Forward Networks is revolutionizing the way large networks are managed. The Forward Enterprise platform delivers a vendor-agnostic "digital twin" of the network, based on a mathematical model. The platform scales to support hundreds of thousands of network devices, whether cloud, hybrid cloud, or on-prem. It serves as a single source of truth for the network, enabling network operators to instantly verify security posture, accelerate troubleshooting, avoid outages, and modernize network management.

Over the past few years, Forward Networks has received tremendous industry recognition, including “Cool Vendor in Enterprise Networking” by Gartner, “Product of the Year” by Cloud Computing, “Enterprise Cloud Computing Software of the Year,” and has been named to Fortune’s 2022 “Best Workplaces in the Bay Area” list.

The company was founded by four Stanford PhD graduates who saw a massive opportunity to improve network operations. Investors include Andreessen Horowitz, Threshold Ventures, and Goldman Sachs.

Forward Networks is looking for a Systems (Sales) Engineer

• Do want to create a category and help build a special company?
• Do you want to help sell a platform that solves real networking problems?
• Join a company that has been in market 5+ years and has some of the top Federal agencies and F500/Global 2000 already buying and referenceable.
• If you have 5-10 years of wildly successful experience as a Sales Engineer selling to large enterprise accounts..you may be the one!
• We are building a special team and hope you consider us if you want to have the experience of changing the networking world as we know it.

Responsibilities:

• Serve as the primary technical resource for the sales organization working with  large enterprise accounts.
• Work with the sales team as the product advocate and key technical adviser
• Drive and manage the technology evaluation stage of the sales process; answer technical questions and communicate business and technical value to all levels of management
• Establish and maintain strong relationships throughout the sales cycle to insure complete customer satisfaction
• Establish technical feasibility and perform qualification of the potential technical deployment
• Develop and deliver product demos and POCs
• Respond to functional and technical elements of RFIs/RFPs
• Work with internal product management and engineering teams to convey customer requirements
• Represent the product to customers, partners and at field events such as conferences, seminars, etc.

Required Qualifications:

• Strong understanding of networking and security solutions and vendors
• Strong verbal and written communications skills with a focus on needs analysis, positioning, business justification, and closing techniques.
• 5+ years’ experience selling to Enterprise customers for a networking company or relevant software vendor.
• Superior presentation skills

Highly Desired:

• Working knowledge of API driven workflows and scripting languages (Python, bash, jq, graphql, etc)
• Experience working with a startup company
• B.S. Computer Science or equivalent educational experience
• One or more of the following certificates: CCIE, JNCIE or VCDX

Ideally candidates will be located in Chicago IL or remotely in any of the following states within region to include: IL, WI, IN, MI and OH

Targeted Compensation Range On Target Earnings: $225-$265k