Sales Engineer

About Us: Blackfoot Communications reliably connects business of all sizes across the nation using the latest telecommunication technology in voice, network, and managed services. With focus on strong connections, we also provide dedicated account management with a goal to get to know our clients so we can help advise on the best solution.

What We Offer: We offer opportunities in the telecommunications and technology sectors with positions in Western Montana and Eastern Idaho. Blackfoot is proud to offer a competitive salary and a fantastic benefits package that includes; comprehensive medical benefits plan, LTD, life insurance, an outstanding retirement pension plan plus a 401k plan that includes employer match, along with other employer paid benefits. We are proud to have received awards and recognition that highlight our strong company culture. These include "Employer of Choice" from the Missoula Job Service Employer's Council, "Top Tech Employer" from the Montana High Tech Business Alliance, and the "Heart Award" from the United Way of Missoula County in recognition of our ongoing community efforts.

Job Summary: The Sales Engineer position is responsible for providing technical assistance and expertise (as the subject matter expert) to the sales team, with the end goal of working in partnership with the sales team to drive revenue by assessing customer network needs and designing technical solutions that Blackfoot supports. The Sales Engineer must be very aware of the customer needs and partner those needs with solutions that are viable for the customer and Blackfoot. This position is involved in all phases of the technical solution side of the sales process including lead qualification (e.g., can we provide a solution from our suite of products and services), opportunity creation, service availability requests (SARs), proposal generation and presentation delivery. This position must be able to communicate proficiently with both technical and non-technical customers, both externally and internally.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• Attend current and prospective Customer meetings; assess Customer s needs with the sales staff and determine the most suitable solutions within the Blackfoot product/service suite.
• Support the sales team by presenting solution options and alternatives to current and prospective customers and field any technology related questions.
• Perform proactive and regular network assessments with Enterprise Customers; including but not limited to reviewing service/network performance, network and security updates and vulnerabilities, presenting new and/or updated Blackfoot products and services; and understanding that these proactive contacts and needs assessments will ideally create lead generation for the sales staff.
• Deliver solution presentations that highlights Blackfoot s value proposition and competitive differentiation; typically to prospective and current customers, but also possibly at industry or vendor events. Any presentations may include network diagrams, vendor specifications and industry trends.
• Review, assess, and when appropriate, respond to technical questions within a Requests for Proposals (RFP); support the sales staff when and where possible, understanding that the success of the sales person is directly tied to the sales engineer and the technical solution being delivered.
• Achieve key performance indicators (KPIs), including but not limited to, sales team quota achievement, close ratios, and lead to close timelines.
• Work closely with network engineering and operations to insure successful client implementations.
• Provide all teams, such as product development, finance, engineering, operations, etc. with feedback on competitive trends, market shifts and current and prospective customer needs to ensure Blackfoot provides products and services to meet market trends and customer needs; Support sales and marketing efforts with product research, analysis, pricing, whitepaper content, client responsiveness and general promotion of products.
• Act as a technical liaison between Engineering, Implementation Coordination and Sales teams to ensure communication, expedited service delivery that drives customer satisfaction.
• Maintain working relationships with vendors technical personnel for assigned products/services. Review technical correspondence from vendors and recommend appropriate strategy/action.
• Complete vendor specific Sales Engineering training and certifications.

Additional Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• Perform other duties and responsibilities as required to fulfill job function or as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledge of:

• company policies and procedures.
• assigned products and services that Blackfoot supports.
• key technologies and trends.
• design and architecture of IP Telephony.
• familiarity with Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model/layers.
• complex IP networking, MPLS, DWDM and optical network technologies.
• wireless (licensed and unlicensed) technologies.
• SD-WAN, fiber and copper Ethernet.
• SIP trunking, TCP/IP firewall and security, cloud computing.
• potential Customer solutions to their telecommunications and data needs.
• Microsoft suite and network design applications (such as VISIO).
• general office practices and procedures.
• telecommunications industry, particularly in a competitive marketplace.
• sales engineering, sales and marketing practices and principles.
• time management and organizational skills.

Skill to:

• assess customer requirements from a technical perspective.
• successfully talk tech to both non-technical and technical customers.
• write exceptional and understandable original material.
• edit, proofread and finalize written material.
• effectively create, present and document technical solutions.
• gather and report numerical data and produce statistical reports.
• operate various office equipment such as a computer, copy machine, fax machine and multi-line telephone.

Ability to:

• work independently and within a team.
• create relationships with customers and others; and to work in a collaborative environment with other departments and work groups.
• explain technical solutions to current and prospective clients.
• think analytically and be a problem solver.
• own, design and sell technical solutions.
• communicate at a highly effectively level, both in writing and in speaking, with customers, co-workers, media, and various business contacts
• work completely and accurately under time constraints and deadlines.
• read, analyze, and interpret reports.
• identify and solve problems with many variables.
• accurately interpret product trends.
• pay close attention to detail.
• provide excellent customer service.
• work in a safe and effective manner.
• obtain and maintain a valid State driver s license, have a good driving record and be insured under the Company insurance policy.
• maintain confidentiality of Company information when required.
• create a team environment, be positive, and sustain employee morale.

Education and Experience:

Any combination equivalent to the following education and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities would qualify. A typical way to obtain the knowledge, skills and abilities would be:

BS/BA in computer science, engineering, or related field; 4 to 6 years as a sales engineer in telecommunications/data, software, and/or technology environment.

Any noted minimum or maximum years of experience should not be construed as a requirement for consideration; this information is meant to be used as a suggested guideline.