Sales Engineer - Network & Security SolutionsNew England | Upstate New York | Pennsylvania
FirstLight is seeking a Sales Engineer to support our Enterprise sales teams across New England, Upstate New York, and Pennsylvania. This role sits at the intersection of network infrastructure and cybersecurity, working across FirstLight's owned fiber network - Dark Fiber, Wavelength, Ethernet, SD-WAN - and our managed security services, including Managed Detection & Response (MDR), SOC-as-a-Service, XDR, and SIEM. We are looking for a technically versatile Sales Engineer who can design and position solutions across both domains, and who is looking to build long-term expertise at the convergence of network and security.
What You'll Do- Serve as the primary technical resource for the sales team - designing, pricing, and positioning network and security solutions from a single dark-fiber circuit to a multi-site SD-WAN/SASE rollout to a full MDR/XDR engagement.
- Translate customer requirements into solutions that blend FirstLight's transport network with FirstLight's managed security services, building the technical narrative and business case behind each deal.
- Lead technical evaluations and proof-of-concepts, working directly with prospects' IT, network, and security teams.
- Respond to the technical sections of RFIs/RFPs, including security questionnaires, compliance requirements, and architecture diagrams.
- Present to a range of audiences - from network engineers to CISOs to C-suite decision-makers - and adapt the pitch accordingly.
- Represent FirstLight's network and security solutions at industry events, conferences, and customer briefings.
- Act as the connective tissue between sales, engineering, and operations through design, build, and installation.
- Travel within your assigned territory as needed.
What You Bring- 3-7 years of experience in sales engineering, network engineering, or security engineering - service provider, MSP/MSSP, or vendor background all welcome.
- Working knowledge of at least one of: SD-WAN/SASE (Cato, Fortinet, Palo Alto, Zscaler, Cisco), or security operations (MDR, XDR, SIEM, SOC).
- Comfort learning the other side - this role is built for people who want to grow their range across network and security, not stay in one lane.
- Strong presentation and writing skills - you can hold your own with a CISO and a network engineer in the same day.
- A self-starter mentality and the organizational chops to juggle multiple active opportunities.
- Relevant certifications (e.g., CCNA/CCNP, Security+, CISSP, SASE/SD-WAN vendor certs) are a strong plus, not a requirement - we'll invest in getting you there.
Education & Tools- Bachelor's degree or equivalent hands-on experience in networking, security, or telecommunications.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, Outlook).
- Experience with mapping/GIS tools (Google Earth, MapInfo, QGIS) is a plus, not a requirement.
