Partner Leader, Solutions Engineer, Splunk

The application window is expected to close on: 10/18/2026 This role can be performed remote within the East Coast Must be authorized to work in the United States; this position does not provide sponsorship. Meet the Team The Partner Solutions Engineering Team is a strategic technical team focused on enabling and scaling partner capabilities within the Americas ecosystem! Your Impact The Partner Solutions Engineering Leader will lead a team of Partner Solutions Engineers (PSEs) who act as the primary technical liaison between Splunk/Cisco and our partner ecosystem (System Integrators, Resellers, MSP, Service Providers, and Consultants). The mission is to mature our partners' technical practices, driving their progression through the Cisco Partner 360 program and ensuring they are fully equipped to deliver Splunk and Cisco solutions that drive revenue and customer outcomes. To build and lead a high-performing Partner Solutions Engineering function that transforms our partners into independent, technically proficient authorities. Act as a force multiplier, turning ad-hoc partner support into a repeatable operating system of enablement, reference architectures, and joint-solution development that accelerates pipeline conversion and reduces technical risk in the field. Be the technical champion for Cisco’s Data Fabric strategy, using Data Intelligence and AI to help partners build differentiated, high-value practices. Partner Program Advancement: Act as a technical catalyst to help partners move up the Cisco Partner 360 tiers. Lead initiatives to ensure partner sales, SE, SA, SP, and MSP staff achieve required Splunk Certifications and badges, directly influencing the partner’s Partner Value Index (PVI) score. Strategic Technical Focus: Drive the adoption of Cisco’s Data Fabric strategy, using Data Intelligence and AI to help partners build differentiated practices. Partner Practice Maturity: Assess partner technical capabilities and gaps; design multi-quarter enablement roadmaps to build partner capacity and technical maturity around Splunk/Cisco portfolios. Strategic Enablement: Lead the design and delivery of technical training, workshops, and labs to accelerate partner readiness. Develop technical playbooks, reference architectures, and demo assets tailored to partner-led GTM priorities (Security, Observability, Cloud, Network, and AI). Joint Solution Development: Collaborate with partner engineering and product teams to co-develop joint solutions. Ensure these solutions align with platform strategies, security frameworks, and industry-specific compliance requirements. Technical Advocacy & Liaison: Serve as the main technical point of contact for strategic partners, helping them navigate product roadmaps, resolve complex integration challenges, and advocate for partner-specific requirements back to internal Product and Engineering teams. Sales & RFP Support: Partner with the channel sales team to provide technical input for RFPs and support high-stakes partner-led demonstrations or Proof of Concepts (POCs). Operational Governance: Document partner engagements, track key performance metrics (e.g., partner technical maturity, PVI impact, solution deployments, and pipeline influence), and standardize enablement methodologies to ensure scalable support. Leadership & Culture: Hire, coach, and develop a team of PSEs. Foster a culture of technical excellence, customer-first empathy, and partner-centric growth. Minimum Qualifications 5+ years of technical knowledge in Security and Observability. 5+ years in Network Management. 3+ years of people management experience leading technical pre-sales or partner-facing engineering teams. Partner Ecosystem Experience: Experience leading Partner Solutions Engineering teams within the software or technology industry. Experience in building high-performing teams and developing talent across different career stages. Operational acumen, including experience with partner capacity planning, enablement roadmaps, and measuring business impact. Education: Bachelor’s degree + 8+ years demonstrated ability; OR Master’s degree + 5 years. Preferred Qualifications Understanding of the Cisco Partner technical enablement to partner program requirements. Speak Spanish, Portuguese or French a plus Experience articulating the value of Cisco Data Fabric, AI-driven observability, and Data Intelligence to partner leadership. Experience in driving technical certification programs and badge attainment within a channel or partner organization. Understanding of data platforms, SIEM, observability, security operations, or related technologies; Splunk/Cisco ecosystem experience is a strong plus. Ability to translate complex technical concepts for both C-Level executives and technical practitioners. Experience leading organizational change and driving adoption of new strategies, processes, and technologies. Why Cisco?  At Cisco, we’re revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era – and beyond. We’ve been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint. Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you’ll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere.  We are Cisco, and our power starts with you.  Message to applicants applying to work in the U.S. and/or Canada: The starting salary range posted for this position is $239,200.00 to $314,900.00 and reflects the projected salary range for new hires in this