Solutions Engineer, APO - Bay Area

Cisco • San Francisco, CA

8d

About The Position

The Partner Solutions Engineer is a partner-facing, relationship-driven role focused on helping Cisco partners innovate, grow, and win by applying Cisco solutions. The role works closely with Account Executives and partner executives and engineering teams to build partner relationships, shape partner strategy, and enable partner solutions engineers. It supports the partner journey from solution design through operationalization and value realization, while aligning partner and regional Cisco field teams around strategic opportunities.

Requirements

• At least 5 years of related technical pre-sales, systems engineering, solutions architecture, or technical consulting experience.
• Broad portfolio knowledge across Enterprise Networking, including Catalyst, Meraki, and SD-WAN, and working knowledge in Cybersecurity, Collaboration, or Data Center Networking.
• Ability to present to and influence partner executives, technical practice leads, and solutions engineers.
• Professional networking certification, such as CCNP, CCNA, or a verified industry equivalent.
• Must reside in or relocate to the San Francisco Bay Area / Northern California.
• Willingness and ability to travel up to 25% for partner meetings and industry events.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Information Technology, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience in the channel partner ecosystem, such as Tier-1 VARs, MSPs, or System Integrators, or experience as a partner-side Solutions Engineer.
• Advanced or expert-level certifications, such as CCIE, CCDE, Cisco DevNet, AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Google Cloud, or Terraform.
• Hands-on knowledge of API programmability, automation scripting (Python/REST), and modern AI productivity tools.
• Competitive architectural knowledge of platforms such as HPE/Aruba, Juniper/Mist, Arista, Fortinet, and Palo Alto Networks.

Responsibilities

• Build trusted strategic relationships with partner executives and engineering teams, advising them from solution design through operationalization and value realization.
• Develop partner go-to-market strategy through joint business planning and identify architectural growth opportunities across Cisco’s portfolio.
• Deliver technical enablement to partner solutions engineers, including hands-on training, workshops, certification support, and demo or proof-of-concept guidance.
• Coordinate with Cisco regional field solutions engineers and Account Executives on strategic deals, best practices, and consistent architectural direction.
• Explain the business and technical differentiation of Cisco solutions and represent partner feedback within Cisco to influence resources, enablement, and future roadmap direction.
• Travel up to 25% for partner meetings and industry events.

Benefits

• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• 401(k) plan with Cisco matching contribution
• Paid parental leave
• Short- and long-term disability coverage
• Basic life insurance
• Paid holidays and a floating holiday for non-exempt employees
• Paid day off for employee’s birthday
• Paid year-end holiday shutdown
• Paid personal wellness days
• Paid vacation time for non-exempt employees; exempt employees participate in a flexible vacation time-off program
• Sick time off
• Additional paid time away may be requested for critical or emergency family issues
• Optional paid volunteer days
• Annual bonuses for non-sales roles, subject to Cisco policies
• Sales incentive compensation for employees on sales plans, subject to the applicable Cisco plan
• Employees may be eligible for Cisco restricted stock unit grants

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed