Customer Success Engineer Federal with a TS/SCI w/CI
Forward Networks
Salary undisclosed
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Description
Forward was founded in 2013 by four Stanford Ph.D.s, building the industry's first network digital twin: a mathematically accurate model of the production network. It's the foundation for autonomous networking, giving engineers and AI agents the ability to know the impact of every change before it touches production. That founding instinct still defines how we work. We're accurate and evidence-driven, relentless about clarity, and we'd rather be certain than comfortable, building a groundbreaking platform that transforms how teams run and secure networks across every major cloud and vendor environment.
Global leaders like Goldman Sachs, PayPal, S&P Global, IBM, and Dell trust Forward, alongside fast-growing enterprises and government agencies, realizing an average of $14.2 million in annual benefits, according to IDC. Backed by top-tier investors, including A. Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Goldman Sachs, MSD Partners, Omega Venture Partners, Section 32, and Threshold Ventures, and headquartered in Santa Clara, we're most proud of our team: curious people who'd rather build what doesn't exist than accept how things have always been done.
Forward Networks is looking for a Customer Success Engineer.
- Do want to create a category and help build a special company?
- Join a company that has been in market 5+ years and has some of the top Federal agencies and F500/Global 2000 already buying and referenceable.
- We are building a special team and hope you consider us if you want to have the experience of changing the networking world as we know it.
What you’ll do:
As a Customer Success Engineer for our Federal team, you will be responsible for providing world class post-sales technical leadership to our client base.
Responsibilities:
- Providing advice and guidance as the Forward Networks subject matter expert to ensure successful ongoing usage and adoption of our technologies
- Taking ownership of post-sales technical issues, working with cross-functional teams to document problem resolution steps and troubleshooting procedures
- Walking customers through the various stages of adoption with Forward Networks Platform
- Working directly with our internal Product Management, Engineering, Sales and Marketing teams.
- Some travel to customer locations (<10%)
Requirements:
- B.S. Computer Science or equivalent educational experience
- TS/SCI w/ a CI Poly Clearance Required
- 5+ years of customer facing experience in a post-sales engineer role for a networking company, relevant software vendor, or as a network engineer for a large enterprise, service provider or Governmental agencies
Experience:
- Strong understanding of Networking and Security fundamentals
- Experience in working with multiple Network vendors (e.g. A10, Arista, Cisco, F5, Fortinet, Juniper, Palo Alto Networks etc.)
- Strong verbal and written communications skills with a focus on needs analysis, positioning, business justification, and closing techniques; Superior presentation skills
- Excellent analytical & problem-solving skills, combined with the ability to provide quick resolution to problems
- Demonstrable success in thinking strategically, executing tactically while providing consistent and high levels of customer satisfaction and retention in a fast-paced environment
Highly Desired:
- One or more of the following certificates: CCIE, JNCIE or VCDX
- Experience in working for a startup company
- Working knowledge of API driven workflows and scripting languages (Python, bash, jq, graphql, etc)
The expected On-Target Cash Earnings for this role is between $190,000-$240,000 per year. Within this range, individual pay is determined by several factors including but not limited to, job-related skills, work experience, and relevant education/training
About this role
Forward Networks is seeking a Customer Success Engineer to support its Federal clients—a role that sits at the intersection of technical expertise and client advocacy. You'd own the post-sales relationship with government agencies and enterprise customers, guiding them through adoption of Forward's network digital twin platform while troubleshooting issues and collaborating across product, engineering, and sales teams. This is hands-on technical leadership: you'll be the subject matter expert customers turn to, documenting solutions and walking teams through implementation stages, with occasional travel to customer sites.
The role demands deep networking fundamentals and hands-on experience with major vendors like Cisco, Juniper, Arista, and Palo Alto Networks. You'll need at least five years in a post-sales engineering capacity—whether at a networking vendor, software company, or large enterprise—plus a TS/SCI clearance with CI polygraph, which is non-negotiable for Federal work. Strong communication skills matter as much as technical chops; you're expected to think strategically while executing tactically under pressure, maintaining high customer satisfaction in a fast-moving environment.
This suits someone with solid networking credentials who thrives in customer-facing technical roles and wants to work with a proven platform at an established company (5+ years in market, backed by top investors, trusted by Goldman Sachs and major Federal agencies). Certifications like CCIE or JNCIE, scripting experience, or startup background are plusses. Compensation is $190,000–$240,000 annually, and the role is full-time, in-office in Virginia.
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