Sales Engineering Director

Summary

Join ExtraHop's team as Director of Sales Engineering, leading and developing a high-performing team of Sales Engineers. This player-coach role blends hands-on technical engagement with leadership responsibilities, driving team success and exceeding revenue targets. You will foster a collaborative culture, mentor team members, and contribute strategically to product direction and go-to-market strategies. The position requires extensive experience in sales engineering, managing complex sales cycles, and deep understanding of enterprise networking technologies. You will act as a senior technical advisor, supporting complex sales opportunities and building strong customer relationships. This role involves up to 50% travel.

Requirements

• Minimum of 7 years of experience in Sales Engineering or a similar technical pre-sales role, with at least 3 years in a leadership capacity
• Proven track record of managing and mentoring high-performing teams
• Extensive experience supporting large enterprise customers and managing complex technical sales cycles
• Deep understanding of enterprise networking technologies, including switches, routers, firewalls, and cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Microsoft Azure)
• Expertise in IT operations, application monitoring, and security solutions
• Ability to translate technical capabilities into business outcomes and value propositions
• Broad understanding of enterprise information technologies: must be able to interpret network performance metrics quickly within diverse customer environments and relate them to troubleshooting and security
• Ability to quickly learn new technologies and have an ongoing desire to stay current with the latest technologies
• Deep understanding of enterprise-architecture concepts, risk management, the OSI model, and excellent working knowledge of key protocols across Layers 2-7 (e.g., TCP/IP, HTTP, DNS, SSL/TLS, etc.)
• Strong leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, with a passion for team success
• Outstanding communication (verbal and written) and presentation skills with the ability to address both executive and technical audiences
• Strategic thinker with a hands-on, proactive approach to problem-solving
• Skilled in public speaking, writing technical documentation, and presenting to both technical and executive audiences
• Demonstrated ability to thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment
• Ability to travel up to 50% (or as required) to support team members and engage in customer-facing activities
• Solid understanding of network security, endpoint, and SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) technologies
• $180,000 - $200,000 with a 65/35 split + benefits

Responsibilities

• Recruit, hire, and retain top talent within the Sales Engineering team
• Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and customer-centricity
• Mentor and develop team members, providing regular feedback and tailored growth plans aligned with company objectives
• Define and track team performance metrics, ensuring continuous improvement and alignment with business goals
• Own key aspects of the technical sales process and demonstrate thought leadership in the art of giving a demo and conducting a POC
• Collaborate with cross-functional leadership, including Sales, Product Management, and Marketing, to influence product direction and align technical sales strategies with business priorities
• Contribute to the development and execution of go-to-market strategies by leveraging technical expertise and market knowledge
• Identify trends and emerging technologies to position the organization as a leader in the industry
• Influence both internal and external decision-makers through presentations and briefings
• Lead architecture design discussions and recommend an appropriate combination of technologies for production deployment
• Act as a senior technical advisor, supporting complex sales opportunities, including product demonstrations, proof-of-concepts (POCs), and RFP/RFI/RFx responses
• Build and maintain deep relationships with key customer stakeholders, channel partners, and alliance partners
• Guide the design and delivery of solution architectures that align with customer business needs and goals
• Remove technology-related buying objections from the sales opportunity
• Demonstrate products to technical and non-technical audiences, at executive and/or technical levels, and at pre- and post-sales meetings
• Standardize and continuously improve Sales Engineering processes, including demo narratives, POC workflows, and knowledge-sharing practices
• Ensure accurate and timely usage of Salesforce (SFDC) to support forecasting and business insights
• Partner with Product and R&D teams to relay customer feedback and drive product improvements
• Assess prospective customer needs and uncover requirements for ExtraHop solutions

Benefits

• Health, Dental, and Vision Benefits
• Flexible PTO, Sick Time Prorated Based on Date of Hire, and All Federal Holidays (US Only) + 3 Days of Paid Volunteer Time
• Non-Commissioned Positions may be eligible to participate in the Annual Discretionary Bonus Plan
• FSA and Dependent Care Accounts + EAP, where applicable
• Educational Reimbursement
• 401k with Employer Match or Pension where applicable
• Pet Insurance (US Only)
• Parental Leave (US Only)
• Hybrid and Remote Work Model