Leader, AI Hyperspecialist Solutions Engineer (Central US) (Knoxville)

The application window is expected to close on: 07/24/2026Job posting may be removed earlier if the position is filled or if a sufficient number of applications are received.Meet the TeamThe AI Hyperspecialist Solutions Engineering leader directs a team of solutions engineers who partner with sales, customers, and product teams to design and implement AI-powered solutions. This role requires deep technical credibility in AI/ML combined with strong people leadership, ensuring the team effectively translates customer needs into technical solutions while driving revenue and customer success.Your ImpactTeam Leadership: Manage, coach, and develop a team of solutions engineers/architects; conduct 1:1s, performance reviews, and skill development plansPre-Sales Support: Oversee technical discovery, solution design, demos, and proof-of-concepts (POCs) for prospective customers evaluating AI productsCustomer Enablement: Guide the team in helping customers integrate AI/ML APIs, models, or platforms into their existing systemsTechnical Strategy: Develop reusable solution architectures, demo environments, and best practices for common AI use cases (e.g., RAG, agents, fine-tuning, automation)Cross-functional Collaboration: Partner closely with Sales, Product, Engineering, and Customer Success to align technical solutions with business goals and feed customer feedback into the product roadmapEscalation Management: Serve as an escalation point for complex technical objections or implementation blockers during the sales cycleEnablement & Training: Build technical training materials and certifications for the solutions engineering team and broader sales orgProcess & Metrics: Track team performance metrics (POC win rate, time-to-value, deal velocity) and continuously improve pre-sales processesHiring: Recruit and interview candidates with strong technical and communication skillsMinimum QualificationsBachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related technical field5+ years in solutions engineering, sales engineering, or technical consulting, with 2+ years in a leadership roleStrong understanding of AI/ML concepts — LLMs, embeddings, RAG, model APIs, prompt engineeringExperience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and integration technologies (APIs, SDKs, webhooks)Proven ability to communicate technical concepts to both technical and non-technical/executive audiencesTrack record of supporting complex enterprise sales cyclesPreferred QualificationsHands-on experience building demos or POCs using LLM APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.) or ML frameworksBackground in customer-facing technical roles at a SaaS or AI/ML companyFamiliarity with vector databases, agentic frameworks, or MLOps toolingExperience presenting at conferences, webinars, or customer eventsPrior experience in a specific target industry (e.g., enterprise software, fintech, healthcare)Why Cisco? At Cisco, we’re revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era – and beyond. We’ve been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint.Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you’ll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere. We are Cisco, and our power starts with you. Message to applicants applying to work in the U.S. and/or Canada:The starting salary range posted for this position is $235,300.00 to $301,700.00 and reflects the projected salary range for new hires in this position in U.S. and/or Canada locations, not including incentive compensation*, equity, or benefits.Individual pay is determined by the candidate's hiring location, market conditions, job-related skillset, experience, qualifications, education, certifications, and/or training. The full salary range for certain locations is listed below. For locations not listed below, the recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.U.S. employees are offered benefits, subject to Cisco’s plan eligibility rules, which include medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability coverage, and basic life insurance. Please see the Cisco careers site to discover more benefits and perks. Employees may be eligible to receive grants of Cisco restricted stock units, which vest following continued employment with Cisco for defined periods of time.U.S. employees are eligible for paid time away as described below, subject to Cisco’s policies:10 paid holidays per full calendar year, plus 1 floating holiday for non-exempt employees1 paid day off for employee’s birthday, paid year-end holiday shutdown, and 4 paid days off for personal wellness determined by CiscoNon-exempt employees receive 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year, accrued at rate of 4.92 hours per pay period for full-time employeesExempt employees participate in Cisco’s flexible vacation time off program, which has no defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may use (subject to availability and some business limitations)80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter, and up to 80 hours of unused sick time carried forward from one calendar year to the nextAdditional paid time away may be requested to deal with critical or emergency issues for family membersOptional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteerFor non-sales roles, employees are also eligible to earn annual bonuses subject to Cisco’s policies.Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components, subject to the applicable Cisco plan. For quota-based incentive pay, Cisco typically pays as follows:.75% of incentive target for each 1% of revenue attainment up to 50% of quota;1.5% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 50% and 75%;1% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 75% and 100%; andOnce performance exceeds 100% attainment, incentive rates are at or above 1% for each 1% of attainment with no cap on incentive compensation.For non-quota-based sales performance elements such as strategic sales objectives, Cisco may pay 0% up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid.The applicable full salary ranges for this position, by specific state, are listed below:New York City Metro Area:$257,800.00 - $374,100.00Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:$242,800.00 - $357,100.00* For quota-based sales roles on Cisco’s sales plan, the ranges provided in this posting include base pay and sales target incentive compensation combined. Employees in Illinois, whether exempt or non-exempt, will participate in a unique time off program to meet local requirements.Job SummaryJob number: 2019732Date posted : 2026-07-24Profession: SalesEmployment type: Full time