At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead transformative solutions engineering and drive business success in a dynamic AI-driven environment.
- Company: Join Cisco, a leader in innovative technology and data security.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, growth opportunities, and a collaborative culture.
- Other info: Be part of a visionary team making a global impact.
- Why this job: Shape the future of technology while empowering a world-class team.
- Qualifications: 10-15 years in technical sales and leadership experience required.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
Splunk, a Cisco company, is seeking a dynamic and visionary leader for a pivotal role at a time when our technology is hyper-relevant in the age of AI. As the Director of Solutions Engineering for the UKI region, you are more than a "leader of leaders" - you are a strategic force who will shape the technical future for our customers.
This is a highly transformational role. We are looking for a leader with a growth mindset and a fresh perspective to elevate our organization from a traditional pre-sales motion to an innovative, proactive, and business-opportunity-focused mission. You will drive transformational change, champion a value-selling approach, and forge a mature, visionary partnership with the sales organization. By converting our approach from reactive to proactive, you will empower a world-class team to deliver exceptional business outcomes for Splunk’s customers.
As an active member of the Splunk UKI Leadership Team, you will be a technical visionary, a business driver, and an inspirational coach, building strong executive relationships to drive market success.
What You’ll Do
- Drive Business Outcomes and Customer Success (Lead Business)
- Transform the Pre-Sales Motion: Drive the shift from a traditional, reactive technical support function to a proactive, value-selling organization focused on long-term business outcomes and strategic opportunities.
- Build a Visionary Sales Partnership: Forge a strong, mature, and innovative partnership with field sales leadership. Jointly develop strategic account plans and orchestrate resources to win in the market.
- Engage at the Executive Level: Act as a trusted advisor to our most strategic customers. Proactively engage at the VP/CxO level to understand their buying processes, business drivers, and market challenges - particularly within Public Sector, Financial Services, Insurance, Telecommunications, and Retail sectors.
- Position us to Win: Leverage deep market intelligence to strategically position Splunk + Cisco solutions, clearly articulating our trade-offs, advantages, and competitive edge.
- Lead and Develop Elite Talent (Lead Others)
- Cultivate a Growth Mindset: Champion an inclusive, agile culture where team members are empowered to innovate and thrive amidst market shifts. Bring a fresh perspective that challenges the status quo.
- Develop "Leaders of Leaders": Coach, mentor, and develop a team of managers and engineers. Proactively identify talent, implement succession plans, and co-develop individual growth plans.
- Drive Operational Excellence: Manage performance closely using the skill/will methodology. Establish scalable frameworks for enablement, and organizational alignment to ensure your team can support complex, high-value tech solutions.
- Embody Executive Leadership and Vision (Lead Yourself)
- Be a Thought Leader: Amplify Splunk's market presence by representing the company as a strategic expert in industry forums, customer advisory boards, and internal strategy councils.
- Master Cross-Functional Alignment: Work seamlessly with Sales, Partners org, Professional Services, Education, Product Management, and Engineering to ensure alignment between pre- and post-sales activities, scope new opportunities, and resolve critical customer situations.
- Demonstrate Executive Accountability: Navigate organizational challenges with resilience and adaptability, ensuring sustained strategic alignment and business excellence.
Who You Are
You are a visionary pre-sales and solution architecture leader who thrives on defining strategy for innovative technology in a dynamic, AI-driven landscape. You seek out and solve complex, high-impact problems, leading by example and influencing from the front.
Your Qualifications:
- 10-15+ years of experience in technical selling and Solutions/Sales Engineering within enterprise software.
- 5-7+ years of leadership experience, with a proven track record of managing people managers (leader of leaders) in a complex work environment.
- Deep-dive experience and market knowledge within the UKI region.
- Experience working across multiple customer segments (Enterprise, Public Sector, Service Provider, Commercial).
- Strong domain expertise in enterprise software (e.g., Cybersecurity, Observability, Cloud & AI, IT Operations, Application Performance Management, or Big Data).
- Exceptional communication and articulation skills; ability to translate complex technical ideas into clear business value for executive audiences.
- Proven experience driving organizational transformation, specifically shifting a pre-sales team from a reactive technical function to a proactive, value-selling business driver.
- M&A (Mergers & Acquisitions) experience is desirable.
- BS or equivalent experience in Computer Science, Management Information Systems, or a related field.
- Ability to travel up to 25-35%.
Why Cisco?
At Cisco, we’re revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era – and beyond. We’ve been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint.
Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you’ll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere.
We are Cisco, and our power starts with you.
Director, Solutions Engineering Splunk UKI employer: Cisco Systems Inc
Cisco Systems, Inc. is an exceptional employer that champions innovation and inclusivity within the Higher Education sector. With a strong focus on personal growth and development, employees are encouraged to collaborate across teams and drive impactful strategies that align with market needs. The vibrant work culture and commitment to operational excellence make Cisco a rewarding place to build a meaningful career.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Director, Solutions Engineering Splunk UKI
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We think you need these skills to ace Director, Solutions Engineering Splunk UKI
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Cisco Systems Inc.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Cisco Systems Inc and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at Cisco Systems Inc
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Cisco Systems Inc uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.