Manager, SMB Sales Engineering

Job description

Job Description: At Sparklight and Cable One, we keep our customers and associates connected to what matters most. For our associates, that means: a thriving and rewarding career, respect for the communities where they live and work, a focus on health and wellness, an excellent work/life balance, and an open and inclusive workplace. We are open to hiring remote if we find the right talent in any of the following states: AL, AR, AZ, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, LA, MD, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NM, NV, OR, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT. What you will do to contribute to the company's success Team Leadership and Development Lead, coach, and develop a team of SMB Sales Engineers. Establish clear expectations, performance objectives, and individual development plans. Conduct regular coaching sessions, performance reviews, and technical skill assessments. Manage team workload, sales-support coverage, and priorities across Field Sales, Call Center, and Business Customer Care. Create a collaborative, accountable, and customer-focused team culture. Recruit and onboard Sales Engineering associates as staffing needs evolve. Remain actively involved in customer opportunities, technical presentations, and escalated sales-support requests. Sales and Customer Support Oversee technical sales support for Field Sales, Call Center, and Business Customer Care teams. Establish clear engagement guidelines defining when and how Sales Engineering should support customer opportunities. Ensure timely and effective support for customer discovery, solution design, technical consultation, and product demonstrations. Lead or participate in discovery calls and presentations with business owners and operators. Help sales associates uncover needs involving connectivity, network performance, cybersecurity, communications, business continuity, and future growth. Ensure proposed solutions are technically accurate, operationally supportable, and appropriately sized for SMB customers. Support complex or escalated SMB opportunities requiring additional technical expertise. Promote consultative selling that connects Sparklight products with clear customer outcomes. Sales Enablement and Channel Readiness Develop and deliver technical training for Field Sales, Call Center, and Business Customer Care associates. Create discovery guides, customer use cases, product-positioning materials, presentations, demonstrations, and other sales-enablement resources. Develop repeatable solutions for common SMB customer segments, including retail, professional services, restaurants, healthcare practices, hospitality, and multi-location businesses. Translate technical capabilities into clear business benefits that improve sales confidence and customer understanding. Partner with Sales leadership to identify knowledge gaps and prioritize training initiatives. Support product launches and ensure customer-facing teams are prepared to position new services effectively. Establish a consistent feedback loop among Sales, Customer Care, Sales Engineering, Product, and Operations. Solution and Product Expertise Provide technical leadership across Sparklight’s SMB product portfolio, including: Business broadband and fixed wireless solutions DOCSIS, fiber, PON, and FTTx access technologies Managed routers, firewalls, switches, and Wi-Fi SD-WAN and multi-location networking Business continuity using redundant broadband and 5G/LTE failover Network and endpoint security Hosted voice and unified communications SIP and business voice services IPTV and business video solutions Promote right-sized solutions that balance customer requirements, operational complexity, and budget. Identify product, process, or support gaps affecting the SMB customer experience. Partner with Product, Operations, Engineering, Customer Care, and Project Management to improve solution delivery and customer satisfaction. Stay current on broadband, networking, cybersecurity, managed services, and telecommunications trends affecting SMB customers. Performance and Operational Management Establish and track performance measures for Sales Engineering engagement, response time, sales influence, managed-service attachment, associate readiness, and customer outcomes. Monitor workload, engagement volume, and support trends across the three-person Sales Engineering team. Use sales and operational data to identify opportunities for increased product adoption, revenue growth, and improved efficiency. Develop repeatable workflows that provide effective technical support without creating unnecessary sales complexity or overdependence on Sales Engineering. Ensure accurate documentation of customer engagements, solution recommendations, and team activities. Report team performance, channel needs, product feedback, and growth opportunities to leadership. Support annual planning, budgeting, goal setting, and resource allocation for the SMB Sales Engineering function Qualifications Five or more years of experience in telecommunications, broadband, networking, information technology, technical sales, or Sales Engineering. Two or more years of leadership, supervisory, team-lead, or associate-development experience. Experience supporting small and medium-sized businesses or high-volume sales channels. Strong understanding of broadband technologies, including DOCSIS, fiber, PON, FTTx, and 5G/LTE connectivity. Working knowledge of LAN/WAN, Wi-Fi, VLANs, VPNs, SD-WAN, DHCP, DNS, IP addressing, cybersecurity, and cellular failover. Familiarity with managed routers, managed firewalls, switching, wireless networking, endpoint security, hosted voice, unified communications, SIP, IPTV, and business continuity solutions. Demonstrated ability to lead technical discovery, solution design, product demonstrations, and customer presentations. Experience developing and delivering technical training and sales-enablement content. Ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear business outcomes for customers and associates. Strong coaching, communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills. Ability to lead across organizational boundaries and influence teams without direct authority. Strong organizational and analytical skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment. Bachelor’s or associate degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, Telecommunications, Business, or a related field—or equivalent professional experience. Relevant certifications such as CompTIA Network+, Cisco CCNA, Meraki certifications, MEF, or comparable credentials are preferred. Proficiency with Microsoft 365, including Excel, Visio, PowerPoint, and Teams. Experience with CRM, case-management, reporting, and sales-support platforms is preferred. Ability to travel as required for team meetings, training, customer engagements, and company events. Core Competencies Committed: Values each customer, while working hard to keep their business and support our communities. Helpful: Delivers support in the ways that are most useful to our customers and addresses their needs with expertise, respect, and empathy. Proactive: Understand what our customers need, and actively works to make their relationship with use seamless, easy, and rewarding. Personal: Knows our customers well, and tailors our communications and interactions to address their needs and expectations. Benefits Cable One and our family of brands appreciates the role our associates play to help the company grow, and in return an excellent benefits package is offered to our associates to recognize the importance of their contributions, such as: Medical, dental, and vision plans – start when you start! Life insurance (self, spouse, children) Paid time off (vacation, holiday, and personal/sick days) 401(k) - 100% company match starts day 1 of employment (up to 5% of eligible compensation) Group Legal plan with Identity Theft Protection Additional Perks Tuition reimbursement (up to $5,250 on 1st year) Annual community support to various organizations across the U.S. Associate recognition & awards programs Advancement opportunities Collaborative work environment FREE Cable One services for associates who live in a serviceable area Our Commitment Diversity lies in the communities we serve and among the associates who dedicate themselves to ensure our continued success. Here at Cable One and our family of brands, we believe it is our individual and unique talents, backgrounds and perspectives that, when combined, truly make us an unstoppable force. "Stronger Together" is not just a verbal cue, it is the motto that our associates live by, exemplify, and embody each and every day. Cable One and our family of brands is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, among other things, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, status as a protected veteran, or disability. Pre-hire Processes Cable One and our family of brands is committed to keeping our associates and customers safe. Job offers are contingent upon the results of background, drug screening, and reference check. Only after successfully passing these pre-hire clearances are individuals approved for hire and ready to start their successful and rewarding career. #LI-SK1