen and how we live the Lumen 8, please visit:

https://jobs.lumen.com/global/en/life-at-lumen

Background Screening

If you are selected for a position, there will be a background screen, which may include checks for criminal records and/or motor vehicle reports and/or drug screening, depending on the position requirements. For more information on these checks, please refer to the Post Offer section of our FAQ page (https://jobs.lumen.com/global/en/faq) . Job‑related concerns identified in the background screening may disqualify you from the new position or your current role. Background results will be evaluated on a case‑by‑case basis.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Equal Employment Opportunities

We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all persons regardless of race, color, ancestry, citizenship, national origin, religion, veteran status, disability, genetic characteristic or information, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, family status, pregnancy, or other legally protected status (collectively, “protected statuses”). We do not tolerate unlawful discrimination in any employment decisions, including recruiting, hiring, compensation, promotion, benefits, discipline, termination, job assignments or training.

Privacy Notice

Lumen is committed to protecting the privacy and security of personal information collected during the recruitment and hiring process. Our Applicant Privacy Notice explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect applicant information, as well as how individuals may request access to or deletion of personal data.

To review Lumen’s Global Employment Applicant and Talent Community Privacy Notice, please visit:

https://jobs.lumen.com/global/en/privacy-notice

Disclaimer

The job responsibilities described above indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not intended to include a comprehensive inventory of all duties and responsibilities for this job. Job duties and responsibilities are subject to change based on evolving business needs and conditions.

In any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.

Please be advised that Lumen does not require any form of payment from job applicants during the recruitment process. All legitimate job openings will be posted on our official website or communicated through official company email addresses. If you encounter any job offers that request payment in exchange for employment at Lumen, they are not for employment with us, but may relate to another company with a similar name.