SMB Sales Engineer Manager
Role Overview
The SMB Sales Engineer Manager is responsible for the strategic leadership, performance management, and development of a team of Sales Engineers supporting Lenovo's SMB sales organization.
This leader will build and scale a high-performing technical pre-sales organization that enables Client Managers, Channel Partners, and customers to successfully adopt Lenovo solutions. The role requires a strong balance of people leadership, technical expertise, business acumen, and channel engagement.
A significant portion of this role will focus on developing and strengthening relationships across Lenovo's channel ecosystem, including key partners, distributors, and solution providers. The SMB Sales Engineer Manager will work closely with sales leadership and channel teams to ensure Lenovo's technical capabilities are effectively represented, trusted, and leveraged across the SMB market.
Success requires strong collaboration across Sales, Channel, Product, Services, and Operations teams to drive growth and deliver exceptional partner and customer experiences.
Key Responsibilities
Team Leadership & Development
- Recruit, develop, and retain a high-performing team of SMB Sales Engineers
- Establish performance expectations, development plans, and coaching programs
- Foster a culture of accountability, technical excellence, collaboration, and continuous learning
- Conduct regular performance reviews, talent assessments, and career planning discussions
- Develop future technical leaders and establish a scalable sales engineering operating model
Channel Partner Engagement & Relationship Management
- Build and maintain strong executive and working relationships with Lenovo channel partners, distributors, and strategic solution providers
- Serve as the technical leadership point of contact for key partner engagements and growth initiatives
- Support channel sales teams in developing technical strategies that increase Lenovo share and solution adoption
- Participate in partner business reviews, enablement sessions, partner events, and customer engagements
- Collaborate with channel leadership to identify growth opportunities and remove technical barriers to execution
- Drive partner confidence in Lenovo's PC, Infrastructure, and Services portfolio through consistent technical engagement and enablement
- Establish the Sales Engineering team as a trusted technical resource within Lenovo's partner ecosystem
Technical Sales Leadership
- Ensure consistent delivery of high-quality technical support across the sales cycle
- Provide guidance and oversight on solution design, configuration, pricing, and validation
- Assist the team in navigating complex opportunities and strategic customer engagements
- Act as an escalation point for technical challenges involving customers, Client Managers, or channel partners
- Drive technical best practices and standardization across the organization
Sales & Channel Business Execution
- Partner closely with SMB Sales Leadership, Channel Sales Leadership, and Client Managers to align resources with business priorities
- Influence pipeline growth through effective technical engagement and opportunity support
- Develop processes that improve technical coverage, responsiveness, and scalability
- Measure and improve team performance through business and operational metrics
- Support strategic initiatives focused on revenue growth, profitability, and customer acquisition
What Success Looks Like
- Sales Engineers are viewed as trusted technical advisors by Client Managers, Channel Partners, and customers
- Channel partners actively seek engagement from Lenovo's Sales Engineering organization to help drive opportunities forward
- Lenovo solutions are accurately designed, priced, and positioned with minimal rework
- Technical engagement contributes to increased partner-led revenue growth and pipeline conversion
- The team consistently delivers high levels of technical credibility, responsiveness, and customer satisfaction
- Strong relationships across the channel ecosystem create competitive differentiation and accelerate Lenovo growth
- Team members are developed, engaged, and continuously improving their technical and consultative skills
Basic Qualifications
- 5+ years of experience in technical pre-sales, sales engineering, solution architecture, or consultative technology sales
- 2+ years of leadership experience managing technical or pre-sales teams
- Experience supporting SMB, Mid-Market, Commercial, or Channel-focused sales organizations
- Demonstrated success working with channel partners, distributors, resellers, or indirect sales models
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent relevant experience
Preferred Qualifications
- Proven experience leading technical pre-sales organizations in a high-volume sales environment
- Strong understanding of the channel ecosystem and partner-led sales motions
- Deep knowledge of PC, Infrastructure, Storage, and Hybrid IT solutions
- Experience collaborating with distributors, VARs, MSPs, CSPs, and other channel partners
- Strong business acumen with the ability to align technical investments to revenue growth
- Exceptional relationship-building, communication, and executive presentation skills
- Experience building scalable processes, operating models, and enablement programs
- Demonstrated ability to influence stakeholders across a matrixed global organization
