Networking Pre-sales Solution Architect

Cognizant is looking for a highly skilled Networking Pre-sales Solution Architect to drive technical excellence throughout the sales lifecycle partnering with customers to understand their networking needs, crafting scalable and secure solution architectures, and delivering compelling technical presentations that demonstrate clear business value.

Responsibilities

·     Technical Consultation & Discovery

o  Partner with sales teams to identify, qualify, and shape new business opportunities.

o  Lead deep‑dive discovery sessions to assess customer environments, challenges, and future-state networking needs.

o  Translate complex business and technical requirements into precise solution architectures.

·     Solution Design & Architecture

o  Design scalable, secure, and cost‑optimized networking solutions using enterprise technologies (routers, switches, firewalls, SD‑WAN, data center & cloud networking).

o  Develop high‑level and detailed architectures, network diagrams, and Bills of Materials (BOMs).

o  Validate solution feasibility, performance, interoperability, and alignment with customer objectives.

·     Technical Presentations & Demonstrations

o  Deliver compelling presentations, demos, and workshops to showcase solution value and differentiation.

o  Communicate complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and executive audiences.

o  Lead and support POCs, pilot deployments, and customer evaluations.

·     Proposal, RFI & RFP Support

o  Craft technical content for proposals, SOWs, and sales collateral.

o  Respond to RFIs/RFPs with accurate, complete, and competitive technical information.

·     Stakeholder Collaboration & Enablement

o  Serve as a trusted advisor to customers and internal teams throughout the sales lifecycle.

o  Collaborate with product management, engineering, and delivery teams for solution assurance and smooth handoff.

o  Train sales teams on new technologies, products, and industry trends.

o  Contribute to creation and refinement of technical offerings and repeatable solution frameworks.

·     Market & Technology Intelligence

o  Track industry trends, competitive landscapes, and emerging technologies.

o  Provide customer-driven insights to influence product enhancements and roadmaps.

Required Qualifications

·     15–20 years of experience in network engineering, network consulting, or pre‑sales solutioning.

·     Proven history of designing and proposing complex enterprise networking solutions.

·     Deep expertise in Cisco technologies and architectures.

·     Strong understanding of core networking protocols: TCP/IP, VLANs, STP, OSPF, BGP, EIGRP, MPLS.

·     Hands-on experience with Routing & Switching (Cisco, Juniper, Arista, Aruba), Wireless Networking (Cisco Meraki, Aruba, Ruckus), Network Security (Palo Alto, Fortinet, Check Point, Cisco ASA), SD-WAN (Cisco Viptela/Meraki, Versa, Fortinet), Data Center Networking (Cisco ACI, VMware NSX, VXLAN, EVPN), Cloud Networking (AWS VPC, Azure VNet, GCP Networking)

·     Familiarity with network monitoring/management tools.

·     Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, IT, Electrical Engineering, or related field (Master’s preferred).

Highly Desired Certifications:

·     CCIE (Enterprise/Data Center), CCNP (Enterprise/Data Center), JNCIP, PCNSE (Palo Alto)

, FCNSP (Fortinet), ACDX (Aruba), Cloud certifications (AWS, Azure, GCP)

Preferred Qualifications

·     Excellent communication—able to articulate technical solutions clearly and persuasively.

·     Strong presentation and customer engagement skills.

·     Understanding of network automation & scripting (Python, Ansible) is a plus.

Applications will be accepted until February 20, 2026.

Salary and Other Compensation:

The annual salary for this position is between $180,000 to $200,000+ depending on experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate.

This position is also eligible for Cognizant’s discretionary annual incentive program, based on performance and subject to the terms of Cognizant’s applicable plans.

Benefits: Cognizant offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements:

• Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance
• Paid holidays plus Paid Time Off
• 401(k) plan and contributions
• Long-term/Short-term Disability
• Paid Parental Leave
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Disclaimer: The salary, other compensation, and benefits information is accurate as of the date of this posting. Cognizant reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable law.

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