Solutions Architect - Presales (Palo Alto)

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Job Description:

Role Overview

We are looking for a highly skilled Palo Alto Networks Pre-Sales Engineer & Product Technical Specialist to support our distribution business. The role focuses on technical pre-sales, partner enablement, and customer engagement across the Palo Alto Networks security portfolio.

The candidate will work closely with distribution-managed partners, system integrators, and enterprise customers by providing technical expertise, solution design, demonstrations, Proof of Concepts (POCs), and technical enablement to drive Palo Alto Networks adoption and business growth.

Key Responsibilities

Pre-Sales & Solution Engineering

Act as the Technical Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the Palo Alto Networks security portfolio, including:

Next-Generation Firewalls (PA-Series & VM-Series)

Panorama

Prisma Access (SASE)

Prisma SD-WAN

Prisma Cloud

Cortex XDR

Cortex XSOAR

Cortex XSIAM (preferred)

Support technical pre-sales activities including:

Requirement gathering

Security assessments

Solution architecture and design

Technical presentations

Product demonstrations

Proof of Concept (POC) deployment and validation

Assist the Product and Sales team with:

RFP/RFI responses

Bill of Materials (BOM) preparation

Licensing guidance

Subscription sizing

Solution positioning

Partner & Customer Engagement

Participate in:

Distribution Managed Partner Round Tables

Partner Technical Workshops

Customer Technical Round Tables

Executive Briefing Sessions

Security Days and Roadshows

Engage directly with partners and enterprise customers to position Palo Alto Networks solutions.

Act as a trusted technical advisor throughout the complete sales lifecycle.

Training, Enablement & Onboarding

Conduct partner enablement sessions on Palo Alto Networks products.

Deliver technical workshops and hands-on labs.

Support new partner onboarding and technical readiness.

Assist partners in preparing for Palo Alto Networks certifications.

Build and maintain demo environments, lab guides, and technical documentation.

Conduct internal enablement sessions for sales and pre-sales teams.

Collaboration & Vendor Interaction

Work closely with:

Internal Sales Teams

Product Managers

Palo Alto Networks Channel Teams

Palo Alto Networks Systems Engineers

Stay updated with:

New product releases

Gather customer and partner feedback to improve Go-To-Market (GTM) strategies.

Required Skills & Experience

Technical Skills

Strong hands-on experience with Palo Alto Networks security solutions, especially:

Next-Generation Firewalls

Panorama

Security Policies

NAT

VPN (Site-to-Site & GlobalProtect)

App-ID

User-ID

Content-ID

WildFire

DNS Security

Threat Prevention

Good understanding of:

Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)

Zero Trust Security

SD-WAN

Endpoint Security

SOC Operations

XDR Concepts

Cloud Security

Container Security (Preferred)

Certifications (Mandatory / Preferred)

Preferred Certifications:

Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Engineer (PCNSE)

Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Administrator (PCNSA)

Palo Alto Networks Systems Engineer (PSE) Foundation

PSE Strata Professional

PSE Prisma Access Professional

Cortex XDR / Cortex XSOAR certifications (Preferred)

Professional Skills

Excellent presentation and communication skills.

Ability to explain complex cybersecurity concepts to technical and non-technical audiences.

Strong customer-facing and partner engagement skills.

Experience working in a distribution or channel-driven environment.

Ability to manage multiple opportunities simultaneously.

Self-motivated with strong problem-solving and troubleshooting skills.

Experience Requirements

35 years of experience in:

Technical Pre-Sales

Solution Engineering

Network Security Consulting

Cybersecurity Engineering

Hands-on experience with:

Palo Alto Networks solutions

Enterprise firewalls

Network Security

Cloud Security

Endpoint Security

Prior experience working with a distributor, system integrator, or value-added reseller (VAR) will be an added advantage. .