HPE Networking, Presales Systems Engineer SLED

We are seeking a Pre-Sales Systems Engineer to support State Government and Higher Education customers throughout Kentucky.

As a Systems Engineer, you will serve as a technical leader and trusted advisor, partnering closely with Account Managers, customers, and channel partners throughout the sales cycle. You will help customers understand their current challenges, define their future-state network architectures, and evaluate solutions across the HPE Networking portfolio., * Serve as a technical leader and trusted advisor for State Government and Higher Education customers throughout Kentucky, building relationships from network engineers and architects to IT and executive leadership.

• Partner with Account Managers to develop account strategies and identify, qualify, and advance opportunities through successful closure and adoption.
• Lead technical discovery, understand customer challenges and future-state goals, and translate requirements into compelling solution architectures across the HPE Networking portfolio.
• Help customers understand how AI-native networking and the evolution toward self-driving networks can simplify operations, improve user experience, strengthen security, and increase resiliency.
• Deliver engaging customer presentations, demonstrations, whiteboarding sessions, workshops, Proof of Concept (POCs), and technical evaluations.
• Position HPE Networking solutions against competitive offerings and clearly articulate technical differentiation and customer value.
• Collaborate with channel partners and internal specialists to support RFPs, complex technical engagements, and successful customer outcomes.
• Continuously develop expertise across HPE Aruba Networking and HPE Juniper Networking technologies, industry trends, and emerging network architectures.

This role combines deep networking expertise with consultative selling and relationship building. You should be equally comfortable whiteboarding an architecture with network engineers, demonstrating technology, and helping IT leaders understand how AI-native networking, automation, security, and the self-driving network can transform network operations and user experiences.

The ideal candidate brings strong networking fundamentals, intellectual curiosity, excellent communication skills, and a passion for solving customer problems., * Candidates should reside in Kentucky or within reasonable proximity to the territory. Candidates based in nearby areas of Ohio or Indiana may also be considered.

• Comfortable with travel up to 60% throughout the assigned territory.
• 5+ years of experience in pre-sales engineering, systems engineering, network architecture, technical consulting, network engineering, or a related technical role.
• Strong Layer 2 and Layer 3 networking fundamentals, with experience across enterprise routing, switching, wireless, and network security technologies.
• Experience designing, implementing, supporting, or positioning enterprise networking solutions.
• Ability to lead technical discovery, understand complex customer environments, and translate requirements into practical solution architectures and business outcomes.
• Strong customer-facing communication, presentation, demonstration, and whiteboarding skills, with the ability to engage both technical teams and executive leadership.
• Knowledge of modern networking technologies such as cloud-managed networking, SD-WAN, data center networking, network automation, and AI-driven operations is preferred.
• Strong problem-solving skills, intellectual curiosity, and the ability to quickly learn and apply new technologies.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with sales teams, customers, partners, and internal technical resources.
• Customer-first mindset with strong ownership, accountability, urgency, and follow-through.
• Experience with Higher Education, State Government, or other public-sector customers is beneficial but not required.
• Industry certifications from Aruba, Juniper, HPE, Cisco, or other relevant networking vendors are preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred; equivalent professional experience will be considered.

“The expected salary/wage range for this position is provided below. Actual offer may vary from this range based upon geographic location, work experience, education/training, and/or skill level.

• United States of America: Annual Salary USD 175,000 - 411,500 in Kentucky & Ohio 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%.”

Hewlett Packard Enterprise is the global edge-to-cloud company advancing the way people live and work. We help companies connect, protect, analyze, and act on their data and applications wherever they live, from edge to cloud, so they can turn insights into outcomes at the speed required to thrive in today’s complex world. Our culture thrives on finding new and better ways to accelerate what’s next. We know varied backgrounds are valued and succeed here. We have the flexibility to manage our work and personal needs. We make bold moves, together, and are a force for good. If you are looking to stretch and grow your career our culture will embrace you. Open up opportunities with HPE.