Solutions Engineer

Job description

Meet the Team: Cisco's Solutions Engineering team is at the forefront of innovation, empowering our customers to transform their businesses through cutting-edge technology. We are a dynamic, collaborative group of technical experts who partner closely with sales teams to understand complex customer challenges and design robust, scalable solutions. Our work directly impacts Cisco's success by translating sophisticated technical capabilities into tangible business value, helping shape the future of connectivity and digital transformation. Join us to play a pivotal role in our customers' digital journey and drive meaningful technical impact. Your Impact: As a Solutions Engineer (Grade 9), you will serve as a critical technical advisor, providing expert pre-sales support for the development and implementation of complex Cisco solutions. Your primary responsibilities include: Technical Strategy: Lead technical engagements with IT decision-makers and Lines of Business (LOB) to translate business needs into comprehensive technical requirements. Solution Design: Design and present relevant solutions based on identified customer requirements, leveraging your deep knowledge of Cisco’s portfolio to drive cross-selling and displace competition. Proof of Concept: Build and execute rapid demos and Proof of Concepts (PoCs) to validate product capabilities and demonstrate feasibility to prospective users. Sales Collaboration: Act as the primary technical sales influencer, managing virtual support teams and collaborating with account teams to ensure successful customer outcomes. Market Intelligence: Provide active feedback to Business Entities and sales teams regarding strategic customer needs, competitive market tactics, and emerging opportunities. AI Integration: Proactively leverage AI tools and methodologies to enhance solution design, streamline sales cycles, and improve operational efficiency. Minimum Qualifications: Reside and be authorized to work in South Africa or Kenya. Proven experience in pre-sales technical support for complex IT solutions. Strong understanding and practical experience with networking and data center technologies. Demonstrated ability to assess customer needs and design appropriate, scalable technical solutions. Excellent English communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills for high-level customer and partner engagement. Preferred Qualifications: 5–7+ years of experience working as a Systems Engineer or in a similar technical pre-sales role. Proven experience in solution engineering, including designing and implementing complex technical architecture. Cisco certifications (e.g., CCNA, CCNP, CCIE) are highly preferred. Ability to articulate complex technical concepts clearly to diverse audiences, ranging from IT staff to executive stakeholders. 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.