Manager, Sales Engineering - People Protection Group

About Us

We are the leader in human-centric cybersecurity. Half a million customers, including 87 of the Fortune 100, rely on Proofpoint to protect their organizations. We’re driven by a mission to stay ahead of bad actors and safeguard the digital world. Join us in our pursuit to defend data and protect people.

How We Work

At Proofpoint, you’ll be part of a global team that breaks barriers to redefine cybersecurity, guided by our BRAVE core values Bold in how we dream and innovate, Responsive to feedback, challenges, and opportunities, Accountable for results and best-in-class outcomes, Visionary in future-focused problem-solving, Exceptional in execution and impact.

Sales Engineering Manager at Proofpoint People Protection Group (PPG)

As a Sales Engineering Manager at PPG, specializing in Adaptive Email Products (Security, Misdirected and Exfiltration). You will play a substantial role in building and sustaining customer relationships while driving the adoption of these solutions. As a Sales Engineering Manager, you will work closely with specialist leaders, direct reports and extended teams to support the acquisition of new revenue from existing and prospective customers, focusing on the technical alignment of our product and how we address our customers threats. This manager acts as a technical evangelist, field enabler, and cross-functional bridge between product, sales, marketing, and customer success — operating globally across multiple time zones and cultures. The Sales Engineering Manager role at People Protection Group will be impactful, visible, and rewarding.

Responsibilities

• Global Team Leadership & Talent Development
  • Lead and mentor a distributed team of advanced technology Sales Engineers across multiple regions.
  • Drive consistency in technical excellence and field support across all markets.
  • Hire, onboard, and retain top SE talent aligned to emerging technologies.
  • Promote a culture of inclusion, continuous learning, and operational rigor.
  • Conduct regular 1 1s, team meetings, performance reviews, and coaching sessions.
• Overlay Sales Support & Execution
  • Support regional sales teams with advanced pre-sales expertise, POCs, demos, and architectural reviews.
  • Act as an escalation point for complex or strategic deals requiring deep technical validation.
  • Collaborate with account teams to map solution value to customer pain points, especially in highly regulated or security-conscious industries.
• Advanced Technology Evangelism
  • Serve as the internal and external SME on the latest Adaptive Email innovations
  • Lead customer-facing webinars, technical sessions, and briefings to articulate the value of Adaptive Email solutions.
  • Collaborate with marketing to refine messaging, competitive positioning, and go-to-market strategies
• Strategic Influence & Cross-functional Collaboration
  • Work closely with Product Management and R&D to provide field feedback and influence the roadmap.
  • Partner with Enablement teams to scale training content, certifications, and lab environments.
  • Act as a liaison between customer success, support, and services to ensure post-sale success of complex deployments.
• Technical Standardization & Best Practices
  • Define and enforce global SE standards for solution design, security architecture, and demo environments.
  • Establish repeatable playbooks and reference architecture for key verticals and use cases.
  • Track and optimize key performance indicators (KPIs) such as win rate, time to POC, and SE utilization
• Executive Presence & Indirect Influence
  • Align with regional Sales VPs and GTM leadership to influence deal strategy and territory planning.
  • Present to customer executives and internal senior leadership on technical trends and team impact.
  • Support executive briefings, board-level presentations, and strategic partner engagements.
    

We’d love to meet someone

• With a strong affinity to technology and sales.
• An enthusiastic self-starter with an outgoing personality, comfortable working both independently and in a team setting.
• 5–10 years in cybersecurity pre-sales or technical roles, with 3–5 years in a leadership role Experienced in working with commercial teams and is comfortable with quota driven performance management.
• Proven success managing global or matrixed teams in fast-paced environments.
• Strong communication, storytelling, and executive influencing skills
• Able to travel internationally (~20-30% if needed)
• Your strong customer facing and relationship building skills, coupled with your listening and questions-based selling skills help you see the “big picture” and create amazing experiences for customers.

Why Proofpoint? At Proofpoint, we believe that an exceptional career experience includes a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Here are just a few reasons you’ll love working with us

• Competitive compensation
• Comprehensive benefits
• Learning & Development We are committed to the growth and development of our team members, offering a range of programs including leadership and professional development workshops, stretch project assignments, and mentoring opportunities to help employees reach their full potential.
• Flexible work environment [Remote options, hybrid schedules, flexible hours, etc.].
• Annual wellness and community outreach days
• Always on recognition for your contributions
• Global collaboration and networking opportunities

Our Culture

Our culture is rooted in values that inspire belonging, empower purpose and drive success-every day, for everyone. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. If you need accommodation during the application or interview process, please reach out to [email protected]. How to Apply Interested? Submit your application here // We can’t wait to hear from you!