Sales Solution Engineering Director

DTN is seeking an accomplished and visionary Senior Director of Solutions Engineering to build, lead, and scale our global Solutions Engineering (SE) organization. This leader will develop the strategy, frameworks, and operating model that empower our SE team to deliver world-class technical expertise, articulate measurable customer value, and drive revenue across our Energy (Refined Fuels), Agriculture & Weather vertical and adjacent markets.

In this role, you will combine strong technical depth, exceptional communication skills, and a proven track record in enterprise pre-sales leadership. You will guide a high-performing team of Sales Engineers, setting standards for technical rigor, value-based selling, demo excellence, and cross-functional alignment. Your team will serve as trusted advisors to prospects and customers, translating complex requirements into compelling solution architectures, business cases, and ROI narratives. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Ensure the team uses structured, outcome-led discovery processes that uncover pain points, quantify impact, and create decision clarity early in the sales cycle.

• Build, lead, and mentor a high-performance Solutions Engineering team with a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.

• Define the SE operating model, including coverage strategy, processes, KPIs, demo standards, and value-selling frameworks.

• Drive professional development plans, onboarding programs, and ongoing skills training for SEs across technical, commercial, and industry expertise.

• Partner with Sales Leadership to ensure seamless seller–SE engagement throughout complex sales cycles.

• Accountable for improving deal velocity by ensuring Solutions Engineers drive clarity early in the sales cycle.

Sales Cycle Leadership

• Act as the executive-level bridge between Sales, Product, Engineering, and Professional Services to validate feasibility, influence roadmaps, and mitigate risk on complex deals.

• Oversee SE involvement in all stages of the sales process, ensuring the team delivers best-in-class discovery, technical validation, and solution alignment.

• Review and elevate the quality of product demonstrations, use-case storytelling, and executive-level presentations delivered by the SE team.

• Build and maintain methodologies for quantifying value and articulating ROI, guiding the team to create compelling business cases aligned with customer pain points and strategic goals. 

• Engage directly with strategic enterprise opportunities as an executive sponsor.

Solution Architecture & Innovation

• Define standards for translating customer requirements into technically sound, scalable, and differentiated solution designs.

• Partner closely with Product and Engineering to communicate market needs, influence product roadmaps, and resolve complex or non-standard customer requests. 

• Build reusable architectures, demo environments, and integration patterns that accelerate deal cycles and ensure consistency.

• Partner with Professional Services to create training and certification paths that reinforce consistent delivery across customer-facing teams

Technical Validation & Governance

• Establish SE best practices for managing POCs, pilots, and technical evaluations, ensuring consistent execution and measurable success criteria. 

• Oversee quality and accuracy of RFP/RFI responses, security documentation, and compliance workflows for enterprise engagements.

• Implement scalable systems to capture and operationalize competitive intelligence, customer requirements, and field feedback.

Enablement, Assets & Thought Leadership

• Create and maintain a library of technical sales materials, including demo scripts, value frameworks, competitive positioning, and configuration guides. 

• Partner with Sales Enablement to design and deliver onboarding, ongoing training, and skill certification for SEs and cross-functional teams.

• Serve as an industry evangelist, staying ahead of trends in Energy (Refined Fuels), data platforms, SaaS, APIs, and compliance landscapes.

• Represent DTN at conferences, customer advisory boards, and strategic customer engagements.

Qualifications & Skills

• 10–15+ years in Solutions Engineering, Pre-Sales, or Technical Consulting, with at least 5 years leading and scaling SE teams.

• Proven experience guiding SE teams through complex enterprise sales cycles, preferably in SaaS, or data-driven solutions.

• Demonstrated ability to quantify and articulate value, build robust ROI models, and influence executive-level stakeholders.

• Demonstrated ability to lead SE teams that sell outcomes, not features, and guide customers quickly to clarity and confident decisions

• Strong understanding of enterprise data platforms, APIs, workflow integrations, cloud architectures, and technical validation processes.

• Deep familiarity with operational workflows and regulatory/compliance needs is highly preferred. 

• Exceptional leadership skills with the ability to hire, mentor, and elevate top technical talent.

• Outstanding communication—capable of simplifying complex concepts and tailoring them to both technical and business audiences.

• Strong collaboration skills across Sales, Product, Engineering, and Customer Success.

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical or related field preferred; advanced degrees a plus.

Why Join DTN?

• Competitive Salary & Leadership Incentive Plan

• Unlimited PTO

• Flexible, remote-first work model with optional Houston office presence

• Competitive Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance Plans

• 6% 401(k) matching

• Access to 13k+ professional learning courses

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

• Collaborative, high-impact environment shaping the future of the energy industry