Sales Engineer

Job Description:\n\nSales Engineer\nLocation\n\nMust reside in the Greater Los Angeles area or Northern Orange County.\nRegular in-person collaboration is encouraged to support mentorship, professional development, team culture, and delivery excellence.\nMust be available for in-person customer meetings and occasional visits to our San Diego office, as needed.\n\nWhy Bird Rock Systems\nAt Bird Rock Systems, we take pride in being named one of the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies. Our dynamic journey to success is fueled by a team of passionate individuals who thrive in a fast-paced environment. We're more than a workplace; we're a community of fun-loving people dedicated to excellence. \n\nWhat Sets Us Apart:\n\nBest Workplace Awards:Bird Rock Systems is proud to be recognized for our commitment to fostering a positive, collaborative, and innovative culture. Our honors include:\n\nInc.’s Best Workplaces\nSan Diego Business Journal’s Best Places to Work \nSan Diego SHRM Workplace Excellence Award\nSan Diego Tribune Top Workplaces \n\nFast-Paced Growth: As an Inc. 5000 honoree, we're committed to driving innovation and pushing boundaries. Join us to be part of a dynamic and ever-evolving company.\nVibrant Company Culture: We believe in creating an environment where work feels like fun. Our team is more than colleagues – we're friends who collaborate, support, and celebrate together.\nCore Values: Our values define us. Loyalty, work/life balance, kaizen (continuous improvement), unwavering integrity, exceptional customer service, and giving back to our community are the cornerstones of Bird Rock Systems.\n\nYour Opportunity:\nAt Bird Rock Systems, you're not just an employee – you're an essential part of our growth story. Join our team of driven professionals who embrace challenges, value camaraderie, and thrive on making a difference. If you're ready to work in an exciting atmosphere that blends passion, innovation, and purpose, we invite you to apply and embark on a rewarding journey with us.\n\nTake the next step towards an inspiring career. Apply now and become a proud contributor to Bird Rock Systems' exceptional trajectory!\n\nJoin us on our journey. Apply today.\n\nPosition Summary\nThe Sales Engineer serves as the technical quarterback for customer opportunities, combining strong technical expertise with a consultative approach to solving business challenges. Working closely with Account Executives, delivery teams, and technology partners, this role designs solutions that address customer pain points and deliver measurable business value.\n\nThe ideal candidate brings at least one year of successful customer-facing Sales Engineer experience, supported by 10 or more years in hands-on technical roles such as Solution Architect, Technical Architect, billable technical engineer, technical consultant, or a comparable technology position. This combination provides the technical depth and practical delivery experience necessary to develop credible, implementable recommendations across a diverse portfolio of technology solutions.\n\nA key responsibility of this role is understanding customer objectives, validating architectures, developing solution recommendations, creating Bills of Materials (BOMs), supporting professional services scoping efforts, and coordinating the appropriate technical resources throughout the sales process. The Sales Engineer must understand both the technical and business dimensions of customer engagements, ensuring proposed solutions are practical, technically sound, and aligned with customer needs.\n\nThis role sits at the intersection of sales, technical engineering, and professional services, translating complex technical requirements into meaningful business outcomes. Success requires strong communication skills, technical credibility, business acumen, responsiveness, and the ability to build trust with customers, partners, and internal teams. \nReporting to the Sales Engineering Team Leader, this role offers opportunities to further develop technical and business expertise across a diverse portfolio of technology solutions and professional services.\n\nSuccess in this role is reflected in effective customer discovery, technically sound and implementable solutions, trusted customer relationships, strong collaboration with sales and delivery teams, and the ability to advance customer opportunities while delivering measurable business value.\n\nIdeal Candidate \nThe ideal candidate combines substantial hands-on technical experience with the business acumen and communication skills necessary to serve as a trusted advisor to customers. They understand how technologies work together, how technical decisions impact business outcomes, and how to develop practical solutions that can be successfully implemented.\nThey are:\n\nTechnically credible, with extensive hands-on engineering, architecture, or consulting experience across multiple technology disciplines.