Solutions Engineer - SLED

Job description

The application window is expected to close on: 07/19/2026Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received. 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 health care agencies in the Northern California Region. We work to help our customers solve their most challenging IT problems and enable them to deliver difference-making outcomes to their students, citizens and employees. Your Impact As a Solutions Engineer on this SLED team (local government and education), you will partner with one or more account executives to deliver transformative technology outcomes to your customer and business results to Cisco. This role will have you: Build and cultivate technical relationships with customers, acting as their advocate and trusted advisor. Identify opportunities and define solution options that align with customers’ business priorities and strategic goals. Collaborate with customers to deliver proof-of-concepts and proof-of-value engagements to showcase Cisco’s solutions. Develop and execute technical account plans, influencing the overall account strategy. Drive adoption and successful operation of Cisco solutions by leveraging internal and partner resources. This role offers access to Cisco’s broad range of cutting-edge technologies and solutions, as well as support from an extended team of specialists, enabling you to deliver exceptional outcomes across diverse vertical markets. Minimum Qualifications 5+ years of related experience in technical sales or pre-sales roles. Cisco product experience or relevant experience with key competitor offerings. Proven pre-sales experience, with the ability to translate technical solutions into business value. A Bachelor’s degree, preferably in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field (or equivalent experience). Professional certifications (e.g., CCIE, CCNP) are highly desirable. Preferred Qualifications Strong business acumen, with the ability to understand customer drivers and frame Cisco offerings in terms of business and mission value. Conversant in AI infrastructure, IT use cases, and are a passionate evangelist and adopter of AI tools. Advanced knowledge of Cisco technologies, including switching, wireless, routing, data centers, and security Strong understanding of Collaboration, SDN, and datacenter infrastructure. Excellent presentation, communication, and technical consulting skills. A passion for technology and problem-solving with the ability to learn quickly and adapt to new trends. Candidate should preferably reside in San Jose. #WeAreCisco #WeAreCisco where every individual brings their unique skills and perspectives together to pursue our purpose of powering an inclusive future for all. Our passion is connection—we celebrate our employees’ diverse set of backgrounds and focus on unlocking potential. Cisconians often experience one company, many careers where learning and development are encouraged and supported at every stage. Our technology, tools, and culture pioneered hybrid work trends, allowing all to not only give their best, but be their best. We understand our outstanding opportunity to bring communities together and at the heart of that is our people. One-third of Cisconians collaborate in our 30 employee resource organizations, called Inclusive Communities, to connect, foster belonging, learn to be informed allies, and make a difference. Dedicated paid time off to volunteer—80 hours each year—allows us to give back to causes we are passionate about, and nearly 86% do! Our purpose, driven by our people, is what makes us the worldwide leader in technology that powers the internet. Helping our customers reimagine their applications, secure their enterprise, transform their infrastructure, and meet their sustainability goals is what we do best. We ensure that every step we take is a step towards a more inclusive future for all. Take your next step and be you, with us! 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 $205,500.00 to $259,400.00 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 s