Systems Sales Engineering Manager

Location: Santa Clara, CA Forward was founded in 2013 by four Stanford Ph.D.s, building the industry's first network digital twin: a mathematically accurate model of the production network. It's the foundation for autonomous networking, giving engineers and AI agents the ability to know the impact of every change before it touches production. That founding instinct still defines how we work. We're accurate and evidence-driven, relentless about clarity, and we'd rather be certain than comfortable, building a groundbreaking platform that transforms how teams run and secure networks across every major cloud and vendor environment. Global leaders like Goldman Sachs, PayPal, S&P Global, IBM, and Dell trust Forward, alongside fast-growing enterprises and government agencies, realizing an average of $14.2 million in annual benefits, according to IDC. Backed by top-tier investors, including A. Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Goldman Sachs, MSD Partners, Omega Venture Partners, Section 32, and Threshold Ventures, and headquartered in Santa Clara, we're most proud of our team: curious people who'd rather build what doesn't exist than accept how things have always been done. Forward Networks is looking for a Systems Sales Engineer Manager Do you want to create a category and help build a special company? Join a company that has been in market 7+ years and has some of the top Federal agencies and F500/Global 2000 already buying and referenceable. We are building a special team and hope you consider us if you want to have the experience of changing the networking world as we know it. We're seeking an experienced Systems Sales Engineering Manager who will lead a team of Systems Sales Engineers while also serving as a hands-on technical expert. This is a hybrid role requiring both strong leadership capabilities and the technical depth to actively engage with customers as a practitioner—qualifying opportunities, providing technical leadership on key deals, and executing POCs directly. What You'll Do Management & Team Leadership: Lead and manage a high-performing team of Systems Sales Engineers to achieve revenue and new business growth targets Develop and execute team strategies to drive revenue growth, expand market share, and build strong customer relationships Recruit, train, and mentor Systems Sales Engineers, providing ongoing coaching, feedback, and career development Manage team performance through data and analytics, setting clear goals and holding the team accountable to results Foster a collaborative environment where the team can thrive and continuously improve Technical Practitioner & Sales Leadership: Actively engage as a technical authority on regional opportunities Qualify and scope opportunities directly alongside sales teams to assess fit and ensure technical feasibility Lead and execute POCs (Proof of Concepts) for key prospects, demonstrating deep technical expertise Serve as the technical lead on major pursuits, providing hands-on guidance and execution Provide technical guidance to the sales team, ensuring they have the knowledge, frameworks, and tools to succeed Develop and deliver compelling technical presentations and product demonstrations to prospective clients Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Product Management, Marketing, and Engineering to align sales strategies with company goals and product roadmap Gather customer insights from direct opportunity engagement to inform product decisions Stay current with industry trends, competitive landscapes, and technical best practices Provide recommendations for continuous improvement based on real-world customer interactions Requirements: 7+ years of experience in software sales engineering, with a proven track record of success in driving revenue growth 3+ years of experience in a leadership role, managing a team of sales professionals Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to effectively convey technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to use data to drive decision-making Experience working in a fast-paced, agile environment, with the ability to adapt to changing priorities and requirements Strong leadership and people management skills, with the ability to motivate and inspire a team to achieve their goals Proven ability to develop and execute successful sales strategies, build strong customer relationships, and drive revenue growth Experience Excellent understanding of Networking, Cloud and/or Security fundamentals. Understanding of networking protocols, and other operational tools and practices. Experience supporting multiple large enterprises, service providers or Governmental agencies. Strong verbal and written communications skills Experience as a leader running sales engineering organization Experience using data and metrics to drive improvements. Experience owning program strategy and communicating results to senior Leadership. Highly Desired Vendor certification (CCNP,CCIE,JNCIA,JNCIE,JNCIS,AWS CSA Associate etc.) The expected On-Target Cash Earnings for this role is between 275,000- 325,000 per year. Within this range, individual pay is determined by several factors including but not limited to, job-related skills, work experience, and relevant education/training