Manager, Sales Engineering - People Protection Group

Proofpoint

About the Company

Proofpoint is a leader in human‑centric cybersecurity. We protect half a million customers, including 87 of the Fortune 100, by staying ahead of bad actors and safeguarding the digital world. Join us to defend data and protect people.

How We Work

At Proofpoint, we operate as a global team that breaks barriers to redefine cybersecurity. We guide our work with the BRAVE core values: Bold in our innovation, Responsive to feedback, Accountable for results, Visionary in future‑focused problem‑solving, and Exceptional in execution and impact.

Role Overview

As Sales Engineering Manager in the People Protection Group, you will specialize in Adaptive Email products (Security, Misdirected, and Exfiltration). You will build and sustain customer relationships while driving adoption of these solutions. Your role will be technical evangelist, field enabler, and cross‑functional bridge between product, sales, marketing, and customer success, operating globally across multiple time zones and cultures.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a distributed team of advanced technology Sales Engineers across multiple regions.
• Drive consistency in technical excellence and field support across all markets.
• Hire, onboard, and retain top Sales Engineering talent aligned to emerging technologies.
• Promote a culture of inclusion, continuous learning, and operational rigor.
• Conduct regular 1‑on‑1s, team meetings, performance reviews, and coaching sessions.
• Support regional sales teams with advanced pre‑sales expertise, POCs, demos, and architectural reviews.
• Act as an escalation point for complex or strategic deals requiring deep technical validation.
• Collaborate with account teams to map solution value to customer pain points, especially in highly regulated or security‑conscious industries.
• Serve as the internal and external SME on the latest Adaptive Email innovations.
• Lead customer‑facing webinars, technical sessions, and briefings to articulate the value of Adaptive Email solutions.
• Collaborate with marketing to refine messaging, competitive positioning, and go‑to‑market strategies.
• Work closely with Product Management and R&D to provide field feedback and influence the roadmap.
• Partner with Enablement teams to scale training content, certifications, and lab environments.
• Act as a liaison between customer success, support, and services to ensure post‑sale success of complex deployments.
• Define and enforce global Sales Engineering standards for solution design, security architecture, and demo environments.
• Establish repeatable playbooks and reference architecture for key verticals and use cases.
• Track and optimize key performance indicators (KPIs) such as win rate, time to POC, and Sales Engineering utilization.
• Align with regional Sales VPs and GTM leadership to influence deal strategy and territory planning.
• Present to customer executives and internal senior leadership on technical trends and team impact.
• Support executive briefings, board‑level presentations, and strategic partner engagements.

Qualifications

• 5–10 years in cybersecurity pre‑sales or technical sales roles, with 3–5 years in a leadership role.
• Experience managing global or matrixed sales engineering teams in fast‑paced environments.
• Strong communication, storytelling, and executive influencing skills.
• Affinity for technology and sales, with an enthusiastic self‑starter, outgoing personality, and ability to work independently or in a team.
• Proven success managing quota‑driven performance and commercial teams.
• Strong customer‑facing and relationship‑building skills, coupled with listening and question‑based selling approach.
• Able to travel internationally (20–30% of the time).

Benefits

• Competitive compensation.
• Comprehensive benefits.
• Learning & Development programs, including leadership workshops, stretch projects, and mentoring.
• Flexible work environment with remote options, hybrid schedules, and flexible hours.
• Annual wellness and community outreach days.
• Recognition for your contributions.
• Global collaboration and networking opportunities.

Job Details

• Seniority level: Not Applicable
• Employment type: Full‑time
• Job function: Sales and Business Development
• Industries: Computer and Network Security, Software Development

Career Experience & Recruitment

Proofpoint encourages applications from individuals of all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. If you need accommodation during the application or interview process, please reach out to accessibility@proofpoint.com.

To apply, visit https://www.proofpoint.com/us/company/careers.