Sales Engineer Data Center & AI Infrastructure

Benefits: 401(k) Competitive salary Dental insurance Health insurance Paid time off Vision insurance Sales Engineer Data Center & AI Infrastructure | Department | Sales | Reports To | VP of Sales (dotted line to delivery leadership) | Location | Remote (U.S.) — preference for candidates near a major data center market | Travel | 30–40% | Employment Type | Full-time, Exempt ABOUT BNS BNS, Inc. is a data center infrastructure services firm headquartered in Hillsboro, Oregon. We deliver network deployment, structured cabling and conveyance, physical infrastructure build-out, and on-site technical operations for the operators building out AI compute capacity. Our work runs from greenfield fabric deployment and large-scale network refreshes through cutover and handback, into steady-state Layer 1 support, backed by our OpusWorks platform for proactive infrastructure management. Our customers are hyperscalers, colocation and wholesale data center operators, neocloud and AI compute providers, and Forbes Global 2000 enterprises running their own critical facilities. Engagements range from fixed-bid deployment programs to multi-year, multi-site resource commitments. This is a market moving faster than the supply of people who can execute in it, and we are building the commercial team to match. POSITION SUMMARY We are hiring a Sales Engineer to serve as the technical lead on data center infrastructure pursuits. You are the person who walks a data hall with the customer's network engineering team, determines what the work actually involves, and converts that into a scope, an estimate, and a proposal BNS can win and deliver. This role supports two to three Business Development Managers across hyperscaler, colocation, neocloud, and Global 2000 enterprise accounts. You own technical credibility in the room and technical accuracy in the paperwork — discovery, solution design, labor and material estimating, technical scope authorship, and a clean handoff to delivery. Estimating accuracy is a core measure of this role. A proposal that wins on a number BNS cannot execute against is a loss with a longer fuse, and you are the safeguard against that. TECHNICAL SCOPE OF THE ROLE • Data center network deployment. Leaf-spine fabric architecture including top-of-rack leaf design, EVPN/VXLAN underlay and overlay, BGP and ECMP behavior, switch refresh and migration sequencing, staging, lab rehearsal, and cutover planning. • AI and HPC fabrics. InfiniBand and RoCE cluster fabrics, GPU cluster topologies, fabric diagnostics and validation, and the deployment realities of high-density compute environments. • Physical infrastructure. Structured cabling design and takeoff, fiber and copper plant, polarity and breakout schemes, cable tray and conveyance routing, rack elevations, port mapping, and pathway and space planning to TIA-942 distribution-area conventions. • Migration and cutover engineering. Dependency graphing from live fabric state, risk identification, rollback design, method-of-procedure authorship, and per-rack acceptance criteria. • Operations and platform. Layer 1 operational models, staffing and coverage design, and the OpusWorks proactive infrastructure management platform — its integrations, deployment model, and value case. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Discovery and Technical Qualification • Lead technical discovery with customer network engineering, data center operations, and capital project teams to establish current state, constraints, and success criteria. • Own site walks and physical surveys; capture rack elevations, pathway conditions, port counts, cable plant condition, and access and safety constraints. • Perform fabric-state baselining and dependency analysis using customer topology data, LLDP/CDP and fabric diagnostic exports, and as-built documentation — and identify where the as-builts diverge from reality. • Surface technical risk early and honestly: single-homed dependencies, undocumented shared-fate paths, access constraints, and delivery assumptions that will not hold. • Recommend qualification or disqualification on technical and delivery grounds; the Business Development Manager makes the pursuit call. Solution Design and Estimating • Design the deployment approach: phasing, sequencing, staffing model, shift patterns, and site logistics. • Build labor estimates by role, phase, and hour — the basis of every fixed-bid and time-and-materials proposal BNS issues. • Produce bills of material and takeoffs for cabling, conveyance, optics, test equipment, and contingency spares; source vendor pricing and confirm lead times, with particular attention to optics and cable availability against the customer's schedule. • Own bid workbook construction, and validate that the estimate, the scope narrative, and the delivery plan describe the same engagement. • Model alternatives and trade-offs so the customer sees a considered set of options rather than a single take-it-or-leave-it number. Technical Authorship of Proposals and Statements of Work • Author the technical sections of proposals and statements of work: approach, scope, execution methodology, deliverables, assumptions, exclusions, and acceptance criteria. The Business Development Manager owns pricing basis and commercial terms. • Write assumptions and exclusions with the precision that prevents disputes later — this is where margin is protected or lost. • Respond to RFPs, RFIs, and customer technical questionnaires, including security, safety, and compliance sections. • Price change orders during delivery when scope evolves; the Business Development Manager secures written customer authorization. • Maintain and improve reusable proposal content, reference architectures, estimating templates, and standard scope language. Customer-Facing Technical Leadership • Present the BNS approach to customer engineering and operations audiences with the depth to withstand scrutiny from senior network engineers. • Run technical workshops, design sessions, and whiteboard reviews during the pursuit. • Demonstrate and position the OpusWorks platform, including its integration with customer fabric diagnostics, monitoring, and ticketing systems. • Serve as the technical point of contact throughout the sales cycle, and as a trusted advisor rather than a product presenter. Handoff, Feedback Loop, and Enablement • Co-lead the formal handoff to delivery and project management at contract signature, covering estimate basis, assumptions, risks, and commitments made during the sale. • Stay engaged through project mobilization to preserve continuity and resolve scope questions. • Feed actual delivery outcomes back into the estimating model — close the loop between