Solutions Engineer

Cisco Systems, Inc.; Herndon (VA); On-site; USD 202,000 - 258,000; Full time

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. in Virginia seeks an experienced technical sales leader to drive growth by aligning technology with customer objectives and leading cross-architectural solution dialogues.

You will mentor virtual teams and influence strategic priorities across business units. The role requires 7+ years in technical sales, deep Cisco portfolio knowledge, and the ability to close complex deals within enterprise accounts.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of related experience.
• Experience in technical sales or serving as a technical advisor for enterprise customers and partners.
• Proficiency in Cisco's technology portfolio and cross-architectural solution design.
• Experience leading the technical sales process from opportunity identification through to closing deals.
• Background in competitive market analysis and displacement strategies within enterprise accounts.

Responsibilities

• Drive growth by pinpointing new opportunities and aligning technical strategies with customer objectives.
• Lead high-level solution conversations with technical executives to promote cross-architecture designs and drive innovation.
• Execute demand generation and enablement campaigns to address customer challenges and differentiate Cisco solutions.
• Mentor extended sales teams to strengthen knowledge and guide education initiatives.

Skills

7+ years experience

technical sales

Cisco portfolio knowledge

lead the sales process

competitive analysis

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 11/01/2026

The candidate must be in the VA territory. Ideally Central VA.

Meet the Team

Join a dynamic group of technical sales professionals dedicated to representing the Cisco brand and delivering impactful solutions to our customers and partners. As a vital part of the account team, you will collaborate with connected sales units to ensure long-term customer success through strategic planning and innovation. The team functions as a trusted advisor, bridging the gap between complex business needs and Cisco's diverse technology portfolio to drive market penetration. You will have the unique opportunity to lead virtual support teams and provide direct feedback to Business Entities, helping to shape future market opportunities. This role offers an exciting environment where you can influence strategic priorities and displace competition within the Richmond territory.

Your Impact

Drive growth by pinpointing new opportunities and aligning technical strategies directly with customer business objectives. Lead high-level solution conversations with technical executives to promote cross-architecture designs and drive innovation. Execute demand generation and enablement campaigns to address underlying customer challenges and differentiate Cisco solutions from the competition. Conduct technical demonstrations that illustrate how specific products solve business hurdles to increase revenue and expand market share. Mentor extended sales teams to strengthen collective knowledge and guide structured educational initiatives across the organization.

Minimum Qualifications

• 7+ years of related experience
• Experience in technical sales or serving as a technical advisor for enterprise customers and partners
• Proficiency in Cisco's technology portfolio and cross-architectural solution design.
• Experience leading the technical sales process from opportunity identification through to closing deals
• Background in competitive market analysis and displacement strategies within enterprise accounts.

Preferred Qualifications

• 2+ years of pre-sales experience
• Ability to translate complex business needs into clear technical requirements for diverse stakeholders.
• Strong leadership skills to motivate and guide virtual support and extended sales teams.
• Experience providing strategic feedback to Business Entities regarding market trends and customer needs.
• Proven track record of influencing strategic priorities for C-suite and technical executives.
• Adaptability to evolve strategies in response to shifting market conditions and competitive tactics.

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 $202,400.00 to $257,900.00 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. Please see the Cisco careers site to discover more benefits and perks. Employees may be eligible to receive grants of Cisco restricted stock units, which vest following continued employment with Cisco for defined periods of time.

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 ofunused sick timecarried forwardfrom one calendar yearto 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.

The applicable full salary ranges for this position, by specific state, are listed below:

New York City Metro Area:

$212,200.00 - $308,300.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

$202,400.00 - $296,900.00

* 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.