Junior Pre-Sales Support Engineer

Obscure Technologies; Pretoria; On-site; ZAR 300,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

Obscure Technologies is seeking a Junior Pre-Sales Security Engineer to support the sales and solutions teams in positioning the cybersecurity portfolio to partners and customers. This is a development role with training and certification paths aimed at advancing to a senior pre-sales position.

The role involves demonstrations, proof-of-value exercises, solution documentation, and bid support under guidance.

Qualifications

• Relevant IT qualification: degree, diploma or equivalent certification in information technology, computer science, networking or cybersecurity.
• 1 to 3 years’ experience in an IT, networking, security or technical support role. Pre‑sales exposure is advantageous but not required.
• Solid networking fundamentals: TCP/IP, routing and switching, DNS, VPNs, firewalling concepts.

Responsibilities

• Support senior pre-sales engineers in scoping, designing and positioning security solutions for partners and end customers.
• Prepare and deliver product demonstrations and assist with proof-of-value and proof-of-concept exercises in the Obscure lab and customer environments.
• Draft technical responses for proposals, RFPs, RFQs and tenders, including solution descriptions, bills of materials and licensing breakdowns for review by senior engineers.
• Build and maintain demo environments across the vendor portfolio.
• Attend customer and partner meetings with the sales team, capture technical requirements, and follow up on technical queries.
• Complete assigned vendor training and certification paths within agreed timelines.
• Keep pre-sales collateral, reference architectures and solution documentation current and on brand.
• Hand qualified, closed opportunities over to the delivery team with complete and accurate technical documentation.

Skills

Clear communication

Documentation discipline

Team player

Curious and self-driven

Fluent in English

Education

Degree or Diploma in IT

Job description

1. PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

The Junior Pre-Sales Security Engineer supports the sales and solutions teams in positioning Obscure Technologies’ cybersecurity portfolio to partners and end customers. The role combines technical learning across the vendor portfolio with hands-on pre-sales work: demonstrations, proof-of-value exercises, solution documentation and bid support, under the guidance of senior pre-sales engineers.

This is a development role. The successful candidate will be trained and certified across the portfolio, with a defined path toward a senior pre-sales engineering position.

2. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Support senior pre-sales engineers in scoping, designing and positioning security solutions for partners and end customers.
• Prepare and deliver product demonstrations and assist with proof-of-value and proof-of-concept exercises in the Obscure lab and customer environments.
• Draft technical responses for proposals, RFPs, RFQs and tenders, including solution descriptions, bills of materials and licensing breakdowns for review by senior engineers.
• Build and maintain demo environments across the vendor portfolio.
• Attend customer and partner meetings with the sales team, capture technical requirements, and follow up on technical queries.
• Complete assigned vendor training and certification paths within agreed timelines.
• Keep pre-sales collateral, reference architectures and solution documentation current and on brand.
• Hand qualified, closed opportunities over to the delivery team with complete and accurate technical documentation.

3. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Relevant IT qualification: a degree, diploma or equivalent certification in information technology, computer science, networking or cybersecurity.
• 1 to 3 years’ experience in an IT, networking, security or technical support role. Pre‑sales exposure is advantageous but not required.
• Solid networking fundamentals: TCP/IP, routing and switching, DNS, VPNs, firewalling concepts.
• Exposure to one or more security technologies (firewalls, endpoint protection, identity, email security, vulnerability management) is advantageous.
• Valid driver’s licence and own transport, with willingness to travel to customer and partner sites in Gauteng and occasionally further afield.

4. TECHNICAL ENVIRONMENT

The role provides training and certification across Obscure’s vendor portfolio, which includes Palo Alto Networks, Forescout, Okta, Proofpoint, Arista, Tenable, Rubrik, Pentera and Sendmarc. Prior exposure to any of these is advantageous; a demonstrated ability and willingness to learn them is essential.

5. CERTIFICATIONS

The following are advantageous at application and will otherwise form part of the role’s development plan:

• Entry‑level vendor certification (for example Palo Alto Networks Cybersecurity Apprentice or Practitioner).
• Industry certifications such as CompTIA Network+ or Security+, or equivalent.
• The successful candidate will be expected to achieve assigned vendor certifications within the first twelve months.

6. SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES

• Clear written and spoken communication, with the ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Professional, presentable and comfortable in front of customers and partners.
• Strong documentation discipline: accurate, structured and on deadline.
• Curious and self-driven; able to lab, break and learn new products independently.
• Team player who takes direction well and asks when unsure.
• Fluent in English; Afrikaans advantageous.