what was quoted and what it took. • Keep technical scope, estimate versions, and solution notes current in the CRM alongside the Business Development Manager's commercial record. • Support Business Development Managers with technical enablement so they can qualify and lead early conversations without escalating every question. • Track technology and market developments — fabric architectures, optics, cabling standards, AI cluster deployment patterns — and bring that back to the team. FIRST-YEAR EXPECTATIONS | First 30 days | Complete onboarding on BNS delivery methodology, rate card and estimating model, bid workbook structure, and the OpusWorks platform. Shadow active pursuits and review recent proposals against their delivery outcomes. | First 90 days | Independently lead technical discovery and produce a complete estimate and proposal technical section on at least one active opportunity, with a working rhythm established across your assigned Business Development Managers and delivery leadership. | First 6 months | Full ownership of technical solutioning across assigned accounts, plus a measurable improvement to at least one reusable asset — estimating template, reference architecture, or standard scope library. | First 12 months | Labor-hour estimating accuracy within ±10% across delivered engagements, contribution to team quota attainment, and a demonstrated technical win rate on qualified pursuits. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS • Five or more years in a technical role within data center infrastructure, network deployment, structured cabling, or critical facilities, including at least two years in a customer-facing pre-sales, solution architecture, or technical consulting capacity. • Deep hands-on expertise in one of the following two areas, and working familiarity with the other: — Data center networking: leaf-spine and top-of-rack fabric design, BGP, ECMP, VLAN and VXLAN, EVPN, and switch platforms from at least one major vendor (Arista, Cisco, Juniper, NVIDIA/Mellanox, or comparable). — Structured cabling and physical infrastructure: fiber and copper media types, polarity and breakout schemes, pathway and space design, TIA-942 distribution areas, labeling and documentation standards, and installation practice at data hall scale. • Demonstrated estimating experience: you have built labor and material estimates that were sold and delivered against, and you have seen how they performed. • Strong technical writing. You can produce a scope of work, method of procedure, or design document that a customer engineer respects and a project manager can execute from. • Ability to lead a technical conversation with senior network engineers and data center operations leadership, and to explain the same solution credibly to a procurement or finance audience. • Ability to travel 30–40% to customer sites, active data halls, and construction environments, and to obtain site access clearances as required by customers. • Valid driver's license and the ability to travel internationally, including to Canada. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS • Depth in both data center networking and structured cabling design, rather than one plus familiarity with the other. • Direct experience with InfiniBand or RoCE fabrics, GPU cluster deployment, or AI and HPC infrastructure build-out. • Experience with migration and cutover engineering in live production environments, including rollback design and change advisory processes. • Familiarity with configuration validation and intent tooling such as Batfish; streaming telemetry via gNMI; and fabric acceptance testing using iPerf and nccl-tests or equivalent collective benchmarks. • Experience with InfiniBand fabric management and diagnostics — NVIDIA UFM, ibdiagnet, or the InfiniBand diagnostics suite — and with network monitoring platforms such as SolarWinds and ticketing integration into Jira. • BICSI RCDD or DCDC; CCNP, JNCIP, or equivalent network certification. • Understanding of data center power and cooling fundamentals sufficient to evaluate physical constraints on a deployment. • Prior experience supporting hyperscaler, colocation, or neocloud customers, and familiarity with their procurement and site access processes. COMPENSATION Benefits include medical, dental, and vision coverage, 401(k) , paid time off, and company holidays. Business travel and expenses are reimbursed under BNS expense policy and are not treated as compensation. LOCATION AND TRAVEL This role is remote-eligible within the United States, with a preference for candidates based near a major data center market — Northern Virginia, Dallas–Fort Worth, Phoenix, Atlanta, Columbus, Chicago, Portland–Hillsboro, Salt Lake City, or comparable. Candidates near BNS headquarters in Hillsboro, Oregon may work from the office. Expect 30–40% travel for site surveys, customer design sessions, data hall walkthroughs, and periodic time at BNS headquarters. Site work requires the ability to pass customer background and site-access screening, wear personal protective equipment, and move safely through active construction and live data hall environments, including areas with limited clearance, elevated noise, and restricted access. Reasonable accommodations will be made for qualified individuals with disabilities. BNS, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. Flexible work from home options available. Bringing Diverse Insights and Real-world Expertise to Solve Complex Business and Technology Challenges At BNS, we’re at the forefront of Telecom, Media, Entertainment, Power, Utilities and Critical Infrastructure. Our team of Industry Experts, Engineers and Technicians work alongside government and commercial clients to transform challenges into strategic opportunities. BNS is a collection of professionals who bring diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and hands-on experience to solve complex business and technology challenges. We leverage our proven expertise in markets including telecom, media, entertainment, power, utilities, critical infrastructure, and government to provide unbiased business strategy consulting and technology assessments. Our customers count on us to keep our finger on the pulse of change so we can validate strategic approaches and provide tailored solutions that leverage our in-house talent and curated partner ecosystem. Unlike traditional consulting or outsourced engineering firms, BNS brings a strong sense of purpose to our customers’ pivotal projects. We build trust by collaborating closely with our customers through engaged listening and transparency. Once we gain an understanding of short-term and long-term goals, we are completely focused on accelerating your path to success.