Principal Solution Engineer

Salesforce; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 800,000 - 1,100,000; Full time

Job summary

Salesforce is seeking a Senior Account Solution Engineer in Johannesburg. This key role involves being the primary technical presales consultant for significant Telecommunications & Media accounts. You will lead business discovery, develop a technical roadmap, and ensure that solutions deliver measurable business value in the African market.

The ideal candidate has strong experience in Solutions Engineering, knowledge of the Salesforce platform, and a thorough understanding of the South African telecommunications landscape.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in Solutions Engineering or Enterprise Architecture, preferably with 3–5 years in Telecommunications and/or Media.
• Deep knowledge of the Salesforce Portfolio, especially Communications / Media Cloud.
• Familiarity with Telco Industry Standards (e.g., TM Forum, MEF).
• Proven ability to lead virtual teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead architectural and business discovery to identify issues in legacy systems.
• Deliver value-driven narratives to the C-suite.
• Develop and maintain a 3-year technical maturity roadmap.
• Validate implemented solutions that deliver business value.

Skills

Solutions Engineering

Enterprise Architecture

Telecommunications knowledge

Technical Literacy

Leadership

Understanding of the South African Telco environment

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related field

Job description

Role Overview

As a Senior Account Solution Engineer (ASE), you are the primary technical presales consultant for our most significant Telecommunications & Media accounts in the African market. The ASE stays with the customer throughout their journey, as they mature on our platform.

Your mission is to work with customers to scope, plan and derive value from their investments across the full Salesforce platform. You coordinate and co‑execute specialist solution engineering and technical/enterprise architect teams (Cloud specialists, Data Architects, AI Specialists, Security Experts, etc.) to ensure continuous, compounding value.

Key Responsibilities

• Driving Business Value: Lead architectural and business discovery to identify friction in legacy OSS/BSS or broadcast ecosystems, unlocking avenues for digital transformation.
• Value‑Led Solutioning: Tie every technical demo and architectural proposal directly to specific business outcomes, elevating conversations from features to measurable impact.
• Executive Visioning: Deliver value‑driven narratives to the C‑suite, proving how Salesforce accelerates go‑to‑market strategies and monetizes 5G or D2C streaming investments.
• Business Value Mapping: Partner with AEs and Business Value Services to translate complex industry use cases into quantifiable ROI and concrete business justifications.
• Strategic Account Orchestration & Technical Roadmap Ownership: Develop and maintain a 3‑year technical maturity roadmap for the account, aligning platform capabilities with business goals (e.g., reducing churn, ARPU growth, or 5G monetization).
• Deployment Governance: Review platform usage and consumption trends post‑sale to validate that the implemented solution is actively delivering the promised business value.
• Cross‑Functional Leadership: Brief and coordinate internal and external specialist teams (e.g., AI/Data Cloud specialists, Implementation Partners, or Cybersecurity leads) to ensure a unified technical front.
• Executive Technical Advisory: Build trusted‑advisor relationships with CTOs, CIOs, and Enterprise Architects within the African Communications and Media hub.
• Full‑Stack Architectural Proficiency & Ecosystem Articulation: Discuss and whiteboard the Salesforce platform and its interaction with downstream systems (e.g., OSS, billing engines, data lakes, ERPs).
• Domain Expertise: Lead high‑level discussions on Cloud & Infrastructure, AI & Automation, Security & Data, and Integration. For example:
  • Cloud & Infrastructure: Transitioning from legacy on‑prem to Cloud‑First architectures.
  • AI & Automation: Moving from basic chatbots to predictive AI for network maintenance and generative AI for personalized customer service.
  • Security & Data: Navigating POPIA, data sovereignty, and complex encryption requirements within a high‑compliance Telco environment.
  • Integration: Mastery of API‑led connectivity and real‑time event‑driven architectures.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• Experience: 8+ years in Solutions Engineering or Enterprise Architecture, with a preference for 3–5 years specifically within the Telecommunications and/or Media vertical.
• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related field.
• Platform Mastery: Deep knowledge of the Salesforce Portfolio (specifically Communications / Media Cloud), but with the ability to zoom out to the wider enterprise landscape.
• Technical Literacy: Familiarity with Telco Industry Standards (e.g., TM Forum, MEF) and good understanding of integrations (REST/SOAP, Middleware, Pub/Sub).
• Leadership: Proven ability to lead virtual teams of specialists without having direct reporting authority over them.
• Local Context: Understanding of the South African Telco and Media regulatory environment and the challenges of the African “Mobile‑First” economy.

The Profile We Are Looking For

You are a Technical Generalist with Specialist Depth. You can discuss “Business Value” with a CMO at 9 AM, “API Latency” with a developer at 11 AM, and “Data Privacy/POPIA” with a legal counsel at 2 PM. You anticipate dependencies three steps down the line and avoid solving the problem in front of you without considering future impacts.

Why This Role?

This is a high‑visibility role in the Johannesburg office. You are the bridge between global innovation and local execution for the companies that provide the backbone of Africa’s digital economy.

Hiring Manager Note

The ideal candidate is not a “demo‑god” but a Technical Partner who can sit across from a Telco CTO, hold their own in debates about system dependencies and long‑term digital transformation, and motivate internal teams to create visionary strategies for the platform.

Posting Statement

Salesforce is an equal opportunity employer and maintains a policy of non‑discrimination with all employees and applicants for employment. Any employee or potential employee will be assessed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications – without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, transgender status, age, disability, veteran or marital status, political viewpoint, or other classifications protected by law. This policy applies to recruiting, hiring, job assignment, compensation, promotion, benefits, training, assessment of job performance, discipline, termination, and everything in between.