Principal Sales Engineer (AI Focus)

This is an incredible opportunity to be part of a company that has been at the forefront of AI and high-performance data storage innovation for over two decades. DataDirect Networks (DDN) is a global market leader renowned for powering many of the world's most demanding AI data centers, in industries ranging from life sciences and healthcare to financial services, autonomous cars, Government, academia, research and manufacturing.

"DDN's A3I solutions are transforming the landscape of AI infrastructure." – IDC 

“The real differentiator is DDN. I never hesitate to recommend DDN. DDN is the de facto name for AI Storage in high performance environments” - Marc Hamilton, VP, Solutions Architecture & Engineering | NVIDIA 

DDN is the global leader in AI and multi-cloud data management at scale. Our cutting-edge data intelligence platform is designed to accelerate AI workloads, enabling organizations to extract maximum value from their data. With a proven track record of performance, reliability, and scalability, DDN empowers businesses to tackle the most challenging AI and data-intensive workloads with confidence. 

Our success is driven by our unwavering commitment to innovation, customer-centricity, and a team of passionate professionals who bring their expertise and dedication to every project. This is a chance to make a significant impact at a company that is shaping the future of AI and data management. 

Our commitment to innovation, customer success, and market leadership makes this an exciting and rewarding role for a driven professional looking to make a lasting impact in the world of AI and data storage. 

We are seeking an experienced and highly skilled Principal Sales Engineer with a strong focus on AI to join our dynamic team. The ideal candidate will leverage their deep expertise in AI technologies, data infrastructure, and strategic client engagement to drive customer success and position DDN as a leader in AI solutions. This role involves collaborating closely with sales, engineering, and product teams to deliver tailored solutions that meet complex customer needs.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead technical engagements with prospective and current clients, articulating the value proposition of DDN’s AI storage and data management solutions.
• Develop and deliver compelling technical presentations, demonstrations, and proof-of-concepts that showcase DDN’s capabilities in AI.
• Drive solution design, architecture discussions, and technical validation processes for AI-centric data solutions.
• Collaborate with sales teams to identify opportunities, strategize on pursuits, and respond to technical RFPs and proposals.
• Act as the subject matter expert on AI technologies, trends, and use cases, providing thought leadership to clients and internal teams.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients to understand their evolving business challenges and align DDN’s solutions accordingly.
• Partner with product management and engineering teams to feedback client requirements and market trends for product roadmap enhancement.
• Mentor and guide junior sales engineers and provide technical leadership within the sales engineering team.
• Represent DDN at industry conferences, webinars, and client workshops as an expert in AI-driven data solutions.
• Create high-quality content such as whitepapers, case studies, and technical guides to support marketing and sales initiatives.
• Stay up-to-date with market trends and emerging technologies to provide insights and recommendations that inform DDN’s strategy and client engagements.
• Engage in customer-facing activities, including meetings, workshops, and solution deep dives to build trust and drive technical success.
• Maintain flexibility in responsibilities, contributing to other related tasks as needed.
• Deliver outcome-driven solutions and selling strategies, ensuring alignment with customer goals and demonstrating business value.
• Apply business value approaches that highlight the ROI and strategic benefits of DDN’s AI solutions.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent experience.
• 12+ years of experience in a Sales Engineering or Technical Pre-Sales role with a focus on AI, data management, or HPC (High-Performance Computing).
• Strong technical acumen in AI frameworks, data solutions, machine learning pipelines, and performance optimization.
• Proven experience in designing and implementing AI infrastructure solutions that support diverse use cases.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills with the ability to convey complex technical concepts to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Strong Content creation skills at both technical and executive audiences.
• is Field ready and includes Sr Level Sales Engineering experience
• Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced, client-focused environment.
• Track record of working with cross-functional teams and driving successful client engagements.
• Willingness to travel as needed to support client engagements and industry events.

DDN has a very strong orientation towards these 4 characteristics and any successful employee will demonstrate these capabilities: 

Self-Starter - Takes independent action to identify and solve problems. Seeks out relevant information needed to make decisions. Gets involved with new initiatives. 

Success/Achievement Orientation - Delivers quality results consistently. Targets, achieves (or exceeds) measurable results. Sets challenging goals, focuses on critical priorities, and is accountable. 

Problem Solving - Recognizes problems and responds with a systematic assessment that identifies and addresses cause of issue. Practical, realistic, and resourceful. 

Innovative - Builds and improves key business processes that enhance the effectiveness of DDN. Generates new ideas, challenges the status quo, and solves problems creatively.

DataDirect Networks, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender, sex stereotyping, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

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