Solutions Engineering
Presales
Masters the art of revenue choreography through technical storytelling and deal architecture. Builds CROs who understand both code and cash flow, turning complex solutions into compelling business cases.
The Career Arc
Rotational · L1–L3
Build the Presales craft. Prove you can wield the tools of Solutions Engineering.
Transformational · L4–L7
Deliver Presales outcomes — each Solutions Engineering tour at this altitude has a defined mission and success criteria.
- L4 : Lead strategic deals and mentor others
- L5 : Win the most complex technical evaluations
- L6 : Define SE strategy and win the most complex technical evaluations
- L7 : Serve as the company's foremost solutions engineering strategist
Manage a Team?
Great Presales managers are practitioners first. The Solutions Engineering IC responsibilities in L4–L7 are your foundation — your management responsibilities are additive:
- • Hire SEs who can go deep technically AND tell a compelling story
- • Coach technical storytelling—demos win deals, not feature lists
- • Run 1:1s that build both product mastery and customer empathy
- • Give feedback on deal involvement—what worked, what to try next
- • Remove blockers—fight for product access, demo environments, and sales alignment
Foundational · L8–L9
Shape the Solutions Engineering organization from the Presales chair — build institutions, not just products.
L1 — Associate Solutions Engineer Rotational
Mission
Learn presales fundamentals through deal support
This tour of duty
Support your first deal through technical discovery to close
Own the outcomes
- • Learn presales fundamentals and product capabilities
- • Shadow senior SEs on discovery calls and demos
- • Build and maintain demo environments
- • Document customer requirements and use cases
- • Support proof of concept setup and logistics
- • Develop deep product and technical knowledge
Presales at L1 — the competency bar
AI in this role
- • Preparing for discovery calls
- • Researching customer technology stacks
- • Creating demo scripts
L2 — Junior Solutions Engineer Rotational
Mission
Support deals with discovery and demos independently
This tour of duty
Own the technical win on a significant deal
Own the outcomes
- • Conduct technical discovery independently
- • Deliver product demonstrations with confidence
- • Design solutions that meet customer requirements
- • Support POCs through completion with guidance
- • Create technical sections of proposals
- • Partner effectively with Account Executives
Presales at L2 — the competency bar
AI in this role
- • Building solution architectures
- • Analyzing requirements fit
- • Creating technical proposals
L3 — Senior Solutions Engineer Rotational
Mission
Own technical win for complex opportunities
This tour of duty
Win a competitive POC against a major competitor
Own the outcomes
- • Own technical win for complex opportunities
- • Lead competitive technical evaluations
- • Design solutions for sophisticated use cases
- • Execute POCs that differentiate from competitors
- • Handle technical objections independently
- • Build relationships with technical stakeholders
Presales at L3 — the competency bar
AI in this role
- • Designing complex solutions
- • Analyzing competitive positioning
- • Creating POC plans
L4 — Staff Solutions Engineer / Manager, Solutions Engineering Transformational
Mission
Lead strategic deals and mentor others
This tour of duty
Mentor a junior SE through their first complex deal
Own the outcomes
- • Lead strategic deals and mentor junior SEs
- • Develop solution frameworks for common scenarios
- • Build relationships with senior technical buyers
- • Create technical content that supports sales
- • Contribute to presales playbooks and methodology
- • Train others on technical presentation skills
Presales at L4 — the competency bar
AI in this role
- • Developing solution playbooks
- • Analyzing win/loss patterns
- • Creating training content
L5 — Senior Staff Solutions Engineer / Senior Manager, Solutions Engineering Transformational
Mission
Win the most complex technical evaluations
This tour of duty
Win the most technically challenging deal in company history
Own the outcomes
- • Win the most complex technical evaluations
- • Define best practices for presales excellence
- • Drive strategic technical initiatives across sales
- • Build thought leadership in solution areas
- • Influence product roadmap based on customer needs
- • Create reference architectures and case studies
Presales at L5 — the competency bar
AI in this role
- • Building reference architectures
- • Analyzing industry patterns
- • Creating thought leadership
L6 — Director, Solutions Engineering Transformational
Mission
Define SE strategy and win the most complex technical evaluations
This tour of duty
Build a team that consistently wins technical evaluations
Own the outcomes
- • Define solutions engineering strategy and win the most complex technical evaluations
- • Architect reference solutions for the company's most strategic opportunities
- • Establish best practices and playbooks that elevate presales excellence
- • Serve as the expert on technical differentiation and competitive positioning
- • Drive initiatives that shape technical go-to-market approach
- • Influence product roadmap through deep technical customer insights
Presales at L6 — the competency bar
AI in this role
- • Capacity planning
- • Building team playbooks
- • Creating certification programs
L7 — Senior Director, Solutions Engineering Transformational
Mission
Serve as the company's foremost solutions engineering strategist
This tour of duty
Scale solutions engineering to new products or markets
Own the outcomes
- • Serve as the company's foremost expert in solutions engineering methodology
- • Define the strategic framework for technical evaluation excellence
- • Establish thought leadership in solution architecture and design
- • Architect innovative approaches for technical differentiation
- • Drive cross-functional alignment on presales strategic initiatives
- • Shape solutions engineering culture through expertise and best practices
Presales at L7 — the competency bar
AI in this role
- • Market analysis
- • Building scale strategies
- • Creating enablement programs
L8 — VP, Solutions Engineering Foundational
Mission
Own solutions engineering strategy
This tour of duty
Transform solutions engineering practices
Own the outcomes
- • Own solutions engineering strategy and planning
- • Build organizational structure for technical GTM
- • Define solutions approach and investment priorities
- • Establish executive technical relationships
- • Drive alignment with Product on roadmap
- • Represent technical sales in executive forums
Presales at L8 — the competency bar
AI in this role
- • Organizational modeling
- • Building technical strategies
- • Creating executive content
L9 — SVP, Solutions Engineering Foundational
Mission
Define the technical sales strategy
This tour of duty
Define the technical sales strategy
Own the outcomes
- • Define the technical sales strategy
- • Shape company approach to solution selling
- • Establish strategic initiatives for technical differentiation
- • Build technical thought leadership programs
- • Drive solutions culture and operational excellence
- • Influence board decisions on technical investment
Presales at L9 — the competency bar
AI in this role
- • Strategic planning
- • Building board content
- • Creating growth strategies
What Hiring Managers Look For
Demonstrates ability to translate complex technical concepts into business value during live customer demos and proof-of-concept presentations.
Shows measurable impact on deal velocity and win rates through technical expertise that directly influences buying decisions and accelerates sales cycles.
Exhibits strategic thinking around product positioning and competitive differentiation while building executive relationships that drive enterprise-level revenue growth.
Common Career Transitions
Presales → Customer Success at L4-L5 for post-sale expansion and retention ownership
Presales → Product Management at L5-L6 leveraging customer-facing insights for roadmap influence
Presales → Sales Engineering Management at L6+ for scaling technical sales teams
Official Classifications
| System | Code | Official Title |
|---|---|---|
| O*NET-SOC (US) | 41-9031.00 | Sales Engineers |
| ISCO-08 (UN/ILO) | 2434 | Information and Communications Technology Sales Professionals |
| ESCO (EU) | — | ICT presales engineer |
| SSOC 2024 (Singapore) | 24340 | Information and communications technology sales professionals (structural placeholder — 5th digit unresolved) |
| NCO-2015 (India) | 24340000 | Information and communications technology sales professionals (structural placeholder — sub-group unresolved) |
At L6 and above, the manager classification 1221 — Sales and Marketing Managers applies IN ADDITION to the professional code — a manager is a superset of the individual contributor, never a replacement.
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