The Systems Engineering Director will lead, mentor, and manage a team of Systems Engineers to drive technical excellence and sales alignment. This role involves strategizing with regional sales leadership, overseeing pre-sales and post-sales technical engagements, and ensuring the team’s technical expertise aligns with Fortinet’s solutions and market demands.

Responsibilities:

Team Leadership and Development: Recruit, mentor, and manage a team of Systems Engineers, fostering technical expertise and professional growth. Conduct regular performance evaluations, identify skill gaps, and create training plans to ensure team members meet and exceed certification requirements (e.g., NSE levels). Sales and Technical Strategy: Collaborate with sales leadership to align technical resources with sales objectives. Define technical strategies and best practices to improve customer engagement and technical win rates. Ensure effective pre-sales support, including product demonstrations, proof-of-concepts, and technical consultations. Customer Engagement: Act as a senior escalation point for critical pre-sales and post-sales engagements. Support high-value customer relationships by offering strategic insights, technical leadership, and executive-level communication. Drive technical enablement and adoption of Fortinet solutions across identified accounts. Operational Excellence: Develop and implement metrics to track the effectiveness and efficiency of the Systems Engineering team. Ensure compliance with Fortinet’s technical certification requirements (e.g., NSE 4–7). Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including product management, support, and engineering, to address customer feedback and improve solutions.

Qualifications and Skills:

Experience: 10+ years of experience in Systems Engineering or Technical Sales roles, including 5+ years in a leadership position. Proven track record in managing technical teams and driving results in a fast-paced, high-tech environment. Technical Expertise: Deep understanding of networking and security technologies, including LAN/WAN, routing, switching, VPN, and firewalls. Proficiency in advanced security concepts (e.g., PKI, SSL, IPSec) and related protocols (e.g., TCP/IP, DNS). Experience with Fortinet products and certifications (NSE 4 or higher preferred). Leadership Skills: Strong ability to inspire and lead a geographically dispersed team. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to interface effectively at all levels. Demonstrated ability to balance technical depth with strategic vision.

Education and Certification:

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field; equivalent experience will be considered. Fortinet NSE certifications preferred, with a commitment to achieving NSE 7 or above within the first year.

Additional Requirements:

Travel as needed to support team activities, customer engagements, and strategic initiatives. Commitment to staying current on the evolving threat landscape and security solutions.  

This role is pivotal in Fortinet's mission to deliver cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions and empower its customers to protect their businesses.