PreSales Security Expert – Communications Service Providers

Fortinet Canada is seeking a PreSales Security Expert to support direct (Sell-to) engagements with Canadian Communications Service Providers, working in close alignment with a Major Account Manager (MAM).

This role supports both the internal enterprise (corporate) security environments of the service provider and the service provider's network infrastructure and operational environments, requiring the ability to operate effectively across enterprise security architectures and carrier-grade network infrastructures.

The ideal candidate is a hybrid SE who can address traditional enterprise use cases (NGFW, SASE, ZTNA, SSE) while also understanding the scale, performance, availability, and operational requirements unique to service provider networks, and can translate between business, security, and network infrastructure teams.

Scope of Responsibility – Enterprise & Service Provider Networks

This role spans two interconnected domains within CSP accounts:

Enterprise / Corporate Network Scope

• Internal IT and corporate security environments of the service provider
• Enterprise security architectures including NGFW, SASE, ZTNA, and secure access
• User, application, and data protection use cases

Service Provider Network & Infrastructure Scope

• Core, aggregation, and edge network infrastructure operated by the CSP
• Network-scale security services supporting large traffic volumes and high availability
• Operational environments such as NOCs, service platforms, and shared infrastructure

The successful candidate can context-switch seamlessly between these domains and help customers align enterprise security needs with service provider network realities.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Technical Ownership: Partner with the aligned MAM to develop and execute multi-year technical strategies and account plans aligned with customer transformation initiatives and Fortinet growth objectives.
• Customer Technical Engagement: Act as the primary technical point of contact for assigned CSP accounts, engaging with network, security, cloud, and operations teams to understand requirements and influence architectural decisions.
• Solution Architecture & Design: Design end-to-end architectures for complex service provider environments, including large-scale networks, hybrid/multi-cloud, managed security services, and enterprise customer offerings.
• Sales Support & Execution: Support all technical aspects of the sales cycle including discovery, solution positioning, demonstrations, proof-of-concepts (PoCs), technical validation, and deal closure.
• Executive & Architectural Influence: Confidently present Fortinet's technical vision and differentiation to senior technical leaders and executives through workshops, whiteboarding sessions, and executive briefings.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with Fortinet teams, specialist overlays, marketing, and services to build compelling, differentiated solutions tailored to CSP requirements.
• Competitive Differentiation: Maintain deep awareness of the competitive landscape and articulate Fortinet's advantages in performance, integration, scalability, and operational efficiency.
• Pipeline & Forecast Support: Provide technical input to pipeline development, opportunity qualification, and forecasting accuracy in partnership with the MAM.
• Operational Excellence: Maintain accurate technical opportunity data, activities, and account information in Salesforce and other internal systems.

Required Skills and Experience

• Experience: 7–10+ years in a PreSales / Systems Engineering role within networking, cybersecurity, telecommunications, or service provider environments.
• Service Provider Expertise: Strong understanding of CSP architectures, including large-scale routing and switching, WAN, data center, cloud connectivity, and security services.
• Security Knowledge: Solid experience with network security technologies such as NGFW, IPS, VPN, DDoS protection, Zero Trust, SASE/SSE, and security operations platforms.
• Sales Alignment: Proven experience supporting direct enterprise sales teams, working closely with account managers to drive technical wins and long-term account growth.
• Communication Skills: Strong ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences; confident presenter in customer-facing and executive settings.
• Problem Solving: Demonstrated ability to analyze customer challenges, design scalable solutions, and adapt approaches in complex, matrixed environments.
• Autonomy & Collaboration: Self-driven professional comfortable working independently while collaborating across sales, engineering, and leadership teams.

Technical Skills (Desired)

• Deep understanding of CSP fundamentals:
  • Carrier-grade networking concepts such as high availability, redundancy, traffic scale, and network segmentation
  • Routing & Switching, BGP, OSPF, MPLS, VLANs
  • Firewalling, IPsec, SSL VPN, Zero Trust, SASE
  • Authentication & encryption concepts (PKI, RADIUS, certificates)
• Experience with one or more of the following is an asset:
  • Managed Security Services (MSSP) enablement
  • Cloud security (public or private cloud)
  • Large-scale PoCs or lab environments
  • AI-driven security operations or automation
  • Familiarity with multi-tenant environments and service-based architectures

Education

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Industry certifications (Fortinet, networking, or security) are an asset.

Why Join Us

At Fortinet, you will work at the forefront of securing Canada's largest service provider networks, influencing how security is delivered at massive scale. We offer a collaborative, inclusive environment and a competitive Total Rewards package designed to support your professional growth, well-being, and long-term success. Join us to help shape the future of secure networking and cybersecurity for Canada's most critical digital infrastructure.