Solutions Engineer - SLED

The application window is expected to close on: 11/30/2025.

Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.

Candidates must reside or be willing to relocate to Socal

U.S. PERSON

Meet the Team

Our Team is seeking a Pre-Sales Solutions Engineer focusing on the SLED market. The team supports and empowers each other to be the best team and to have fun. We have a wide range of interests outside of work, but we all love technology (and most of us have built our own Cisco network in our homes)! In this customer facing role you will collaborate with both business and technical leaders to build strong relationships that ensure Cisco’s products and services are aligned to the unique needs of the specific customers.

YOUR IMPACT

As a Solutions Engineer, you are passionate about technology and how it can drive business outcomes. You will serve as the technical go-to person for the Accounts, translating Cisco’s innovative solutions into actionable, strategic plans that align with your customers’ priorities. This opportunity will have the opportunity to work across a comprehensive portfolio of products and services, including Networking, Observability, Security, Collaboration, Compute and AI - crafting multi-architecture solutions to meet the customer’s specific needs in the SLED market.

LOCATION & WORK ENVIRONMENT

- Based in Southern California (home office with regular customer site visits)

- Regular travel throughout the region to customer sites, events, and conferences

- Occasional travel to Cisco offices or national events

- Hybrid work model with flexibility for customer engagement

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education & Experience

- 8+ years of experience in technical pre-sales, solutions engineering, or network engineering roles

- Demonstrated experience working with California education sector clients

- Proven track record of successfully architecting and positioning enterprise technology solutions in the Southern California region

TECHNICAL SKILLS

- Strong understanding of networking fundamentals (routing, switching, wireless, SD-WAN)

- Knowledge of network security technologies (firewalls, VPN, secure access, zero trust)

- Familiarity with collaboration platforms (video conferencing, contact centers, unified communications)

- Understanding of cloud architectures and hybrid/multi-cloud strategies

- Experience with data center technologies and application infrastructure

- Knowledge of California-specific technology requirements and compliance frameworks

- Established relationships with Southern California SLED customers highly preferred

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

- Excellent presentation and communication skills with both technical and executive audiences

- Strong problem-solving abilities and consultative approach

- Ability to translate technical concepts into business value

- Self-motivated with ability to work independently and as part of a team

- Willingness to travel throughout Southern California region (40-60%)

- Valid California driver's license and reliable transportation

- Ability to work effectively in culturally diverse environments

Certifications (Preferred)

- Cisco CCNP or CCIE certification

- Relevant security certifications (CISSP, CCSP, or equivalent)

- Cloud certifications (AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud)

**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 $192,000.00 to $241,900.00 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 such as strategic sales objectives, Cisco may pay 0% up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid.

The applicable full salary ranges for this position, by specific state, are listed below:

New York City Metro Area:

$200,000.00 - $289,800.00

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

$192,000.00 - $278,200.00

* For quota-based sales roles on Cisco’s sales plan, the ranges provided in this posting include base pay and sales target incentive compensation combined.

** Employees in Illinois, whether exempt or non-exempt, will participate in a unique time off program to meet local requirements.

Cisco is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, genetic information, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis.

Cisco will consider for employment, on a case by case basis, qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.