Pre-Sales Systems Engineer

Overview:

DDN Storage is seeking great candidates to join our dynamic team of passionate customer-enabling technologists!

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. DDN Storage 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 Storage is the global leader in AI and multi-cloud data management at scale. Our cutting-edge storage and data management solutions are 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 Storage 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 currently seeking a Pre-Sales Systems Engineer 

Job Summary:

The Systems Engineer will primarily be responsible for pre-sales activity, supporting all sales efforts in HPC with a focus on AI/MLi n a given geographic territory. This position will be field based and involve travel of approximately 25%. The Systems Engineer will need to be able to partner strongly with Account Executives in pursuit of business opportunities; providing technical expertise to close sales opportunities. An SE must have considerable knowledge of the HPC industry and is able to speak the technical vernacular of that industry. Must have strong communication skills, including: developing and delivering presentations; and connecting with customers via phone, face to face, and in written correspondences including RFP responses.

Responsibilities for this role include but are not limited to:  

• Assist in closing new business opportunities by helping Sales – qualify, identify, and close new opportunities.
• Demonstrate a thorough technical and business understanding of clients’ needs, including how those pertain to DDN products and services.
• Understand the DDN sales process and how to maximize company resources to close accounts.
• Develop innovative, customized solutions to meet customers’ business needs.
• Participate in customer-focused seminars, tradeshows, events, and trainings.
• Create RFP responses, technical drawings, presentations, and recommendations.
• Conduct research and gain knowledge of all key products and technologies (including competitive market analysis).
• Clearly communicate complex technical topics to the varied knowledge levels of internal account executives and external customers.
• Develop positive and trustworthy relationships with customers throughout the sales process and product implementation in order to build repeat business.
• Manage customer relationship post-sale to ensure the highest caliber customer satisfaction.
• Create and share weekly work summaries.
• Acquire and maintain a thorough and procedural understanding of DDN Sales Cycles, products, and services and a thorough technical understanding of like industries.
• Ability to multi-task and manage competing priorities, ensuring all objectives are accomplished.

Qualifications for this role are:   

• Must have industry experience of 7+ years working with distributed and/or clustered file systems.
• Experience supporting sales efforts is essential to success in this position.
• BS or higher degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, Sciences; or equivalent is required.
• This position will be field based and involve travel approximately 40% of the time.
• Technical Expectations: The following are preferred technical requirements: Linux OS, Unix OS, Windows OS, and Mac OS, SCSI, Lustre, GPFS, CXFS, QFS, ZFS, NAS, SAN, Pearl, Shell Scripting, Solaris, and Visio.

Identifying Customer Needs: Seeks to provide an appropriate solution by understanding what the customer is trying to accomplish; spends time in a needs analysis process that identifies key objectives specific to an individual customer; gives the customer’s agenda priority over a standard response; changes the sales approach or solution to accommodate the customer versus force fit the customer to an existing model.

Provides Reliable Information: Builds credibility in a resource role by remaining factual and timely in providing information; maintains his sources for quick access to time-sensitive information and to stay abreast of new developments; proactively educates customers or shares information as part of the service they deserve. 

Makes One on One Sales Presentations: Communicates essential points in an informal and conversational manner; prefers to share information in a one-on-one or small group situation; varies style and language to ensure listener understanding and is attentive to closing the loop on communications; seeks feedback and responds appropriately to listener reactions; makes presentations that are unrehearsed and adapted to individual situations.

Delivers Added Value to Customers: Stays in touch with market trends, including environmental and competitive forces influencing the market, so that he can be seen as a valuable resource to important constituents internal or external to the organization; constantly seeks information that will be useful but is not readily available to colleagues; enjoys being sought for advice and instruction; spends the time to build a base of knowledge that ultimately helps others to be more effective.

Maximizes Results by Anticipating Obstacles that Could Impede Progress: Able to sort through bureaucracy, complexity, or politics to focus on required results; is not caught unprepared when obstacles are encountered; meets self-imposed standards of excellence by delivering agreed upon results that are straightforward and customer defined.

#LI-Remote

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.