Solutions Engineer - SLED (Northern California)

020 Cisco Systems, Inc.; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 212,000 - 268,000; Full time

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. is seeking a Solutions Engineer for the NorCal SLED team to champion Cisco across public sector verticals, partnering with Account Executives and specialist engineers to architect cutting‑edge solutions in Secure Networking, Hybrid Cloud, AI‑ready Infrastructure, and Zero Trust Cybersecurity.

The role focuses on trusted advisory, strategic architecture, and high‑impact demonstrations, with travel across Northern California and a requirement to reside in the NorCal region.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of related technical pre‑sales or systems engineering experience.
• Hands-on expertise across Cisco architectures (Enterprise Networking, Switching, Wireless, Routing, Data Center, or Cybersecurity) or equivalent.
• Willingness to reside in Northern California and travel locally for meetings and events.

Responsibilities

• Build deep technical relationships with public sector IT leaders as their primary advocate and trusted advisor.
• Define cross‑architectural solution options aligned with public sector priorities and outcomes.
• Deliver compelling POCs, value demonstrations, and live demonstrations of Cisco portfolio.
• Develop multi‑year technical account plans with Account Executives to shape territory strategy and deals.
• Drive solution adoption and enablement through internal teams and regional partners.

Skills

Pre-sales experience

Technical expertise

Architectural presentations

Public sector knowledge

Travel willingness

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Certifications (CCIE/CCNP etc.)

Job description

Candidate must live in or relocate to NorCal

Meet the Team

We are NorCal SLED, a dynamic and close-knit team of account executives and solutions engineers passionate about our mission to support our schools, cities, counties, universities, and healthcare agencies across Northern California. We work to help our public sector customers solve their most challenging IT problems and enable them to deliver difference‑making outcomes to their students, citizens, and employees. In this role, you will champion the Cisco brand across diverse public sector verticals, partnering with Account Executives, Specialist engineering teams, and strategic regional partners to architect cutting‑edge solutions across Secure Networking, Hybrid Cloud, AI‑ready Infrastructure, and Zero Trust Cybersecurity.

What You’ll Do

As a Solutions Engineer on the NorCal SLED team, your core mission encompasses five key strategic pillars: Trusted Technical Advisory & Customer Advocacy: Build and cultivate deep technical relationships with public sector IT leaders, serving as their primary advocate, technology strategist, and trusted advisor. Strategic Architecture & Opportunity Definition: Identify customer challenges and define cross‑architectural solution options that directly align with public sector business priorities, mission goals, and operational outcomes. High‑Impact Demonstrations & POC Execution: Collaborate with customers and partners to deliver compelling proof‑of‑concepts (POCs), proof‑of‑value engagements, and live demonstrations showcasing Cisco’s portfolio value. Technical Account Planning & Deal Strategy: Develop and execute multi‑year technical account plans in lockstep with Account Executives, directly shaping overall territory strategy and deal progression. Adoption, Operational Success & Partner Enablement: Drive continuous solution adoption and long‑term customer operational success by mobilizing internal specialist engineering teams and regional partner communities.

Minimum Qualifications

5+ years of related technical pre‑sales, systems engineering, or technical consulting experience in enterprise or public sector environments. Strong hands‑on technical expertise across core Cisco architectures (Enterprise Networking, Switching, Wireless, Routing, Data Center, or Cybersecurity) or relevant competitor platforms. Proven pre‑sales track record with demonstrated ability to translate complex technical solutions into measurable business, mission, and operational value. Demonstrated experience leading customer‑facing architectural presentations, technical whiteboarding, and solution validations. Must reside in or relocate to Northern California with the willingness and ability to travel locally for customer meetings and partner events.

Preferred Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, or related technical field (or equivalent practical experience). Professional or Expert‑level certifications (e.g., CCIE, CCNP, AWS Certified Solutions Architect, CISSP, or equivalent). Familiarity with SLED public sector procurement cycles, E‑Rate funding, state/local contracts, and education/government IT compliance frameworks. Conversant in AI infrastructure, modern Collaboration, SDN, full‑stack observability, and a passionate adopter of AI productivity tools. Strong business acumen with proven capability to frame technical offerings around student outcomes, citizen services, and public safety impact.

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 $212,200.00 to $268,100.00 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 of unused sick time carried forward from one calendar year to 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. Cisconians power the future. We make impact as a team, innovating fast and fearlessly to create meaningful solutions on a large scale. The depth and breadth of our technology doesn't just benefit our customers – it also means limitless opportunities for us to experiment and learn. We understand the power each of our unique backgrounds bring when we work together. Because of that, we have a global network of thinkers, doers, experts, and curious creators who help one another do their life’s best work.