Solutions Engineer
Cisco is hiring a Solutions Engineer. Level rates it ; you can apply on Level.
Level's read on this job
- On Level's scale, this role is Little AI ●○○○: aI is not part of the work.
- The posting mentions Catalyst Industrial Ethernet, Industrial Routing and Cisco Cyber Vision among its tools and skills.
- Level classes it as a senior role.
- Cisco has 1,400+ other open roles on Level.
- This posting went up in the last few days.
AI in this role
Drive large-scale IIoT architectural transformations and pre-sales technical strategies for enterprise clients in Japan.
Role Overview
As a Solutions Engineer in the Industrial IoT (IIoT) organization, you are the senior technical authority, trusted advisor, and thought leader driving large-scale, complex architectural transformations across enterprise and critical infrastructure clients in Japan.
You operate at the strategic intersection of Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT), architecting mission-critical solutions spanning Industrial Networking, OT Zero-Trust Cybersecurity, Edge Compute, and Industrial Wireless. In this role, you will lead high-visibility customer engagements, advise executive stakeholders (CIO, CISO, Plant Managers, and Heads of Production/Engineering), shape go-to-market strategies for the Japan market, and mentor the broader systems engineering community.
What You'll Do
- Technical Solution Leadership: Own the pre-sales technical strategy for Cisco's IIoT portfolio in Japan-including Catalyst Industrial Ethernet (IE3x00 / IE9300), Industrial Routing (IR1101 / IR1800 / IR8300), Cisco Cyber Vision, Secure Equipment Access (SEA / IoT Operations Dashboard), Industrial Wireless (IW) and Cisco Ultra-Reliable Wireless Backhaul (CURWB).
- Bridge IT and OT Stakeholders: Lead architectural dialogues with both IT leadership and factory/operations decision-makers, translating complex IT/OT convergence challenges, cyber-physical risks, and regulatory mandates into high-impact Cisco business solutions.
- Architect Resilient Industrial Networks: Design secure, hardened architectures tailored to Smart Manufacturing, Automotive, Energy, Transportation, and Critical Infrastructure, adhering to the Purdue Model, ISA/IEC 62443 standards, and Zero-Trust OT frameworks.
- Drive Flagship Pursuits & PoCs: Lead hands-on technical demonstrations, lab evaluations, and field proof-of-concepts (PoCs) on high-stakes, multi-architecture customer projects.
- Ecosystem & Partner Collaboration: Partner closely with top-tier Japanese System Integrators (SIs), Industrial Automation partners, and distribution channels to co-develop solutions and accelerate IIoT adoption.
- Field-to-Engineering Bridge: Act as the regional conduit to Cisco IoT Product Management (PM), Technical Marketing (TME), and Engineering leadership, providing authoritative customer requirements from the Japan market to influence future product roadmaps.
- Technical Mentorship: Mentor and upskill Solutions Engineers and partner technical teams across the theater.
Who You'll Work With
You will join a high-impact Solutions Engineering team in Japan, collaborating closely with Enterprise & Global Account Managers, Regional Sales Leaders, Cisco Customer Experience (CX) Architecture teams, and senior engineers from global and Japanese industrial automation partners and system integrators.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Information Technology, or related discipline with 10+ years of progressive experience in technical pre-sales, systems engineering, or solution architecture (or Master's degree with 7+ years of related experience).
- Proven track record leading high-value, complex enterprise or industrial customer engagements.
- Deep knowledge of network architecture design (TCP/IP, OSPF/BGP, EVPN/VXLAN, Layer 2 resilience/REP/STP, Segment Routing, and Industrial Cybersecurity frameworks).
- Language Proficiency: Fluent/Native-level Japanese (written and spoken) and Business-level English for internal global collaboration.
Preferred Qualifications
- Industrial & OT Domain Expertise: Strong familiarity with industrial automation environments, SCADA/DCS systems, and industrial protocols (CC-Link / CC-Link IE, EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, Modbus, OPC-UA, IEC 61850).
- OT Cybersecurity Knowledge: Experience with OT asset visibility and cyber-physical security platforms (e.g., Cisco Cyber Vision) and standards (ISA/IEC 62443, NIST SP 800-82).
- Cross-Architectural Integration: Experience connecting OT networks with enterprise security (Identity Services Engine / ISE, Splunk, Secure Firewall) or enterprise switching/routing.
- Certifications: Advanced industry credentials such as CCIE / CCDE (Enterprise, Security, or Data Center) or industrial certifications (e.g., GICSP, ISA/IEC 62443 Cybersecurity Specialist).
At Cisco, we’re revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era – and beyond. We’ve been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint.
Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you’ll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere.
We are Cisco, and our power starts with you.
How we rate this
Solutions Engineer at Cisco rates 0 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Little AI (AI Level 1 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.
Little AI. AI is not part of the work.
- ●●●● Builds AI80 to 100
- ●●●○ Works on AI60 to 79
- ●●○○ Uses AI40 to 59
- ●○○○ Little AI0 to 39
Levels come from how often the tools, models and workflows of the role are named in the posting itself. Open the description and count.
Prepare for this job
Built from this posting and from similar jobs on Level.
Skills and AI tools this role asks for
Questions you could be asked
- Tell me about a project where industrial iot was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where it ot convergence was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where zero trust security was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where edge computing was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where pre sales was part of your work. What did you do?
Adapt your resume
- List these exact terms on your resume: Industrial Iot, It Ot Convergence, Zero Trust Security, Edge Computing, and Pre Sales. An applicant tracking system matches the wording, not the idea.
- Attach one line of real, concrete experience to at least one of them. A tool named with nothing behind it rarely survives a human read.
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