Behind the Scenes: What’s It Like to Be a Solutions Engineer?
Sales and engineering aren’t mutually exclusive. Solutions engineering is a career path for experienced engineers, architects or IT professionals who want to apply their technical expertise in a client-facing, strategic role. Here’s what that looks like.
You may reach a point in your tech career where you feel you’ve done it all: you’ve solved complex problems, led major projects and mastered systems.
Then the question arises: what’s next? Do you continue down the path you know — managing bigger teams or more complex systems — or do you explore a new direction that lets you apply your expertise in a different way?
For Brett Gheen, that question became a real choice. After managing data centers, building cloud environments and overseeing network infrastructure, he stepped into client-facing work as a lead solutions engineer (SE) at RapidScale, part of the Cox family of businesses.
In this unique role, which sits at the intersection of technology and sales, Brett leverages his IT experience to act as a trusted advisor to prospective clients, while developing a whole new set of skills beyond what traditional tech roles provide.
“I’m very happy with the path that I chose,” he said. “It’s been a great journey, and what I’ve been able to learn on the sales side has made me a much stronger, better professional.”
Shawn Sills faced a similar crossroads. After years in cloud engineering, he decided to explore the sales organization as a solutions engineer — and hasn’t looked back. Today, he’s a solutions architect (SA) at RapidScale, where he specializes in Azure cloud environments.
Here, Brett and Shawn give us an inside look at what it’s really like to work in solutions engineering and architecture: the skills needed to succeed, the rewards of the role and why it can be an exciting career pivot for tech professionals.
Where do solutions engineers and architects fit in the sales process?
In their respective roles, Brett and Shawn play a pivotal role in the pre-sales process, acting as the technical experts who are brought into calls by account executives. From the initial discovery call, they assess the client’s business needs and requirements, craft tailored solutions and help define project scope to prepare a proposal for the client. Once a deal closes, they ensure a smooth handoff to the implementation and delivery teams, so the solution is executed as envisioned.
“We want to be the ones that the customer trusts to help provide the best solution and outcome for them,” Brett said.
What skills do you need to succeed as a solutions engineer or architect?
1. Technical experience and ability
Staying current with the latest technology is essential. Attending conferences and tracking industry trends allows SEs and SAs to have informed conversations with engineering teams and guide clients through complex business challenges.
“We are the technical liaisons to the sales team...basically, you have to be in tech, and you have to understand everything,” Shawn explained. “I highly recommend it for people who are high up in the principal architect or [engineering] world.”
And because this role keeps your technical skills sharp, it leaves the door open to return to a more traditional tech path in the future if you choose.
2. Public speaking and presentation skills
This role also calls for strong communication skills. The ability to listen closely, translate complex information into a clear story and present it in a way that builds trust with clients is key. Equally important is the ability to think on your feet and pivot in conversations while keeping the client’s needs at the forefront.
"When I was thinking about moving into this role, I was your typical engineer: introverted, polite — I did what I needed to do and mostly talked to my team,” Brett recalled. “I’ve worked very hard over the past five years to become more of that extroverted personality.”
3. Self-confidence and self-awareness
In this role, clients are often C-suite leaders, so you need confidence, presence and the ability to connect at their level. A CIO may focus on costs, a CEO on overall business impact, a CTO on complex technical challenges and a director of IT on keeping systems running smoothly. Being personable, reading the room and adjusting your approach ensures you capture their attention and make your expertise resonate with every stakeholder.
What are the benefits and rewards of this career pivot from traditional tech?
1. Expanded earning potential
Being on the sales side comes with a new level of compensation tied to deals. Solutions engineers and architects are rewarded for their expertise and ability to contribute to opportunities through the organization’s compensation and sales commission plans.
2. A chance to develop new business skills
This role expands your business acumen. You’re working with leadership teams shaping the future of the business and collaborating with operations to deliver integrated solutions. You also gain exposure to finance and legal considerations.
“I never thought going into this role that I would be sitting down and figuring out all the individual deal margins or writing Ts and Cs alongside our legal counterparts,” Brett said.
3. A different work lifestyle
The day-to-day stress of maintaining systems, upgrading firmware or managing data center operations is no longer a concern — the operations teams handle that.
These roles are also not quota-driven like traditional sales positions. Solutions engineers and architects can focus on problem-solving, client guidance and strategic work without the pressure of monthly or quarterly sales targets.
“It’s our job to be available and provide the best context and solution when we’re working with our sellers, but we don’t have these stressors of trying to hit a number by the end of the day,” Brett explained.
Ready to explore new career paths and possibilities? Browse job openings at Cox and sign up for our Talent Community today.
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