
Lead Sales Engineer
Equinix · Seattle, WA
- On site
- Full-time
- $245,000 / year
- Seattle, WA
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Subject: Interested in the Lead Sales Engineer role at Equinix
Hi Casey — I came across the Lead Sales Engineer opening and wanted to reach out directly. I've spent the last few years doing exactly this kind of work, and Equinix stood out because…
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Job highlights
- Lead technical sales for strategic Microsoft hyperscaler accounts.
- Design advanced data center and interconnection solutions.
- Expert in data center design and emerging technologies.
- Engage C-level executives and technical stakeholders.
- Drive global account strategy into deployable architectures.
About the role
About Equinix
Equinix is the world’s digital infrastructure company®, shortening the path to connectivity to enable innovations that enrich our work, life, and planet. We are a place where bold ideas are welcomed, human connection is valued, and everyone has the opportunity to shape their future. A career at Equinix means being at the center of shaping what comes next and amplifying customer value through innovation and impact. You’ll work across teams, influence key decisions, and help shape the path forward. You’ll find belonging, purpose, and a team that welcomes you—because when you feel valued, you’re empowered to do your best work.
Job Summary
The Lead Sales Engineer - Microsoft is the technical execution leader for one of Equinix’s most strategic and globally significant hyperscaler accounts. This role owns the end-to-end design and pursuit execution of advanced data center, interconnection, and hybrid infrastructure solutions across the breadth of Microsoft’s product and services portfolio deployed on Platform Equinix. You will translate global account strategy into deployable architectures across regions, working in close partnership with the Microsoft Account Executive and Solutions Architect. You will serve as the subject matter expert for data center design, emerging infrastructure technologies, high-density compute, and custom build-to-suit solutions, ensuring technical excellence and commercial viability in every engagement. This is a high-visibility role both within and outside of the company, requiring a rare combination of deep data center and infrastructure expertise, advanced client engagement skills, and the technical authority to lead through complex, multi-region hyperscaler pursuits. The ideal candidate is adept at business-outcome conversations with C-level executives and deeply technical discussions on complex data center, AI, and interconnection solutions.
Responsibilities
Strategic Account Technical Leadership
- Serve as a trusted technical advisor throughout the sales lifecycle, partnering with the Account Executive and Global Solutions Architect to achieve and exceed global bookings and revenue targets.
- Lead detailed technical discovery across global stakeholders to define requirements for space, power, cooling, density, resiliency, compliance, and interconnection.
- Own the technical win for regional and global pursuits by delivering comprehensive design documentation, architecture diagrams, and solution walkthroughs.
- Align regional designs with the global account technical roadmap to ensure consistency and scalability across geographies.
- Support forecast accuracy and deal progression by clearly articulating solution scope, risks, dependencies, and technical differentiators.
- Serve as a technical SME in the customer’s domain to understand their business, speak their language, and advance ecosystem opportunities on Platform Equinix.
- Engage the extended Equinix global technical community to provide coordinated strategy and a superior customer experience wherever the customer requires Equinix services.
Data Center Architecture and Solution Design
- Design complex colocation and infrastructure solutions, including high-density AI and GPU deployments, liquid cooling strategies, advanced power modeling, and hybrid cloud architectures.
- Serve as subject matter expert for emerging technologies, including high-performance compute environments, distributed architectures, sovereign deployments, and sustainability-driven design.
- Develop and articulate scalable global deployment strategies for customers operating across multiple regions with diverse regulatory and operational requirements.
- Lead custom design services engagements, including build-to-suit solutions, phased expansion strategies, and specialized infrastructure configurations.
- Partner with xScale, IBX design, construction, operations, and product teams to ensure feasibility, compliance, and delivery readiness of proposed solutions.
- Maintain a strong understanding of the competitive landscape across retail and wholesale data center providers, and articulate Equinix differentiation clearly across the full colocation and interconnection portfolio.
- Deliver Equinix’s sustainability story with awareness of emerging regional requirements and Equinix’s commitments to meet them.
- Demonstrate expert-level fluency in next-generation data center trends, including liquid cooling, AI infrastructure, power generation, density, and PUE.
Technical Pursuit Leadership and Innovation Support
- Own the technical components of RFP and proposal responses, including architecture validation, risk mitigation, and scope definition.
- Drive quoting processes, capacity reviews, facility tours, and advanced technical workshops tied to complex infrastructure pursuits.
- Support co-innovation initiatives led by the Global Solutions Architect by translating validated blueprints and reference architectures into executable regional deployments.
- Participate in Solution Validation Center engagements, proofs of concept, and technical validation programs tied to advanced or emerging architectures.
- Provide field-driven feedback to product, engineering, and operations teams to inform roadmap evolution based on strategic customer requirements and deployment realities.
- Closely follow industry trends and developments across power generation, liquid cooling, AI infrastructure, and data center design to shape account team priorities and lead from the front on technology innovation.
- Continually increase technical depth and develop problem-solving skills through formal education, certifications, self-study, and individual development planning.
- Contribute to the Global Technical Sales community through knowledge sharing, team enablement, and continuous learning.
