Cisco Solution Architect Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Connection Services has a fantastic opportunity for a Field Solution Architect supporting our Public Sector E-Rate business. This is an excellent opportunity to join a leading Value-Added Reseller (VAR) offering outstanding benefits, including a 25% bonus opportunity, 3 weeks of PTO, tuition reimbursement, comprehensive benefits, and excellent opportunities for career growth.

Connection is seeking a motivated, customer-focused technical professional to join our team as a Field Solution Architect supporting our Public Sector E-Rate business. This position is ideal for a networking professional with strong Cisco experience who enjoys working directly with customers and sales teams and is looking to expand their expertise into a broader presales solution architecture role.

The Field Solution Architect will support networking and wireless opportunities for K-12, higher education, government, and other public sector customers. This individual will partner closely with Account Managers, Sales teams, vendor partners, services partners, and internal technical resources to understand customer requirements, develop solution recommendations, position technology solutions, and communicate the business value of proposed solutions.

The ideal candidate will have experience with networking and wireless presales engineering and design, particularly with Cisco, HPE Aruba, and/or Juniper, along with experience supporting E-Rate opportunities and SLED customers. Strong Cisco-specific design, solution positioning, and Bill of Materials (BOM) experience are highly valued.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide presales engineering and solution architecture support for networking and wireless opportunities within the Public Sector market.
• Partner with Account Managers and Sales teams to discover, qualify, and develop customer opportunities.
• Conduct customer-facing discussions to understand technical requirements, business objectives, timelines, procurement requirements, and funding considerations.
• Design and position networking and wireless solutions involving Cisco, HPE Aruba, Juniper, and related technologies.
• Develop and present Cisco-specific solution designs and Bills of Materials (BOMs).
• Communicate the technical and business value of proposed networking and wireless solutions to customers.
• Participate in customer meetings, workshops, demonstrations, sales calls, opportunity reviews, and account planning sessions.
• Support opportunities involving switching, routing, wireless, security, and related infrastructure solutions.
• Apply knowledge of E-Rate programs and policies to support public sector opportunities and customer requirements.
• Work with services partners and internal resources to coordinate and support the execution of E-Rate opportunities.
• Develop an understanding of E-Rate documentation and submission requirements, including familiarity with Form 470 and Form 471, the E-Rate website, and submission process.
• Support customer and sales teams throughout the presales process, from technical discovery through solution development and positioning.
• Participate in vendor training, technical sales certifications, and internal enablement programs to maintain and expand technical expertise.
• Support customer-facing events and industry activities as a technical sales and enablement resource.
• Maintain current technical and professional knowledge through training, certifications, vendor programs, and hands-on learning.

Required Qualifications

• Experience with networking and wireless presales engineering and solution design.
• Strong Cisco networking experience, including design and solution positioning.
• Experience developing Cisco Bills of Materials (BOMs) and supporting Cisco solution proposals.
• Experience with or understanding of routing and switching architecture.
• Experience presenting technical solutions to customers and communicating their business value.
• Experience in a presales, solutions engineering, field engineering, or technical sales environment.
• Understanding and experience with E-Rate programs and policies.
• Familiarity with E-Rate Form 470 and Form 471, the E-Rate website, and submission process.
• Experience supporting SLED (State, Local, and Education) customers in a presales capacity.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with Account Managers, sales teams, vendor partners, services partners, and internal technical resources.
• Strong communication, presentation, organizational, and customer-facing skills.
• Ability to conduct technical discovery and translate customer requirements into appropriate technology solutions.
• Strong business-to-business solutions selling experience, including account planning and up-sell/cross-sell strategies.
• Ability to manage multiple opportunities and priorities in a fast-paced sales environment.
• Strong negotiation, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.

Preferred Technical Experience

Experience with the following technologies and vendors is helpful:

• Cisco Networking and Wireless
• HPE Aruba
• Juniper
• Routing and switching
• Wireless networking
• Network security
• Software-Defined Networking (SDN)
• Data center and infrastructure solutions
• Cloud solutions and providers
• VMware and virtualization
• Microsoft enterprise technologies
• Converged and Hyper-Converged Infrastructure
• Enterprise storage solutions
• Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity

Experience supporting E-Rate-funded technology initiatives is highly important for this position. The successful candidate should understand how E-Rate requirements influence technology recommendations, customer discussions, documentation, and the overall sales process.

Experience working with K-12, higher education, state and local government, or other SLED organizations in a presales or technical sales capacity is strongly preferred.

Customer & Sales Skills

• Strong technical discovery and consultative selling skills.
• Ability to lead customer discussions, workshops, and demonstrations.
• Ability to translate technical capabilities into clear business outcomes and value propositions.
• Strong presentation and communication skills with both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to work collaboratively with sales teams to identify and develop opportunities.
• Ability to build trusted relationships with customers and vendor partners.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple customer opportunities simultaneously.

Education & Certifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field preferred.
• Relevant technical experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Cisco certifications such as CCNA, CCNP, or other relevant Cisco certifications are preferred.
• Relevant networking, wireless, cloud, or vendor certifications are a plus.

This position is designed for a customer-facing Field Solution Architect who can support public sector customers and participate in in-person customer engagements as needed.

Why Join Connection?

Connection offers the opportunity to work with a leading technology solutions provider while partnering with customers, leading technology vendors, and experienced technical professionals. This role provides an opportunity to expand your technical expertise, strengthen your presales skills, and grow your career within a collaborative technology organization.

Benefits include:

• 25% bonus opportunity
• 3 weeks paid PTO
• Tuition reimbursement
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits
• 401(k)
• Career growth and professional development opportunities
• Vendor training and certification opportunities

Connection, a Fortune 1000 Global Solutions Provider, drives customer growth by calming the confusion of IT, guiding the connection between people and technology. The Connection brand includes Connection® Business Solutions, Connection® Enterprise Solutions, and Connection® Public Sector Solutions, which provide IT solutions and services to SMB, enterprise, and public sector markets. Connection holds hundreds of certifications with top vendors and offers expertise across multiple technology areas, delivering solutions to customers in over 174 countries.