At Lightspeed Systems, we're on a mission to help K-12 schools create safer, more effective digital learning environments. Trusted by thousands of districts across the United States and around the world, our solutions help IT teams protect students, manage devices, and gain meaningful visibility into their digital ecosystems.
We're looking for a Strategic Solutions Engineer to serve as a senior technical partner for our largest and most complex K-12 school district accounts across the US. In this role, you will bridge technical expertise and strategic sales, supporting both the pre- and post-sales journey for high-value district opportunities. You'll lead executive-level technical engagements, design and deliver proofs of concept, and ensure that Lightspeed's solutions are implemented and adopted to their fullest potential.
About the Role
- Lead pre-sales technical engagements, including product demonstrations, solution design, and presenting how Lightspeed's platform addresses the specific needs of large school districts.
- Design and deliver proofs of concept (POCs) for complex sales cycles, demonstrating solution effectiveness within a district's existing environment.
- Lead high-level technical discussions with CIOs, CTOs, and senior IT leaders, building credibility and trust at the executive level.
- Own product implementation and configuration for strategic accounts, partnering with the sales team to ensure accurate, tailored deployments from pre-sale through go-live.
- Install, configure, and manage Lightspeed software on end-user devices across Windows, Mac, Chromebook, and iOS/Android platforms, deploying via GPO, SCCM, Intune, Jamf, or equivalent tools.
- Develop a deep understanding of each district's goals and challenges through strategic questioning and active listening, aligning solutions to both immediate needs and long-term objectives.
- Maintain consistent, proactive communication with customers throughout implementation, ensuring clear status updates and no open items fall through the cracks.
- Deliver comprehensive product training and enablement to district IT staff and administrators to drive adoption and maximize utilization.
- Serve as the technical escalation point for strategic accounts, coordinating with Support and Engineering as needed to resolve complex issues.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with Sales, Support, and Product teams to advocate for customer needs, surface product gaps, and contribute to go-to-market strategy.
- Maintain accurate records in ChurnZero, including client contacts, implementation journeys, meeting notes, and configurations.
About You
- 5+ years of experience in a Solutions Engineering, pre-sales technical, or senior IT role, ideally within SaaS or EdTech.
- Hands-on experience installing and managing software on end-user devices across multiple platforms (Windows, Mac, Chromebook, iOS/Android). This is a device-level implementation role, not an API or integration engineering position.
- Deep working knowledge of endpoint management and software deployment tools, including GPO, SCCM, Intune, Jamf, or equivalent.
- Strong enterprise networking knowledge, including DNS, DHCP, firewalls, VLANs, proxies, and the ability to troubleshoot connectivity and filtering issues independently.
- Solid understanding of web content filtering concepts, including policy management, SSL inspection, and category-based controls.
- Extensive experience with user provisioning via Azure Active Directory and/or Google Admin Console.
- Proven ability to lead technical discussions with executive-level stakeholders, including CIOs and CTOs, with strong consultative and influencing skills.
- Excellent organizational skills and follow-through, with the ability to manage multiple strategic accounts and open implementations simultaneously.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts clearly for non-technical audiences.
Note: This role requires up to 25% travel for client meetings, industry events, and occasional team gatherings. Sponsorship is not available for this position.
At Lightspeed Systems, you'll be part of a dynamic team shaping the future of education technology. Join us in our mission to create safer and more effective digital learning environments for students worldwide.