Interconnection Sales Specialist (Public Sector)

Equinix • Ashburn, VA

3d

About The Position

The Interconnection Sales Specialist (ICS) is an architecture-led seller responsible for growing interconnection revenue across Equinix’s physical and virtual portfolio in new and existing Public Sector accounts. The role focuses on designing customer network, cloud, partner, and AI-workload connectivity architectures and landing them on Platform Equinix as repeatable patterns. Each landed architecture is a design win that establishes a durable position in the customer account and supports follow-on connections and workloads.

The ICS sells Equinix interconnection services as part of customer-specific architectures, including WAN and network modernization, hybrid multicloud connectivity, distributed AI and data-movement interconnect, edge application delivery, private connectivity to SaaS and AI platforms, digital supply chains, and secure public sector connectivity. The role partners with Account Executives, Solution Architects, Sales Engineers, Technical Account Managers, and other internal and external partners to create opportunities and support customer outcomes.

The specialist leads customer design conversations, translates customer requirements into proven architectures, develops value cases, and advances registered architecture scopes through commitment to production deployment and publication of a blueprint. In Public Sector accounts, the role engages government IT leaders, enterprise architects, cybersecurity stakeholders, and program owners to align solutions with mission outcomes, modernization programs, compliance, resiliency, data sovereignty, zero-trust networking, disaster recovery, and secure access to cloud environments.

The position also supports account and territory planning, pipeline development and forecasting, partner collaboration, sales enablement, and commercial negotiations. Success is measured through design conversations, registered scopes, published blueprints, joint account and partner activity, landed design wins, interconnection bookings and revenue growth, new logos, and public sector architecture outcomes.

Requirements

• At least 5 years of experience selling network, cloud, data center, cybersecurity, AI infrastructure, or infrastructure-as-a-service solutions to enterprise, service provider, government, education, defense, or public sector customers in a technical sales, overlay, or specialist role.
• Architecture depth in enterprise networking, interconnection, and hybrid multicloud, including WAN, routing, peering, cloud connectivity, and network virtualization.
• Ability to design solutions with customer architects and document them as blueprints that others can deliver.
• Executive presence and credibility with technical buyers and business decision-makers.
• Track record of working with account teams and partners and meeting or exceeding sales objectives.
• Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, computer science, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Experience navigating complex stakeholder environments, including government agencies, public sector organizations, educational institutions, or highly regulated industries.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with AI and GPU-cluster networking, data movement, or large-scale cloud architecture, especially for Strategic and hyperscale accounts.
• Hands-on background as a network or solutions architect, or experience with a cloud provider, carrier, or network service provider.
• Industry certifications such as CCNP, JNCIP, or cloud networking specialty certifications from AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud.
• Experience in an Equinix vertical segment: Financial Services, Enterprise, Strategic, Telco & Media, or Public Sector.
• MBA or advanced degree.
• Experience selling to Federal, State, or Local Government; Higher Education; Defense; the Intelligence Community; or GovCon organizations.
• Familiarity with government procurement vehicles, public sector contracting frameworks, and technology modernization initiatives.
• Experience supporting secure cloud adoption, cyber resiliency, zero-trust architecture initiatives, or mission-critical infrastructure programs within Public Sector organizations.

Responsibilities

• Lead design conversations with customer network, cloud, and infrastructure architects to understand business drivers, technical requirements, and pain points.
• Map customer needs to proven interconnection architectures, combining physical and virtual services into a single design.
• Partner with Solution Architects on presales feasibility and solution design, and produce blueprints that other teams can execute.
• Register architecture scope early and drive it from customer commitment to the first production circuit and a published blueprint.
• Build value cases and metrics demonstrating architecture impact to technical and executive buyers.
• Engage government IT leaders, enterprise architects, cybersecurity stakeholders, and program owners to align architectures with mission outcomes, modernization, and cloud transformation objectives.
• Develop architectures supporting public sector resiliency, compliance, data sovereignty, zero-trust networking, disaster recovery, and secure cloud access requirements.
• Run joint account planning with Account Executives and Sales Engineers for assigned accounts, segments, or verticals.
• Analyze the installed base and interconnection footprint to identify and prioritize accounts for new architectures and near- and long-term pursuit.
• Drive interconnection growth in existing accounts and help open new logos, including customers that attract partners and ecosystems.
• Contribute to quarterly business reviews to identify and develop interconnection opportunities.
• Identify public sector ecosystem opportunities where interconnection can accelerate transformation, cybersecurity modernization, cloud migration, and AI adoption.
• Develop territory strategies aligned with agency priorities, modernization programs, procurement cycles, and strategic technology investments.
• Act as the interconnection expert for the account team from pursuit strategy through close.
• Bring the appropriate internal and external resources into deals, including Solution Architects, Technical Account Managers, product, customer success, alliances, and channel partners.
• Co-sell with cloud, technology, and channel partners when partner-led plays offer the strongest path to a design win.
• Hand off landed architectures so follow-on connections can be booked by the best-placed party, including an Account Executive, partner, or portal.
• Partner with Public Sector Account Executives, systems integrators, managed service providers, and government-focused channel partners on architecture-led opportunities.
• Collaborate with government ecosystem partners, hyperscalers, carriers, and technology alliances on agency modernization and mission-critical initiatives.
• Serve as the field expert on the interconnection portfolio, industry trends, and competitive landscape.
• Help Account Executives identify interconnection fit, use cases, buyer personas, common objections, and competitors.
• Contribute to playbooks, reference architectures, and customer case studies so successful patterns can be repeated across the region.
• Stay current on networking, multicloud, AI infrastructure, digital transformation, and public sector technology trends.
• Understand public sector buying motions, procurement environments, stakeholder structures, and compliance considerations to navigate complex opportunities.
• Build and manage an architecture-opportunity pipeline against monthly, quarterly, and annual objectives, including public sector opportunities tied to modernization, cybersecurity, cloud migration, AI, and digital transformation.
• Provide timely, accurate forecasts and opportunity status through the team’s operating cadence.
• Follow Equinix’s selling methodology and maintain current CRM records, including registered design scopes.
• Work with marketing, partners, and business development on campaigns that generate interconnection pipeline.
• Support Account Executives with quoting, pricing, negotiation, and closing of interconnection deals.
• Shape commercial structures that support architecture build-out over time.
• Work with deal desk and legal on interconnection terms as needed.
• Support public sector procurement processes, contract negotiations, and compliance requirements while aligning commercial structures to long-term architecture adoption.

Benefits

• Employee Assistance Program available to all employees.
• Insurance options including health, life, disability, and voluntary plans for employees and eligible family members.
• Retirement plan contributions from the employee and Equinix may be available.
• Accrued paid time off and various paid holidays.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior