Pre-Sales Solutions Engineer (Network) at Merlin Group
Merlin Group · Tysons, United States Of America · Hybrid
- Senior
- Office in Tysons
About Merlin Group
Merlin Group operates at the intersection of cyber innovation, national security, and technology-driven transformation. With a mission to accelerate the adoption of high-impact technologies across the U.S. public sector and regulated commercial markets, Merlin is uniquely structured around three core tenets – Invest, Enable, and Scale – each designed to address a specific stage of the technology lifecycle. Together, our affiliates – Merlin Ventures, CGC, and Merlin Cyber – form a flywheel that builds enduring capability for customers, partners, and the broader cyber ecosystem, operationalizing technological advancement into mission-ready, enterprise-grade solutions.
At Merlin, we believe our strength lies in our people. Team members are encouraged to be creative, collaborative, and nimble, pursuing paths to deliver the cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions that our customers rely on. From next-generation cyber defense to secure cloud and AI, we are united by one purpose – transforming innovation into mission impact.
The Opportunity
We're seeking a Pre-Sales Solutions Engineer for our Network Security practice. In this role, you will help to identify, recommend and design optimal technology solutions that guide agencies through their Zero Trust, SASE, and network visibility journeys. You will serve as the technical subject matter expert in network security solutions and build compelling demos/POCs in collaboration with Merlin engineers, technical practice area leads, and technology partners. As the technical pre-sales lead for Merlin’s network security portfolio, you will help qualify sales opportunities and recommend optimal solutions spanning next-gen firewalls, IDS/IPS, SASE/ZTNA, NDR, NAC/asset intelligence, network segmentation/micro-segmentation, and cloud network security. You’ll pair deep domain expertise with business acumen – framing value, reducing risk, and accelerating outcomes aligned with government and regulatory frameworks and mission needs of our customers. As part of Merlin’s Network Security practice, you’ll play a key role in shaping the future of our Zero Trust and network security offering –helping define, build, and scale innovative, mission-aligned solutions alongside our partners.
Primary Duties & Responsibilities
Pre-Sales Engineering
- Act as subject-matter expert for Merlin’s Network Technical Practice area solutions aligned to Zero Trust and relevant federal guidance.
- Deliver technical discovery, solution mapping, whiteboarding, and deep-dive technical presentations.
- Build and run product demonstrations and proofs-of-concept across our partner ecosystem to include: NGFW, SASE, IT/IOT/OT Asset Discovery & Visibility, NDR, Vulnerability Management and Cybersecurity Threat and Exposure Management.
- Lead the technical workstream for opportunities; develop architectures, bills of materials, sizing, and integration plans.
- Own technical responses for RFI/RFPs, security questionnaires, and compliance mappings (e.g., Zero Trust, FedRAMP/FISMA/NIST references), coordinating with partners and internal SMEs.
- Support the growth and scaling of Merlin’s Network Practice by contributing technical insights to practice strategy, partner enablement, and solution innovation..
- Maintain technical certifications related to Merlin’s Network Technical Practice Area
Partner & Customer Engagement
- Build trusted relationships across agency stakeholders and technology partners; Align roadmaps, capabilities, and enablement across our partner ecosystem and customers.
- Provide feedback to product teams on feature gaps and integration opportunities; contribute to solution briefs, reference designs, and best-practice guides.
- Collaborate with internal SMEs and partners to validate integrations and interoperability across the Merlin portfolio.
- Support Cybersecurity Research Analysts and Merlin Labs in the production of market and technical analyses/evaluation reports
- Collaborate with partner sales and marketing teams to support co-branded demos, and joint technical enablement initiatives.
- Contribute to the development of reference architectures, reusable demo assets, and technical sales materials that strengthen Merlin’s differentiation in the federal market.
Qualifications
Required
- 7+ years in technical pre-sales, solution engineering, or consulting role with a practical IT experience.
- Expert knowledge across network security domains: NGFW/UTM, IDS/IPS, SASE/ZTNA, secure SD-WAN, NDR, segmentation/micro-segmentation, NAC/asset intelligence, Vulnerability Management and integrations with SIEM/SOAR/ITSM.
- Hands-on experience designing and/or deploying network security platforms (e.g. Palo Alto Networks), NDR and IT/IOT/OT Discovery and Visibility (e.g. Armis) solutions
- Strong presentation, whiteboarding, and communication skills; able to articulate value to both technical and executive audiences.
- Familiarity with federal security frameworks (e.g., NIST SP 800-53/207, FedRAMP, RMF concepts, and TIC/Zero Trust guidance.)
- Ability to travel up to 25% for customer meetings, partner workshops, and events.
Preferred
- Relevant certifications: PCNSE, Palo Alto Networks SASE certs, Armis technical accreditation, CISSP, CCNP Security, Security+, or equivalent.
- Experience with AWS GovCloud/Azure Government; comfort with containers/Kubernetes fundamentals and Infrastructure-as-Code concepts.
- Familiarity with log aggregation and troubleshooting tools (e.g., Splunk/ELK, packet capture, flow analytics)
Work Environment & Location
- Hybrid or remote role; however, candidates located near the DMV (D.C., Maryland, Virginia) are preferred due to occasional collaborative sessions at our headquarters in Tysons, VA.
Success Attributes
- Demonstrated impact through proof-of-concept or similar asset win rates, partner enablement contributions, and positive customer feedback.
- Bias to action, strong collaboration skills, ability to influence without authority, and a customer-centric mindset that aligns with Merlin’s mission-driven culture.
- Commitment to personal and professional integrity and respect for others.
- Roll-up-your-sleeves attitude and low-ego approach.
- Commitment to teamwork and professional relationship development.
- Passion for lifelong learning, growth, and development.
- Flexible and nimble; comfortable with ambiguity and rapid change.
- Strong communication and functional project management skills.
- Desire to innovate, try new things, and creatively explore novel solutions to business challenges.
- Professional and respectful approach to the diversity of thought, action, identity, and attributes.
Benefits & Perks
We want to empower and inspire employees to be and do their best. Our workdays are dynamic, collegial, and fun. Our office features multiple places to work unconstrained by typical office barriers. Our wellness package provides access to an on-site gym and includes medical, dental, and vision insurance along with options for FSA and EAP. We offer 401(k) with employer match, unlimited PTO, and a culture respectful of the reality that not everything in one’s personal life is guaranteed to happen only after hours.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, local, or international law.
