Solutions Engineer - State, Local & Education

020 Cisco Systems, Inc.; Denver (CO); Hybrid; USD 192,000 - 248,000; Full time

Job summary

Cisco Systems, Inc. is seeking a Solutions Engineer for SLED who will partner with an Account Executive to co-own a territory and translate technical complexity into business value for state, local government, and education customers in Colorado.

This remote-based role requires Denver-area residency with travel to customer sites; you will lead discovery sessions, deliver demos, and help modernize networks and security across public sector deployments.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience as a pre-sales Solutions Engineer or similar technical, customer-facing role.
• CCNP Enterprise-level experience or equivalent, with the ability to achieve CCNP Enterprise certification within 12 months of joining Cisco.
• Hands-on experience with Cisco technologies, including Networking, Security/Firewalls, Data Center Switching, Observability, and Collaboration.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field — or a minimum of 4 years of documented equivalent practical experience.
• Excellent presentation skills and the ability to travel to customer locations for meetings and presentations.

Responsibilities

• Territory Co-Ownership Partner closely with your Account Executive to jointly plan, strategize, and execute account growth across your assigned SLED territory.
• Technical Leadership Across the Portfolio Serve as the go-to technical expert across Networking, Security (including Firewalls), Data Center Switching, Observability, and Collaboration — bringing depth where it matters and breadth where it counts.
• Customer-Facing Execution Lead and deliver high-impact discovery sessions, technical presentations, demonstrations, and proof-of-concept engagements that move opportunities forward.
• Efficiency Through Modern Tools Use AI-driven tools and workflows to work smarter — streamlining your own technical discovery and demo-building process while helping customers identify similar opportunities for efficiency in their own environments.
• Executive & Stakeholder Engagement Build trust and credibility with stakeholders at every level — from front-line IT staff to superintendents, CIOs, and agency directors.
• Community & Event Engagement Represent Cisco at Tech Days, Executive Briefings, and other regional events that connect us with the public sector community we serve.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration Work hand-in-hand with regional teams, architecture specialists, and channel partners to deliver complete, well-rounded solutions.

Skills

Pre-sales exp

CCNP Enterprise

Networking

Security/Firewalls

Data Center Switching

Observability

Collaboration

Bachelor's degree

Presentation skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/EE/IT or related

Tools

Cisco technologies

Job description

Solutions Engineer — SLED (State, Local, Education)

This is a remote-based position. Candidates must reside in the Denver, Colorado metro area, with regular travel to customer sites throughout the region.

Meet the Team

Join Team Cisco! We're looking for an outstanding Solutions Engineer to help us serve those who serve — the state agencies, local governments, school districts, and higher education institutions that keep our communities running, learning, and growing. Our team thrives on curiosity, technical depth, and genuine partnership with the people and institutions that shape public life in Colorado. We believe great technology should feel invisible to the people it serves — and it's our job to make that happen.

Your Impact As a Solutions Engineer

As a Solutions Engineer, you'll partner directly with an Account Executive to co‑own your territory, acting as a trusted technical advisor and strategic teammate across a diverse portfolio of public sector customers. You'll roll up your sleeves in technical discovery, build solutions that solve real problems, and help customers navigate everything from network modernization to security transformation — all while building relationships that last well beyond a single deal. This isn't a role where you sit on the sidelines. You'll be in the room (or on the call) translating technical complexity into real business value, and you'll be trusted to represent Cisco's full portfolio with confidence and credibility.

Key Responsibilities include

• Territory Co‑Ownership Partner closely with your Account Executive to jointly plan, strategize, and execute account growth across your assigned SLED territory.
• Technical Leadership Across the Portfolio Serve as the go‑to technical expert across Networking, Security (including Firewalls), Data Center Switching, Observability, and Collaboration — bringing depth where it matters and breadth where it counts.
• Customer‑Facing Execution Lead and deliver high‑impact discovery sessions, technical presentations, demonstrations, and proof‑of‑concept engagements that move opportunities forward.
• Efficiency Through Modern Tools Use AI‑driven tools and workflows to work smarter — streamlining your own technical discovery and demo‑building process while helping customers identify similar opportunities for efficiency in their own environments.
• Executive & Stakeholder Engagement Build trust and credibility with stakeholders at every level — from front‑line IT staff to superintendents, CIOs, and agency directors.
• Community & Event Engagement Represent Cisco at Tech Days, Executive Briefings, and other regional events that connect us with the public sector community we serve.
• Cross‑Functional Collaboration Work hand‑in‑hand with regional teams, architecture specialists, and channel partners to deliver complete, well‑rounded solutions.

Culture of Growth

Contribute to a team culture built on coaching, curiosity, and continuous learning — for yourself and those around you.

Minimum Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience as a pre‑sales Solutions Engineer or in a similar technical, customer‑facing role.
• CCNP Enterprise‑level experience or equivalent, with the ability to achieve CCNP Enterprise certification within 12 months of joining Cisco (if not already held).
• Hands‑on experience with Cisco technologies, including Networking, Security/Firewalls, Data Center Switching, Observability, and Collaboration.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field — or a minimum of 4 years of documented equivalent practical experience.
• Excellent presentation skills and the ability to travel to customer locations for meetings and presentations.

Preferred Qualifications

• CCNP or CCIE certification, or equivalent.
• Experience presenting complex technical solutions to both technical and non‑technical audiences, including CxO‑level executives.
• Strong problem‑solving and troubleshooting skills.
• Comfort using AI tools to improve personal productivity and help customers uncover efficiencies in their own workflows.
• Knowledge of the Cisco partner ecosystem.
• Competitive knowledge of the IT industry.
• A track record of consultative selling.
• Experience in IT Architecture or Operations.

Why Cisco?

We are Cisco, and our power starts with you. 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.

Message to applicants applying to work in the U.S. and/or Canada:

The starting salary range posted for this position is $192,300.00 to $248,100.00 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.