Title:  Sales Solutions Engineer - High-Tech Strategics (Bay Area)

Job Summary

We are seeking a highly skilled, experienced Consulting Solutions Engineer to work as part of the sales team and manage one of the largest strategic accounts in the Hi-Tech vertical.

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in artificial intelligence (AI) and extensive experience with NetApp data management solutions. The role has a broad scope of responsibility and requires a solid understanding of both business and technical strategy. You will play a crucial role in developing and executing technical account strategies, fostering strong relationships with key stakeholders, and using in-depth product knowledge to provide technical expertise to the sales team and customers through sales presentations and product demonstrations in a fast-paced environment.

Additionally, the candidate will collaborate closely with the sales team to drive customer engagement and satisfaction.

*The candidate hired must be located in the Bay Area, CA to be near our customer's HQ for weekly meetings.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Solution Design and Implementation:

• Lead the design and implementation of AI-driven solutions that meet client requirements.
• Develop and optimize data storage architectures using NetApp technologies.
• Ensure seamless integration of AI models and algorithms with NetApp solutions.

2. Technical Leadership:

• Lead, conduct technical workshops and training sessions for internal teams and clients/customers.
• Engage with customers, prospects, partners, and other stakeholders to understand their business needs and objectives.
• Stay current with industry trends (technologies, competitive landscape, DevOps, etc.), regulations, and the latest advancements in AI and NetApp storage technologies.

3. Client Engagement:

• Collaborate with clients to understand their business needs and technical requirements.
• Able to build financial and commercial arguments for TCO, ROI, and procurement methods.
• Present technical solutions and proposals to clients, demonstrating the value of NetApp solutions
• Provide ongoing support and troubleshooting for deployed solutions.

Key Responsibilities Continued

4. Sales Collaboration:

• Partner and collaborate with the sales team to identify and pursue new business opportunities.
• Assist in the development of sales strategies and proposals to meet client needs.
• Participate in sales meetings, presentations, and negotiations to support the sales team.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams, including data scientists, software developers, IT operations, and sales.
• Communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Document solution designs, implementation plans, and technical processes.
• Work with customers and partners to implement best practices for data management, storage efficiency, and scalability.

5. Customer Obsession:

• Demonstrate a strong commitment to customer satisfaction and success.

6. Other:

• Excellent communication and presentation skills. Represent NetApp at corporate events, speak at small round-table events or to larger audiences.
• Organically build firm business relationships with customers and be the trusted advisor.
• Knowledge of infrastructure trends, components i.e. Networking, Virtualization/Microservices, Data security etc.

Be at customer site for face-to-face engagement(s) and able to travel as and when needed.

Job Requirements

· 12+ years of experience in solutions engineering, with a focus on data storage and AI (artificial intelligence).

· Strong expertise in AI technologies, including machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing.

· Extensive experience with NetApp solutions, and not limited to ONTAP, StorageGRID, E-Series, and Cloud offerings is highly preferred. 

· Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) and containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes etc.).

· Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently and as part of a team.

· Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

· Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, Java, or C++ is good.

· Demonstrated customer obsession and a track record of selling technical solutions.

· Relevant industry certifications in NetApp, AI and other industry technologies.

· Knowledge of data security and compliance standards.

Education

· Bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science, Engineering, or a related field.