Qualifications
- 10+ years of experience in technical pre-sales, infrastructure engineering, or data center architecture roles within complex enterprise or hyperscale environments.
- Deep expertise in data center infrastructure, including power density modeling, cooling technologies, interconnection strategy, resiliency design, and hybrid cloud integration.
- Experience supporting global or hyperscaler-grade deployments with multi-region coordination.
- Strong understanding of AI infrastructure requirements, including high-density compute and liquid cooling considerations.
- Familiarity with custom design services, phased capacity planning, and build-to-suit engagements.
- Experience managing complex RFP processes and cross-functional solution delivery.
- Solutions selling experience in a technical pre-sales position required.
- Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline preferred. Industry certifications preferred.
- Equivalent experience through alternative paths, including non-traditional backgrounds or career transitions, is welcomed and valued.
Required Skills
- Strong technical depth with the ability to translate complex infrastructure designs into clear customer-facing narratives.
- Equally adept at C-level business-outcome conversations and deeply technical discussions on complex data center, AI, and interconnection solutions.
- Structured and precise in documentation, design artifacts, and technical validation.
- Highly collaborative across sales, product, engineering, operations, and construction teams.
- Commercially aware, balancing architectural rigor with revenue impact and deal velocity.
- Forward-looking mindset with strong interest in emerging infrastructure technologies and evolving data center trends.
- Delivers executive-ready technical presentations and comprehensive customer design documentation.
- Excellent executive engagement skills with the ability to operate credibly across CIO, CTO, and SVP stakeholders.
- Fosters a culture of continuous technical learning and brings an innovation-oriented mindset to design and pursuit execution.
- Consistent focus on execution and high-quality customer outcomes, with strong organizational and documentation discipline.
Key skills/competency
- Data Center Architecture
- Sales Engineering
- Hyperscale Computing
- AI Infrastructure
- Interconnection Solutions
- Technical Pre-sales
- Cloud Integration
- RFP Management
- Customer Engagement
- Solution Design
Skills & topics
- Lead Sales Engineer
- Data Center
- Infrastructure
- Cloud
- Microsoft
- Hyperscale
- Pre-sales
- Architecture
- Sales
- Engineering
How to get hired
- Tailor your resume: Highlight 10+ years in technical pre-sales, data center architecture, and hyperscale environments. Emphasize experience with AI infrastructure, liquid cooling, and global deployments.
- Showcase technical expertise: Prepare to discuss complex data center designs, power density, cooling, and interconnection strategies. Quantify your achievements in driving technical wins and revenue targets.
- Demonstrate executive presence: Be ready for C-level conversations about business outcomes and technical solutions. Practice articulating complex concepts clearly and concisely.
- Highlight collaboration: Provide examples of working effectively with sales, product, engineering, and operations teams to deliver solutions.
- Research Equinix: Understand their digital infrastructure solutions and commitment to sustainability. Show genuine interest in their partnership with Microsoft.
Technical preparation
Behavioral questions
Frequently asked questions
- What specific data center infrastructure expertise is crucial for the Lead Sales Engineer - Microsoft role at Equinix?
- For the Lead Sales Engineer - Microsoft position at Equinix, deep expertise in data center infrastructure is paramount. This includes advanced knowledge of power density modeling, various cooling technologies (especially liquid cooling for AI), interconnection strategies, and robust resiliency design. A strong grasp of hybrid cloud integration is also essential, as you'll be designing solutions that span these environments.
- How does Equinix leverage AI in its hiring process for the Lead Sales Engineer - Microsoft role?
- Equinix utilizes artificial intelligence in its hiring process. While specific details are proprietary, this typically involves AI tools to help screen resumes, identify key skills and experiences that match the Lead Sales Engineer - Microsoft requirements, and potentially analyze candidate responses to initial assessments. This ensures a more efficient and data-driven approach to identifying top talent for critical roles.
- What are the key differences between the Seattle, Denver, and Redwood City salary ranges for the Lead Sales Engineer - Microsoft role?
- The salary ranges for the Lead Sales Engineer - Microsoft role vary significantly by location. Seattle offers the highest target range ($163,000 - $245,000), followed by Redwood City ($178,000 - $266,000), and then Denver ($148,000 - $222,000). These ranges reflect the cost of living and market demand in each specific U.S. region.
- Can a candidate with equivalent experience, rather than a specific engineering degree, apply for the Lead Sales Engineer - Microsoft position at Equinix?
- Yes, Equinix values equivalent experience through alternative paths. If you have extensive relevant experience in technical pre-sales, infrastructure engineering, or data center architecture, even without a traditional engineering degree, your application for the Lead Sales Engineer - Microsoft role will be considered. They welcome non-traditional backgrounds and career transitions.
- What is the expected collaboration dynamic between the Lead Sales Engineer - Microsoft and the Account Executive at Equinix?
- The Lead Sales Engineer - Microsoft works in close partnership with the Account Executive and Global Solutions Architect. The Sales Engineer focuses on the technical execution, design, and pursuit strategy, ensuring technical wins, while the Account Executive manages the overall client relationship and commercial aspects of the deal. This symbiotic relationship is crucial for achieving global bookings and revenue targets.
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