\nConsultative and customer-focused, with a strong ability to uncover business challenges through thoughtful discovery and active listening.\nComfortable communicating complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.\nSkilled at translating customer objectives into practical, implementable technology recommendations.\nExperienced in building trusted relationships with customers, partners, and internal teams.\nAble to identify when specialized expertise is needed and coordinate the appropriate resources.\nResponsive, organized, and committed to following through on commitments.\nCurious, adaptable, and committed to continuous learning and professional development.\nMotivated by helping customers achieve meaningful business outcomes while advancing sales opportunities.\n\nWhat You Bring \nQualifications & Key Skills\nRequired \n\nMinimum of one year of proven customer-facing Sales Engineer experience in a technology-focused organization.\nAt least 10 years of hands-on technical experience as a Solution Architect, Technical Architect, billable technical engineer, technical consultant, or in a comparable technology role.\nDemonstrated experience designing, validating, implementing, or supporting technology solutions in production customer environments.\nExperience translating customer business and technical requirements into practical, implementable solution recommendations.\nDemonstrated ability to identify customer challenges and align technology solutions with desired business outcomes.\nExperience conducting customer discovery meetings and gathering technical and business requirements.\nStrong understanding of solution architecture principles, technology integration, and implementation considerations.\nExperience collaborating across sales, service delivery, partner, and distribution organizations.\nExcellent presentation, communication, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage engineers, architects, executives, and business decision-makers.\nStrong organizational and project coordination abilities, with proven experience managing multiple opportunities simultaneously.\nAbility to quickly learn new technologies and understand their business applications.\n\nPreferred \n\nHands-on technical experience across multiple technology disciplines, particularly networking and cybersecurity.\nExperience developing Bills of Materials (BOMs), solution proposals, architecture documentation, and technical recommendations.\nFamiliarity with professional services scoping and Statement of Work (SOW) development.\nExperience collaborating with technology vendors and distribution partners.\nExperience supporting cloud, cybersecurity, networking, infrastructure, collaboration, data protection, AI, or modern workplace solutions.\nExperience leading or contributing to customer workshops, technical demonstrations, assessments, or proof-of-concept engagements.\nRelevant architecture, engineering, cloud, cybersecurity, networking, or other technical certifications from leading technology vendors.\nExperience supporting complex or multi-technology customer environments.\nExperience mentoring engineers, consultants, or other technical professionals.\n\nKey Responsibilities \nCustomer Discovery & Business Value Consulting\n\nConduct discovery sessions to understand customer business objectives, operational challenges, technology requirements, and strategic initiatives.\nIdentify customer pain points and develop solution recommendations that address both technical and business needs.\nClearly articulate how technology solutions and professional services deliver business value, improve operations, reduce risk, increase efficiency, and support organizational goals.\nHelp customers identify opportunities to use AI to improve productivity, decision-making, customer experience, operational efficiency, and competitive differentiation.\nBuild trusted-advisor relationships with technical, business, and executive stakeholders.\nPresent complex technical concepts clearly and compellingly to diverse audiences.\n\nSolution Design & Architecture\n\nDevelop solution recommendations that align customer requirements with available technologies and professional services.\nApply substantial hands-on technical experience to assess solution feasibility, identify risks, and recommend practical implementation approaches.\nCollaborate with internal architects, delivery engineers, technology partners, and distribution organizations to validate solution architectures and confirm technical feasibility.\nAssist in developing technical proposals, solution designs, presentations, and customer-facing documentation.\nCreate and maintain accurate Bills of Materials (BOMs) and support pricing and configuration activities.\nEnsure proposed solutions align with customer objectives, implementation requirements, technical standards, and industry best practices.\nIdentify technical assumptions, dependencies, constraints, and risks that could affect implementation or customer outcomes.