Principal Presales, Systems Engineer

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Principal Presales, Systems Engineer based in United States.

This is a senior, customer-facing technical leadership role focused on designing and positioning complex networking and infrastructure solutions.

You will advise enterprise, cloud, service provider, and public sector customers throughout the sales lifecycle.

The role combines deep expertise in data center, WAN, cloud, automation, security, and AI-driven networking with consultative customer engagement.

You will lead technical discovery, architecture workshops, demonstrations, proof-of-concept engagements, and executive presentations.

You will translate complex business and technical requirements into scalable architectures, migration strategies, and implementation plans.

Working closely with sales, engineering, product teams, and strategic partners, you will influence solution direction and customer outcomes.

This is an opportunity to shape large-scale technology transformations while staying at the forefront of networking and cloud innovation.

Accountabilities

• Serve as a trusted technical advisor to customers, partners, and account teams, guiding engagements from discovery through solution validation and sales completion.
• Partner with sales teams to understand customer objectives, develop account strategies, qualify opportunities, and connect technical solutions to measurable business outcomes.
• Design, architect, validate, and position networking, cloud, automation, AI infrastructure, and security solutions for complex enterprise environments.
• Lead technical discovery sessions, architecture workshops, product demonstrations, executive presentations, and proof-of-concept engagements.
• Develop solution architectures, implementation approaches, migration strategies, sizing recommendations, and engineering bills of materials for enterprise, cloud provider, and service provider environments.
• Own technical responses to RFPs, RFIs, and RFQs, ensuring proposals are accurate, competitive, technically sound, and aligned with customer requirements.
• Build trusted relationships with engineers, architects, technical decision-makers, executives, partners, and other customer stakeholders.
• Advise customers on data center modernization, AI networking, cloud connectivity, WAN transformation, automation, security, and broader digital transformation initiatives.
• Collaborate with Product Management, Engineering, Customer Success, and strategic technology partners to communicate customer needs, provide market insight, and influence product and solution strategy.
• Maintain current knowledge of networking trends, emerging technologies, competitive offerings, and industry developments while supporting technical enablement, mentorship, and knowledge sharing.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in technical presales, systems engineering, solutions architecture, enterprise architecture, network engineering, consulting, or another customer-facing technical discipline.
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Proven experience designing and delivering large-scale data center, WAN, cloud, and service provider networking solutions.
• Deep knowledge of modern data center architectures, including EVPN/VXLAN, spine-leaf and Clos fabrics, underlay/overlay networking, and data center interconnect technologies.
• Strong understanding of routing and transport technologies such as BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, MPLS, Segment Routing, Traffic Engineering, and Layer 2/Layer 3 VPN services.
• Experience designing enterprise, cloud, and service provider WAN architectures, network modernization programs, and cloud connectivity solutions.
• Strong technical expertise across routing, switching, and network infrastructure gained through engineering, operations, consulting, or presales experience.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate with both highly technical stakeholders and executive audiences through consultative selling, workshops, presentations, and technical discussions.
• Experience preparing RFP, RFI, and RFQ responses and leading technical validation through demonstrations, workshops, and proof-of-concept engagements.
• Hands-on experience with leading networking platforms and management solutions is required; experience with HPE Networking or Juniper is valuable.
• Knowledge of network security technologies such as NGFW, IPSec, DDoS protection, MACsec, SIEM, and Zero Trust architectures is desirable.
• Familiarity with network management, observability, and automation platforms such as Mist AI, Apstra, Aruba Central, Paragon, or comparable technologies is an advantage.
• Experience with AI infrastructure, AI networking, data center modernization, and large-scale cloud connectivity is preferred.
• Familiarity with AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, virtualization, Kubernetes, VMware, OpenStack, and other cloud-native technologies is a plus.
• Experience with network automation and programmability using Python, Ansible, Terraform, REST APIs, YANG, or NETCONF is advantageous.
• Relevant industry certifications such as JNCIP, JNCIE, CCNP, CCIE, AWS, Azure, GCP, or equivalent credentials are valued.
• Strong customer-first mindset, curiosity, adaptability, communication skills, relationship-building abilities, and a commitment to continuous learning.
• Ability to collaborate effectively in a fast-paced environment, manage competing priorities, and travel as needed to support customers and business objectives.

Benefits

• Annual compensation range of $199,000-$411,500 in California and $175,000-$411,500 in Washington, including base salary and target-level sales compensation at 100% of sales plan performance.
• Target compensation is structured at approximately 75% base salary and 25% target-level sales compensation.
• Remote/teleworker work model, primarily working from home.
• Comprehensive benefits designed to support physical, financial, and emotional wellbeing.
• Programs supporting personal and professional development, career growth, and opportunities to build expertise or explore other areas of the organization.
• An inclusive workplace that values diverse perspectives, individual uniqueness, flexibility, collaboration, and innovation.
• Opportunity to work on complex, large-scale networking, cloud, AI, security, and digital transformation initiatives.
• Exposure to enterprise customers, strategic partners, emerging technologies, and industry-leading technical challenges.