Manager, Sales Engineering

Proofpoint; Tampa (FL); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

A cybersecurity leader is seeking a Sales Engineering Manager to lead a global team in driving technical excellence and customer engagement for Adaptive Email solutions. The ideal candidate has significant experience in cybersecurity pre-sales and a proven track record in leadership. This impactful role involves collaborating with sales, product, and marketing to ensure technical alignment, delivering exceptional customer experiences, and driving revenue growth.

Benefits

Competitive compensation

Flexible work environment

Learning & Development opportunities

Annual wellness and community outreach days

Qualifications

• 5-10 years in cybersecurity pre-sales or technical roles.
• 3-5 years in a leadership role.
• Proven success managing global or matrixed teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead a distributed team of advanced technology Sales Engineers.
• Support regional sales teams with advanced pre-sales expertise.
• Influence deal strategy and territory planning.

Skills

Strong communication

Storytelling

Customer relationship building

Executive influencing skills

Job description

Overview

About Us:

We are the leader in human-centric cybersecurity. Half a million customers, including 87 of the Fortune 100, rely on Proofpoint to protect their organizations. We’re driven by a mission to stay ahead of bad actors and safeguard the digital world. Join us in our pursuit to defend data and protect people.

How We Work:

At Proofpoint, you’ll be part of a global team that breaks barriers to redefine cybersecurity, guided by our BRAVE core values: Bold in how we dream and innovate, Responsive to feedback, challenges, and opportunities, Accountable for results and best-in-class outcomes, Visionary in future-focused problem-solving, Exceptional in execution and impact.

Sales Engineering Manager at Proofpoint People Protection Group (PPG)

As a Sales Engineering Manager at PPG, specializing in Adaptive Email Products (Security, Misdirected and Exfiltration). You will play a substantial role in building and sustaining customer relationships while driving the adoption of these solutions. As a Sales Engineering Manager, you will work closely with specialist leaders, direct reports and extended teams to support the acquisition of new revenue from existing and prospective customers, focusing on the technical alignment of our product and how we address our customers threats. This manager acts as a technical evangelist, field enabler, and cross-functional bridge between product, sales, marketing, and customer success — operating globally across multiple time zones and cultures. The Sales Engineering Manager role at People Protection Group will be impactful, visible, and rewarding.

Responsibilities

• Global Team Leadership & Talent Development
• 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 SE talent aligned to emerging technologies.
• Promote a culture of inclusion, continuous learning, and operational rigor.
• Conduct regular 1:1s, team meetings, performance reviews, and coaching sessions.
• Overlay Sales Support & Execution
• 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.
• Advanced Technology Evangelism
• 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
• Strategic Influence & Cross-functional Collaboration
• 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.
• Technical Standardization & Best Practices
• Define and enforce global SE 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 SE utilization
• Executive Presence & Indirect Influence
• 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

• We’d love to meet someone with a strong affinity to technology and sales.
• An enthusiastic self-starter with an outgoing personality, comfortable working both independently and in a team setting.
• 5–10 years in cybersecurity pre-sales or technical roles, with 3–5 years in a leadership role. Experience working with commercial teams and is comfortable with quota-driven performance management.
• Proven success managing global or matrixed teams in fast-paced environments.
• Strong communication, storytelling, and executive influencing skills
• Able to travel internationally (~20-30% if needed)
• Your strong customer facing and relationship building skills, coupled with listening and questions-based selling skills to see the “big picture” and create positive customer experiences.

Why Proofpoint

At Proofpoint, we believe that an exceptional career experience includes a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Here are just a few reasons you’ll love working with us:

• Competitive compensation
• Comprehensive benefits
• Learning & Development: We are committed to the growth and development of our team members, offering leadership and professional development workshops, stretch project assignments, and mentoring opportunities to help employees reach their full potential.
• Flexible work environment: Remote options, hybrid schedules, flexible hours, etc.
• Annual wellness and community outreach days
• Always on recognition for your contributions
• Global collaboration and networking opportunities

Our Culture

Our culture is rooted in values that inspire belonging, empower purpose and drive success-every day, for everyone. If you need accommodation during the application or interview process, please reach out to [e-mail].

How to Apply Interested? Submit your application here https://www.proofpoint.com/us/company/careers . We can’t wait to hear from you!

Proofpoint has been honored with six Best Places to Work Awards in 2024 by workplace culture leader Comparably, including Best Company Career Growth, Best Company Outlook, Best Global Culture, Best Engineering Teams, Best Sales Teams, and Best HR Teams.

We are the leader in human-centric cybersecurity. Half a million customers, including 87 of the Fortune 100, rely on Proofpoint to protect their organizations. We’re driven by a mission to stay ahead of bad actors and safeguard the digital world. Join us in our pursuit to defend data and protect people.

BRAVE Values

At Proofpoint, we are BRAVE in everything we do, and our values aren’t just words—they shape how we work, collaborate, and grow. We seek people who are bold enough to challenge the status quo, responsive in the face of ever-evolving threats, and accountable for delivering real impact. We value those with a visionary mindset who anticipate what’s next and push cybersecurity forward, and we celebrate exceptional execution that ensures we continue to defend data and protect people.

Proofpoint is an equal opportunity employer. We hire without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status or disability.

Find your network, your allies, and your biggest fans. We know that work is simply better when you’re surrounded by people who inspire you—who share ideas, cheer you on, and genuinely want to see you succeed. That’s why we offer social circles, sponsored networks, and connection points across teams and time zones—to help you find your people, build your community, and thrive together.

This isn’t just a job—it’s a mission to protect people and defend data in a world that never slows down. We’re building the future of human-centric cybersecurity, and that future belongs to all of us. We take ownership, move fast, and hold ourselves accountable—because that’s what it takes to stay ahead. And we do it together, winning as one.

Be empowered to reach your full potential through meaningful challenges and personalized support—designed around you and your goals. Whether you're growing as a leader or leveling up from great to exceptional as an individual contributor, we’re here to help you get there.

Proofpoint is an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status or disability.