\n\nSales Support & Opportunity Management\n\nPartner with Account Executives throughout the sales cycle to advance opportunities from discovery through closure.\nAct as the primary technical resource during customer sales engagements.\nTranslate customer requirements into credible, technically sound solution recommendations.\nMaintain momentum throughout opportunities by promptly following up on commitments, technical requests, and action items.\nDeliver timely, clear, concise, and accurate communication to customers, partners, and internal stakeholders.\nSupport customer workshops, demonstrations, technical reviews, proof-of-concept engagements, and solution presentations.\n\nResource Coordination\n\nIdentify when specialized expertise is required to strengthen customer confidence and advance sales opportunities.\nEngage internal delivery engineers, architects, subject-matter experts, and technology partners in a timely manner.\nCoordinate subject-matter expertise to address customer concerns, validate design decisions, and build trust throughout the sales process.\nFacilitate collaboration among technical and non-technical stakeholders to ensure alignment and successful sales outcomes.\nEnsure customers receive appropriate technical guidance and support throughout the sales process.\n\nProfessional Services Collaboration\n\nWork closely with delivery teams to ensure proposed solutions can be successfully implemented, supported, and operated.\nCollaborate with engineers and architects to define project scope, assumptions, deliverables, dependencies, timelines, and customer expectations.\nAssist in developing Statements of Work for infrastructure, cloud, cybersecurity, AI, and advisory service engagements.\nApply practical delivery experience to identify potential implementation risks, scope gaps, and resource requirements before customer commitments are finalized.\nSupport seamless transitions from sales to implementation teams.\nProvide sufficient technical and customer context to help delivery teams execute successfully.\n\nPartner & Distributor Engagement\n\nDevelop and maintain productive relationships with technology partners and distribution organizations.\nWork with partners to understand evolving technologies, programs, product roadmaps, and solution capabilities.\nLeverage partner resources to validate designs, support customer engagements, and improve overall solution quality.\nStay informed on emerging technologies and industry trends that create new opportunities for customers.\n\nWhat Success Looks Like \nSuccessful Sales Engineers:\n\nServe as trusted technical advisors who understand both the technical and business dimensions of customer engagements.\nConsistently uncover customer pain points and translate business objectives into practical, technically sound solutions.\nApply hands-on engineering experience to develop credible recommendations that delivery teams can successfully implement.\nBuild strong relationships with customers, Account Executives, delivery teams, and technology partners.\nEffectively communicate complex technical concepts and business value to diverse audiences.\nDemonstrate sound technical judgment, knowing when to lead technical discussions and when to engage specialized expertise.\nMaintain a strong sense of urgency, responsiveness, and follow-through to advance customer opportunities.\nHelp customers achieve measurable business outcomes while supporting sales growth and long-term customer relationships.\nContinuously expand their technical expertise and contribute to the development of Bird Rock Systems' sales engineering capabilities.\n\nCompensation\n\nCompensation Range: $110,000 - $160,000 \nThe above represents the expected compensation range for this job requisition. Ultimately, in determining pay, we’ll consider location, experience, and other job-related factors.\n\nOur compensation structure is designed to recognize performance, drive growth, and align personal success with company success. When you contribute to the company’s success, you share in that success - creating a culture that rewards innovation, accountability, and excellence through performance-based compensation.\n\nWhy Join Our Team?\n\nWork with a broad portfolio of leading technology solutions and professional services.\nEngage directly with customers to solve meaningful business challenges.\nCollaborate with talented sales, engineering, architecture, and delivery professionals.\nGain exposure to diverse technologies, industries, and strategic initiatives.\nContinue developing professionally through mentorship and continuous learning opportunities.\nHelp customers achieve successful business outcomes through technology and professional services.\n\nBenefits \nAt Bird Rock Systems, we make sure you have the support and resources to leverage and develop your skills, secure your financial future, and take care of your health and well-being. Bird Rock Systems continually seeks to provide a workplace where everyone can be their authentic self. Through Bird Rock Systems' competitive benefits offerings and various trainin