Systems Engineering Manager, SE Academy NAM

Company Description

Our Mission

At Palo Alto Networks® everything starts and ends with our mission:

Being the cybersecurity partner of choice, protecting our digital way of life.

Our vision is a world where each day is safer and more secure than the one before. We are a company built on the foundation of challenging and disrupting the way things are done, and we’re looking for innovators who are as committed to shaping the future of cybersecurity as we are.

Our Approach to Work

We lead with flexibility and choice in all of our people programs. We have disrupted the traditional view that all employees have the same needs and wants. We offer personalization and offer our employees the opportunity to choose what works best for them as often as possible - from your wellbeing support to your growth and development, and beyond!

At Palo Alto Networks, we believe in the power of collaboration and value in-person interactions. This is why our employees generally work from the office three days per week, leaving two days for choice and flexibility to work where you feel most effective. This setup fosters casual conversations, problem-solving, and trusted relationships. While details may evolve, our goal is to create an environment where innovation thrives, with office-based teams coming together three days a week to collaborate and thrive, together!

Job Description

On-Site Plano, TX 3 days per week

Your Career

In this role, you will have the opportunity to positively impact the development of early-in-career systems engineers.  You will manage a team of Associate Systems Engineers as they participate in the Global Systems Engineer Academy.  The goal of this 12-month program is to educate and enable recent college graduates to be Sales Systems Engineers for Palo Alto Networks.  This important role requires strong mentorship skills, cybersecurity technical knowledge, and an in-depth understanding of technical sales methodologies.  You will report to the Leader of our Genesis Program.

This leader should possess and understand the skills and knowledge required to be a successful sales systems engineer.  You will create, implement, and lead enablement activities to develop these skills in early-in-career technical resources.  The successful candidate is well-versed in understanding cybersecurity technologies and skilled at explaining the business value associated with cybersecurity products and strategies.

Your Impact

• Manage a team of recent university graduates as they participate in the Global SE Academy program     
• Collaborate with other SE Academy Managers, Technical Trainers, and Systems Engineers to effectively deliver and manage the technical and business curriculum
• Create and lead engaging technical training sessions either individually or in partnership with Technical Trainers
• Serve as an SME and industry mentor on cybersecurity industry trends and best practices
• Author, guide and advise on customer persona roleplays and technical lab design to reinforce learned skills
• Provide feedback to Associate Systems Engineers on presentation skills, whiteboarding, and technical demonstrations
• Establish strong trusted partnerships with field Systems Engineer leadership
• Participate in university recruiting activities to identify top talent for the SE Academy program
• Report on the success of SE Academy curriculum by measuring quarterly milestones, curriculum feedback, and monitoring performance of program graduates
• Gather feedback from the Associate Systems Engineers and Field Systems Engineer Managers on a regular basis to constantly improve the SE Academy program
• Develop and maintain a high-performing team culture adhering to company values
• Partner with internal recruiting teams to support the transition of Associate Systems Engineers to field Systems Engineer roles

Qualifications

Your Experience

• Direct people management skills with a focus on coaching and mentoring others
• 5+ years of relevant experience as a technical Sales Systems Engineer or cybersecurity technical leader
• Industry knowledge of security product market trends and directional awareness of Palo Alto Network’s roadmap and technology development efforts
• Knowledge of technical sales cycle and common sales methodologies
• General understanding of the products and strategies of top cybersecurity vendors
• Knowledge of current cybersecurity industry trends
• Awareness of strategies to address common cybersecurity challenges in a corporate environment
• Strong project management, prioritization, and organizational skills
• Exceptional verbal, written and presentation skills are a requirement
• Demonstrated abil