Systems Engineering Manager - HPE Networking (Mid-Telco Accounts)
Role details
Job location
Tech stack
Job description
Our Mid-Telco organization partners with regional telecommunications providers, broadband operators, utilities, cable providers, managed service providers, and other critical network operators to modernize infrastructure, simplify operations, and accelerate innovation.
We're looking for an inspiring leader who is passionate about developing people, solving customer challenges, and helping shape the future of networking.
HPE Networking is seeking an experienced Systems Engineering Manager to lead our Mid-Telco Systems Engineering North America team. This is a strategic leadership role responsible for building, developing, and leading a high-performing team of customer-facing Systems Engineers supporting telecommunications and service provider customers throughout the sales lifecycle. The successful candidate will combine exceptional people leadership with strong networking expertise and business acumen. You will partner closely with Sales Leadership to develop technical sales strategies, support strategic customer engagements, and build an organization recognized for technical excellence and customer success.
This role is ideal for a player-coach leader who enjoys mentoring technical professionals while remaining engaged in strategic customer opportunities. Although your primary responsibility is leading the team, you will maintain technical credibility by participating in executive customer meetings, architectural discussions, and complex solution reviews.
You will play a critical role in attracting top talent, developing future technical leaders, and creating an environment where innovation, collaboration, accountability, and continuous learning thrive.
What You Will Do:
Build and Lead a High-Performing Team
- Recruit, hire, onboard, develop, and retain exceptional Systems Engineers.
- Foster a culture built on collaboration, accountability, customer success, innovation, and technical excellence.
- Coach and mentor Systems Engineers through regular one-on-one meetings, career development planning, and technical guidance.
- Identify and develop future Principal Systems Engineers and leadership candidates through succession planning and ongoing mentorship.
- Promote continuous learning by encouraging certifications, technical training, and knowledge sharing across the organization.
- Create an inclusive, high-performing team environment where diverse perspectives and collaboration are valued.
Drive Technical Sales Strategy
- Partner with Regional Sales Directors and Account Managers to define and execute account strategies.
- Ensure the Systems Engineering organization is aligned with business priorities and revenue objectives.
- Support strategic customer opportunities throughout the sales lifecycle, from discovery through successful closure.
- Assist with opportunity prioritization, technical resource planning, forecasting, and quarterly business reviews.
- Drive consistency and operational excellence across all customer engagements.
Engage Strategic Customers
- Build trusted relationships with customer executives, CTOs, Chief Architects, Engineering Directors, and Operations leaders.
- Participate in executive briefings, architectural workshops, and strategic planning sessions.
- Provide leadership during complex customer engagements and executive escalations.
- Guide customers through network modernization initiatives, helping them adopt AI-driven operations, automation, cloud networking, and next-generation routing architectures.
Provide Technical Leadership
Although this is primarily a leadership role, successful candidates will maintain strong technical credibility by:
- Coaching Systems Engineers on solution architecture, competitive positioning, and technical strategy.
- Participating in strategic Proof of Concepts (PoCs), customer workshops, and executive presentations.
- Supporting complex routing, data center, automation, and cloud networking opportunities.
- Collaborating with Product Management and Engineering to communicate customer feedback and influence future product direction.
- Helping the organization stay ahead of industry trends, emerging technologies, and competitive positioning.
Drive Operational Excellence
- Establish measurable goals, key performance indicators (KPIs), and development plans for the team.
- Improve sales execution, technical readiness, and customer engagement processes.
- Optimize resource allocation across strategic opportunities.
- Partner with Marketing, Services, Customer Success, Product Management, and Engineering to deliver exceptional customer outcomes.
- Encourage operational discipline while fostering innovation and continuous improvement.
Preferred Technical Background
Candidates should possess sufficient technical depth to lead experienced Systems Engineers and engage credibly with customer architects and executive leadership.
Requirements
Service Provider Networking
- Core routing
- MPLS
- Segment Routing (SR-MPLS)
- EVPN/VXLAN
- Carrier Ethernet
- IPv4/IPv6
- QoS
- Data Center Networking
- Network Automation
- Cloud Networking
Strongly Preferred
Experience with:
- Juniper MX Routing Platforms
- Juniper PTX Routing Platforms
- Juniper QFX Data Center Switching
- JUNOS
- JUNOS Evolved (JUNOS EVO)
- HPE Aruba Networking
- Juniper Mist
- Juniper Apstra
Knowledge of AI-driven networking, automation frameworks, streaming telemetry, observability, and intent-based networking is highly desirable.
Leadership Competencies
Successful candidates will demonstrate:
- Proven ability to build and inspire high-performing technical organizations.
- Executive presence with outstanding communication and presentation skills.
- Strong coaching, mentoring, and talent development capabilities.
- Strategic thinking with the ability to align technical strategy to business outcomes.
- Ability to influence customers, peers, and executives without direct authority.
- Excellent organizational, planning, and decision-making skills.
- Passion for developing people and creating an engaging team culture.
- Customer-first mindset with a commitment to delivering exceptional experiences., * Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, or equivalent experience.
- 10+ years of networking industry experience.
- 5+ years leading PreSales Systems Engineering, Sales Engineering, or Solutions Engineering teams.
- Demonstrated success hiring, coaching, mentoring, and developing high-performing technical professionals.
- Experience leading geographically dispersed or remote teams.
- Proven success partnering with Sales leadership to drive strategic account growth and revenue.
- Experience supporting telecommunications providers, broadband operators, service providers, utilities, cable providers, or managed service providers is strongly preferred.
- Strong understanding of enterprise and service provider networking architectures., * Experience leading Principal or Senior Systems Engineers.
- Experience building high-performing technical organizations through recruiting, coaching, and talent development.
- Strong understanding of Juniper networking technologies and modern routing architectures.
- Experience with AI-native networking, automation, cloud networking, or network observability platforms.
- Previous leadership experience in networking vendors, telecommunications providers, or large technology organizations.
Benefits & conditions
United States of America: Annual Salary USD 204,500 - 397,500 in Colorado // 194,500 - 456,500 in District of Columbia & Georgia & Illinois & Missouri & New Jersey & Texas This range reflects the minimum to maximum combined base and target-level sales compensation that would be paid if the hire performs at 100% of their sales plan. Of that on-target pay amount, the mix of base salary and target-level sales compensation is 75%/25%."