Director, Sales Engineering

Progress (Nasdaq: PRGS) is a trusted provider of software that enables customers to develop, deploy and manage responsible, AI-powered applications and experiences. The Director of Sales Engineers leads and develops the ADP North American pre-sales engineering organization, guiding a high-performing team to design and demonstrate solutions for customers' data challenges. This strategic and hands-on role requires deep technical expertise, strong business acumen, and proven leadership in building world-class sales engineering teams for data platforms used for delivering enterprise scale AI solutions. The leader will partner closely with Professional Services, Product Management, Engineering, and Marketing.

Must Have

• Lead, mentor, and scale a geographically distributed team of Sales Engineers and Solution Architects.
• Build a culture of excellence, collaboration, and technical credibility across all regions.
• Recruit and develop top technical sales talent aligned with Progress’s mission and growth strategy.
• Partner with regional VPs of Sales to align technical resources with strategic accounts and revenue goals.
• Ensure consistent technical sales methodology, proof-of-concept (POC) standards, and value-based solution positioning.
• Drive the creation of compelling demonstrations, architectures, and ROI narratives.
• Collaborate with Product Management, Engineering, and Marketing to provide market and customer feedback.
• Influence product roadmap based on emerging customer use cases and competitive trends.
• Support go-to-market initiatives, enterprise deals, and key customer engagements as an executive sponsor.
• Define and track key performance metrics (e.g., POC conversion, SE utilization, win rate).
• Standardize tools, assets, and best practices across the SE organization.
• Lead technical sales readiness and enablement for new releases and solution launches.
• 10+ years of experience in enterprise software sales engineering, with at least 3–5 years leading regional or global SE teams.
• Experience with the application of AI systems, specifically Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) to customer use cases.
• Strong technical background in data management, integration, NoSQL/SQL databases, cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), or AI/analytics.
• Proven success in scaling SE teams that support complex, multi-stakeholder enterprise sales.
• Ability to communicate complex technology in simple business terms.
• Experience collaborating with large enterprise customers and C-level executives.
• Inspirational leadership and people development.
• Strategic sales partnership and technical storytelling.
• Cross-functional collaboration.
• Customer obsession and value engineering mindset.
• Operational rigor and data-driven management.

Good to Have

• Experience with MarkLogic, Oracle, or similar data platforms (e.g., MongoDB, Snowflake, Databricks, Elastic, or Cloudera).
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.

Perks & Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, life & disability, and financial benefits (including 401(k) retirement savings plan).
• Tuition Reimbursement program.
• Additional voluntary benefits including crucial illness/hospital indemnity, identity theft protection, auto & home insurance, legal, and pet insurance.
• Competitive salary, uncapped commission, and best-in-class Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP) with a 27-month lookback.
• Flexible paid vacation time, paid day off for your birthday, and company holidays.
• A variety of leave plans, including Parental Leave.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and an employee well-being program focusing on physical, mental, and financial health.

Job Summary

We are Progress (Nasdaq: PRGS) - the trusted provider of software that enables our customers to develop, deploy and manage responsible, AI-powered applications and experiences with agility and ease.

We’re proud to have a diverse, global team where we value the individual and enrich our culture by considering varied perspectives because we believe people power progress. Join us as a Director Sales Engineer, and help us do what we do best: propelling business forward. This will be working out of your home office in the US but due to team location, we need folks to live in EST or CST zone.

The Director of Sales Engineers leads and develops the ADP North American pre-sales engineering organization. This leader will guide a high-performing team of Sales Engineers (SEs) who partner with account executives, solution architects, and product teams to design and demonstrate solutions that solve customers’ toughest data challenges.

This is a strategic and hands-on role requiring deep technical expertise, strong business acumen, and proven leadership in building world-class sales engineering teams for data platforms used for delivering enterprise scale AI solutions.

The leader will partner closely with Professional Services, Product Management, Engineering, and Marketing to ensure a seamless prospect and customer experience, ensure that customer and market feedback is incorporated into product planning.

In this role, you will:

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, mentor, and scale a geographically distributed team of Sales Engineers and Solution Architects.
• Build a culture of excellence, collaboration, and technical credibility across all regions.
• Recruit and develop top technical sales talent aligned with Progress’s mission and growth strategy.

Sales Enablement & Execution

• Partner with regional VPs of Sales to align technical resources with strategic accounts and revenue goals.
• Ensure consistent technical sales methodology, proof-of-concept (POC) standards, and value-based solution positioning.
• Drive the creation of compelling demonstrations, architectures, and ROI narratives.

Strategy & Cross-Functional Alignment

• Collaborate with Product Management, Engineering, and Marketing to provide market and customer feedback.
• Influence product roadmap based on emerging customer use cases and competitive trends.
• Support go-to-market initiatives, enterprise deals, and key customer engagements as an executive sponsor.

Operational Excellence

• Define and track key performance metrics (e.g., POC conversion, SE utilization, win rate).
• Standardize tools, assets, and best practices across the SE organization.
• Lead technical sales readiness and enablement for new releases and solution launches.

Your background:

• 10+ years of experience in enterprise software sales engineering, with at least 3–5 years leading regional or global SE teams.
• Experience with the application of AI systems, specifically Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) to customer use cases.
• Strong technical background in data management, integration, NoSQL/SQL databases, cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), or AI/analytics.
• Proven success in scaling SE teams that support complex, multi-stakeholder enterprise sales.
• Ability to communicate complex technology in simple business terms.
• Experience collaborating with large enterprise customers and C-level executives.
• Inspirational leadership and people development.
• Strategic sales partnership and technical storytelling.
• Cross-functional collaboration.
• Customer obsession and value engineering mindset.
• Operational rigor and data-driven management.

Additionally, it would be beneficial if you have:

• Experience with MarkLogic, Oracle, or similar data platforms (e.g., MongoDB, Snowflake, Databricks, Elastic, or Cloudera).
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.

Base Salary Range: $170,000 - $210,000

This position is also eligible to participate in our commission plan. Final base compensation is determined by a number of factors, including but not limited to job-related skills, education, demonstrable experience, and allowance for future and continued salary growth. We also offer a robust benefits package, with details below.

If this sounds like you and fits your experience and career goals, we’d be happy to chat.

What we offer in return is the opportunity to experience a great company culture with wonderful colleagues to learn from and collaborate with and also to enjoy:

• Medical, dental, vision, life & disability, and financial benefits (including 401(k) retirement savings plan. Tuition Reimbursement program. Additional voluntary benefits including crucial illness/hospital indemnity, identity theft protection, auto & home insurance, legal, and pet insurance.
• Competitive salary, uncapped commission, and best-in-class Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP) with a 27-month lookback.
• Flexible paid vacation time, paid day off for your birthday, and company holidays. A variety of leave plans, including Parental Leave.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and an employee well-being program focusing on physical, mental, and financial health.

Apply now!

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Together,

We Make Progress

Progress is an inclusive workplace where opportunities to succeed are available to everyone. As a multicultural company serving a global community, we encourage a wide range of points of view and celebrate our diverse backgrounds. Our unique combination of perspectives inspires innovation, connects us to our customers and positively affects our communities. It is only by working together and learning from each other that we make Progress. Join us!

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