Forward is transforming how the world’s most complex networks are managed and secured. Founded in 2013 by four Stanford Ph.D.s, we built the industry’s first network digital twin — a mathematically precise model of the production network that gives IT teams unmatched visibility, verification, and agility across every major cloud and vendor environment.
Our customers include global leaders such as Goldman Sachs, PayPal, S&P Global, IBM, and Dell, as well as fast-growing enterprises and government agencies. According to IDC, Forward customers realize an average of $14.2 million in annual benefits through improved efficiency and security.
Backed by world-class investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Goldman Sachs, MSD Partners, and Threshold Ventures, Forward offers a people-centric, innovative culture where brilliant minds are shaping the future of network reliability, security, and AI-ready operations.
Forward is looking for a Customer Success Engineer.
- Do want to create a category and help build a special company?
- Join a company that has been in market 5+ years and has some of the top Federal agencies and F500/Global 2000 already buying and referenceable.
- We are building a special team and hope you consider us if you want to have the experience of changing the networking world as we know it.
What you’ll do:
As a Customer Success Engineer for our Federal team, you will be responsible for providing world class post-sales technical leadership to our client base.
Responsibilities:
- Providing advice and guidance as the Forwards subject matter expert to ensure successful ongoing usage and adoption of our technologies
- Taking ownership of post-sales technical issues, working with cross-functional teams to document problem resolution steps and troubleshooting procedures
- Walking customers through the various stages of adoption with Forwards Platform
- Walking directly with our internal Product Management, Engineering, Sales and Marketing teams.
- Some travel to customer locations (<10%)
Requirements:
- B.S. Computer Science or equivalent educational experience
- TS/SCI with a CI Clearance Required
- 5+ years of customer facing experience in a post-sales engineer role for a networking company, relevant software vendor, or as a network engineer for a large enterprise, service provider or Governmental agencies
Experience:
- Strong understanding of Networking and Security fundamentals
- Experience in working with multiple Network vendors (e.g. A10, Arista, Cisco, F5, Fortinet, Juniper, Palo Alto Networks etc.)
- Strong verbal and written communications skills with a focus on needs analysis, positioning, business justification, and closing techniques; Superior presentation skills
- Excellent analytical & problem-solving skills, combined with the ability to provide quick resolution to problems
- Demonstrable success in thinking strategically, executing tactically while providing consistent and high levels of customer satisfaction and retention in a fast-paced environment
Highly Desired:
- One or more of the following certificates: CCIE, JNCIE or VCDX
- Experience in working for a startup company
- Working knowledge of API driven workflows and scripting languages (Python, bash, jq, graphql, etc)
The compensation offered for this position will depend on qualifications, experience, and work location. For candidates who receive an offer at the posted level, the starting base salary +bonus is expected to be between $220,000/yr to $245,000/yr. The offered compensation may also include stock.
Skills Required
- B.S. Computer Science or equivalent educational experience
- TS/SCI with a CI Clearance
- 5+ years customer-facing experience in a post-sales engineer role for a networking company, software vendor, large enterprise, service provider, or government agency
- Strong understanding of networking and security fundamentals
- Experience working with multiple network vendors (A10, Arista, Cisco, F5, Fortinet, Juniper, Palo Alto Networks, etc.)
- Strong verbal and written communication and presentation skills
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with ability to provide quick resolutions
- Proven ability to think strategically and execute tactically to ensure customer satisfaction and retention
- Certifications such as CCIE, JNCIE, or VCDX
- Experience working for a startup company
- Working knowledge of API-driven workflows and scripting languages (Python, bash, jq, GraphQL, etc.)
Forward Networks Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Forward Networks and has not been reviewed or approved by Forward Networks.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Pay is considered competitive for a mid-stage infrastructure/software company across several roles and locations. Signals point to strong totals in technical and select go-to-market positions.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity is broadly offered to all employees, creating ownership potential alongside salary and bonus. As a private company, perceived value can rise with company performance and future liquidity.
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Healthcare Strength — Medical, dental, and vision coverage is described as top-grade for employees and dependents. Company materials consistently highlight strong core health benefits across hiring channels.
Forward Networks Insights
What We Do
The future of network operations is network modeling. Forward Networks' flagship platform Forward Enterprise gives users a mathematically accurate network digital twin. Forward enables perfect network visibility, full path analysis, security policy verification, and change prediction, freeing up time and saving you money.
