Solutions Engineer - (SLED) - Cloud and AI Infrastructure

The application window is expected to close on: 08/28/2026 Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received . Candidate must Live in or Relocate to the listed Locations US-West Meet the Team Join a high-impact team dedicated to shaping the future of public sector infrastructure.

We serve as the technical visionaries and strategic architects for Cisco’s Cloud and AI Infrastructure portfolio within the SLED (State, Local, and Education) market. Our team is committed to driving mission-critical AI and Cloud transformations, ensuring Cisco remains the cornerstone of our customers' technological evolution.

Your Impact As a Sales Engineer for Cloud and AI Infrastructure, you will be the primary technical strategist, owning the technical relationship with executive-level stakeholders. You will lead complex, multi-year sales cycles, influence RFI/RFP outcomes, and apply deep technical expertise in Cisco’s Data Center Network and Compute portfolio to displace competitors and drive generational technology shifts.

This role is exciting because you don’t just sell products; you proactively shape the future of public sector infrastructure. Act as the primary technical strategist, aligning Cisco’s Cloud and AI portfolio with mission-critical SLED objectives.

Proactively engage CXOs and technical decision-makers to shape technical requirements and influence RFI/RFP outcomes. Lead technical pursuits of complex, multi-year sales cycles, coordinating virtual teams of architects, specialists, and partners to deliver winning solutions.

Apply deep expertise in Cisco’s Data Center Network/Compute portfolio (including Ethernet for AI, GPU networking, and Hybrid Cloud) to secure market share. Navigate public sector procurement, aligning technical roadmaps with customer budget cycles, grant funding, and appropriated spend.

Minimum Qualifications 5 years of professional experience in technical sales, systems engineering, or network architecture within the IT industry. Designing and implementing Data Center Network and Compute architectures, specifically involving Hybrid Cloud, Ethernet for AI, or GPU networking solution Y ears of experience in technical requirement shaping, including influencing technical strategy, design, and product roadmaps at the executive or decision-maker level. .

Preferred Qualifications Strong knowledge of Cisco’s Data Center Network and Compute portfolio, including specialized architecture perspectives. Proven ability to translate complex business needs into technical requirements and strategic solutions.

Experience leading cross-functional collaboration with internal teams and external partners to refine strategic alignment. Demonstrated success in competitive displacement and increasing market share within the public sector. Strong background in managing virtual support teams and leveraging advanced market insights to drive demand generation.

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 $190,100.00 to $240,000.00 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: $205,500.00 - $298,300.00 Non-Metro New York state & Washington state: $197,600.00 - $286,900.00 * 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.