Sales Engineer

Position: Sales Engineer I
GCI's Sales Engineer I will p rovide technical expertise, consulting, and solutions design as an integral part of the complete customer lifecycle, including pre and post sales, project management, support, consultation, and advocacy. Act as the technical liaison between the customer and the organization, ensuring solutions are designed to meet client requirements while aligning with company standards.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AT ALL LEVELS:

Solution Design & Technical Support

+ Interpret customer requirements and translate them into technical solutions and basis-of-design documentation; including performing on-site assessments or site surveys when required to validate real-world conditions.

+ Lead ad-hoc brainstorming sessions with internal teams (Engineering, Operations, Product) to develop innovative, complex solutions tailored to customer needs.

+ Design and validate network and technology solutions aligned with company capabilities, defined products, standards, and regulatory/funding compliance.

+ Design solutions across multiple disciplines (Cloud, Security, RF, Transport, etc.), including supporting literature, diagrams, presentations, demos, and write-ups.

+ Prepare high-level diagrams, accurate cost estimates, and validate technical feasibility (verifying on-site power, space, environmental, and access requirements).

+ Serve as the primary technical liaison for assigned opportunities by attending customer meetings on site when in-person engagement is required for clarity and trust building; lead executive-level solution discussions and act as an escalation point for design questions.

+ Maintain accountability for success metrics and ensure solutions adhere to the Variable Speed Model (Simple, Routine, Complex), comply with organizational processes, and meet Operational Level Agreements (OLA) timelines.

Sales Process Support

+ Support the sales process by translating customer needs into realistic technical designs, creating high-level solution architectures, and providing accurate estimates and documentation.

+ Collaborate with Account Managers, Program Managers, and Sales Managers to support sales initiatives, customer relationship management, and support sales team initiatives through accurate technical input.

+ Participate in proposal development, RFP/RFI/RFQ and other sales responses, and deliver technical presentations.

+ Participate in gate reviews to present design details and ensure timely completion of deliverables per OLA.

+ Maintain accurate records of technical requirements, estimates, and deliverables to support sales and compliance processes by informed first-hand confirmation of customer environments.

+ Maintain accurate client records for COGS, capital, pricing data, and scopes of work for estimations, projects, and operational service definitions.

+ Function as a subject matter expert (SME) for client services technical details, ensuring field conditions match documented expectations and coordinate with technical service teams for timely and consistent delivery.

+ Ensure all proposals and designs adhere to company standards and funding guidelines.

Customer & Executive Engagement

+ Serve as the primary technical liaison for assigned opportunities, ensuring clear communication of technical requirements and concepts in direct engagements.

+ Provide technical consultation and respond to customer inquiries promptly and accurately.

+ Lead solution discussions with customer executives focused on near-term deployments.

+ Present technical roadmaps that align with customer objectives and GCI capabilities.

+ Support post-sales activities including onboarding, technical handoff, and resolution of design-related issues.

+ Build and maintain strong customer relationships through technical advocacy and solution alignment.

+ Attend customer site meetings to serve as both the technical assurance and the customer's advocate. Representing their needs accurately within GCI and ensuring solutions align with real-world conditions and customer expectations.

Product Support & Continuous Improvement

+ Stay current with emerging technologies, telecommunications industry practices, and company systems, processes, product, and service offerings.

+ Maintain a strong understanding of the competitive landscape and market dynamics, including strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

+ Provide feedback to Product Management and Program Engineering by capturing customer use cases, identifying opportunities, and assessing new technologies.

+ Contribute technical expertise and market awareness to product development initiatives, including testing new products and validating capabilities.

+ Identify customer feedback and relay insights to product and engineering teams.

+ Collaborate with internal teams to ensure product capabilities align with customer expectations.

+ Maintain strong working knowledge of Alaska's geographic layout and the distinct needs of urban centers, rural communities, and remote villages; including…