Security Sales Engineer - SLED/Public Sector

Tenable, Inc.•Austin, TX

4d•$114,500 - $152,500•Hybrid

About The Position

Tenable is seeking a passionate and technically capable cybersecurity professional to join its Public Sector team as a Sales Engineer, focusing on the west region. This role is crucial for driving sales success and enhancing customer experience through technical credibility and an authentic understanding of government operations. The Sales Engineer will collaborate with Sales Representatives and a team to differentiate Tenable, build customer trust, and create advocates for their solutions. The company values strong technical curiosity, customer empathy, and growth potential, offering to teach the sales process and SE role mechanics to the right candidate.

Requirements

Public-Sector Experience: Meaningful experience understanding how government organizations operate—including their missions, constraints, compliance requirements, procurement processes, and budget realities (gained from selling to, supporting, or working inside government).
Cybersecurity Experience: Strong technical aptitude and hands-on experience in cybersecurity fundamentals (e.g., Vulnerability Management, Exposure Management, Attack Surface Management, Patch Management, CMDB, EDR, or IDAM).
Effective Communicator & Storyteller: Clear communication and presentation skills with the potential to translate technical findings into business risk and become a strong storyteller across technical and non-technical audiences.
Customer Empathy & Credibility: A natural instinct for customer empathy, earning trust through thorough preparation, accountability, and good judgment.
Curiosity & Coachability: High technical curiosity, the ability to learn quickly, and the humility to receive coaching while taking personal initiative to keep developing.
Team Player: A collaborative, team-first attitude focused on supporting colleagues and building shared success.
Compliance Awareness: Familiarity with relevant public sector compliance standards and frameworks (e.g., CIS, NIST, State-specific regulations, GovRAMP, FedRAMP).
Location & Flexibility: Based in or near the Austin, Texas region, with a willingness to travel within the territory as needed (up to 25%).

Nice To Haves

Tenable or ACAS Experience: Direct experience administering, using, or supporting Tenable products, or hands-on experience as an ACAS administrator, engineer, or consultant.
Diverse Technical Background: Experience as a state/local government or higher-education security practitioner, military veteran with hands-on vulnerability management experience, public-sector security engineer/architect, or technical employee at a partner serving government clients.
Presales Exposure: Previous sales or presales engineering experience (1–3 years) is helpful, though not required for candidates with strong foundational technical and public sector experience.
Cloud & Infrastructure Knowledge: Foundational knowledge of major cloud infrastructure providers (AWS, Azure, GCP), network security concepts (TCP/IP), or enterprise operating systems.
Automation Interest: Basic familiarity with or interest in scripting (e.g., Python) and automation tools.

Responsibilities

Deliver Technical Demonstrations: Present compelling technical demonstrations of Tenable's platform, showcasing value and differentiation tailored to public sector needs.
Support Evaluations: Assist with enterprise software trials and "Proof of Value" evaluations to ensure they align with customer goals.
Bridge Technical Findings to Outcomes: Translate complex technical findings and exposure data into clear risk and business outcomes for both technical practitioners and executive leadership.
Solve Real Problems: Address government agency challenges with consultative security insights that respect their operational constraints and budget realities.
Engage and Educate: Answer technical questions, provide security insights, and support local events, conferences, and community engagements.
Support Sales Efforts: Partner with sales representatives to achieve revenue targets, support local technical partners serving government clients, and contribute to RFI/RFP responses.
Build Relationships: Foster strong, trusting relationships with customers, partners, and internal peers across all levels of the organization.