Principal Systems Engineer

Summary: Provides technical assistance for software pre-sale and post-sale activities utilizing knowledge of industry or industry segment processes and challenges. Collaborates with account team to identify opportunities, articulate business and technical value, prepares and presents software demonstrations. Primary Responsibilities: Works with sales staff to outline available products and leverage sales opportunities. Builds a trusted relationship with the Account Executive and account stakeholders to provide practical guidance in the functional and technical aspects of proposed software and set proper expectations to ensure customer satisfaction. Delivers standard, customized and/or strategic presentations outlining the proposed software functional capabilities, competitive advantages and business benefits. Delivers technical architecture related information, leads technical discovery sessions, responds to architecture and infrastructure questions when necessary. Develop required client relationships in order to develop client trust and gain deeper insight to client situation, needs, and internal situations, with the intent of developing mutually beneficial long-term SAS/client relationships. Maintains and develops relevant knowledge levels of technical and industry trends in order to identify impacts and opportunities created by these trends. Supports partner development & enablement, as well as partnered sales opportunities. Conducts discovery meetings to collect, clarify and document technical and business requirements during the sales cycle. Plans and implements, in conjunction with Account Executive, customer retention and post-sale strategies to ensure account satisfaction. Provides demonstration and business development support at vendor-sponsored events, trade shows, and user group meetings. Develops familiarity with company sales initiatives, product positioning, pricing, proposals, and models. Strategizes with sales team on objectives of customer meetings, understand how this activity relates to overall sales plan and provides functional leadership for sales opportunities. Participates in product, solution and/or technical training to acquire and maintain detailed level of product knowledge of core components of SAS offerings. Works pro-actively with the extended account team of Industry Consultants, Solution Architects and Technical Architects to strategize on opportunities, cross-training and knowledge transfer. Performs other duties, as assigned. Additional Responsibilities Directs activities and trains other staff members. Communicates with key decision makers to impact revenue generation decisions and/or future company success. Looks for opportunities to expand a tactical sale into something strategic for SAS and the client. Serves as high-level strategist to staff and management in the development of sales opportunities. Assists the sales team with complex technical sales activities Provides the business unit with thought leadership on emerging technical trends including new product positioning and competitive differentiation.