Senior Director, Customer Innovation

Rapid7

. Serve as a critical business driver and executive leader overseeing Rapid7's specialized technical sales organization, including Sales Engineering Specialists, Forward Engineering, Labs, and the Sales Engineering Center of Excellence (COE) .

Posted 9/24/2026full-timeRemote • United StatesSenior💰 $210,600 - $285,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates extensive leadership in technical sales and systems engineering within cybersecurity, with a focus on strategic planning, operational excellence, and talent development. Proven ability to drive organizational change and align technical teams with business objectives to enhance revenue and innovation.

Highest-signal resume keywords

10+ Years Leading Technical Sales TeamsExperience in CybersecurityTechnical Operations MasteryStrong Financial AcumenHigh-Stakes Mediation Skills

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Systems EngineeringCloud/On-Prem Demo LabsAPI EcosystemsSecurity Orchestration (SOAR)Technology IntegrationsEnterprise Security PlatformsHeadcount ModelingROI AnalysisPerformance MappingStrategic Planning

Soft Skills

Conflict ManagementAdaptabilityResilienceCommunicationLeadership

Industry Keywords

Sales EngineeringCenters of ExcellenceTechnical EnablementOrganizational ChangeGlobal RevenueProduct InnovationSuccession PlanningMentoringCross-Functional AlignmentOrganizational Momentum

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

CloudCyber Security

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Serve as a critical business driver and executive leader overseeing Rapid7's specialized technical sales organization, including Sales Engineering Specialists, Forward Engineering, Labs, and the Sales Engineering Center of Excellence (COE)
Transform these entities into a cohesive, scalable, and highly strategic engine that directly impacts global revenue and product innovation
Formulate and deliver an end-to-end macro strategy encompassing Sales Engineering Labs, COE, and Forward Engineering teams with clear, outcome-oriented milestones
Develop a comprehensive 12-month organizational roadmap transitioning the team from tactical support to a unified, strategic ecosystem aligned with global business goals
Transition the sales engineering integration unit from basic connector builders to an enterprise-grade platform Forward Engineering team capable of advancing architectural vision
Cultivate a robust internal talent pipeline by transitioning from day-to-day management to organizational depth, mentoring successors, and formalizing execution plans for frontline leaders
Build and maintain formal succession and development frameworks within the COE to raise engineering standards and leadership capabilities
Partner with Worldwide Sales Leadership to define, audit, and document field requirements for specialist sales engineering resources versus territory sales engineers
Present data-driven business cases highlighting the strategic necessity, ROI, and resource scaling of each specialist function ahead of annual planning cycles
Maintain a highly visible executive presence in high-stakes corporate settings, driving cross-functional alignment and navigating organizational change

Requirements

What you’ll need

10+ years of experience leading technical sales or systems engineering teams within cybersecurity, with at least 4+ years managing multi-tiered organizations (managing managers)
Demonstrated technical operations mastery, with proven experience overseeing complex technical infrastructure groups such as Cloud/On-Prem Demo Labs, Centers of Excellence, or Technical Enablement functions
High conceptual familiarity with Forward Engineering and systems architecture, including API ecosystems, security orchestration (SOAR), technology integrations, and enterprise security platforms
Strong financial and operational acumen, with experience structuring headcount models, proving ROI on technical overhead, and mapping engineering performance to revenue attainment metrics
High-stakes mediation skills and self-awareness to manage conflict, adapt to challenging group dynamics, and maintain an active, commanding leadership voice under pressure
Ability to think big and act small — breaking massive organizational goals into time-bound milestones, executing rapidly, and pivoting effectively based on business metrics
Ability to establish clear ownership, roles, and responsibilities within highly complex technical matrices, relentlessly delivering value over mere activity
Exceptional resilience and communication during periods of organizational evolution, actively driving alignment and understanding the rationale for change
Ability to build global internal networks and integrate diverse technical perspectives to make efficient, transparent decisions that maintain organizational momentum
A commitment to embodying our core values, fostering a culture of excellence that drives meaningful impact and collective success