Senior Consulting Systems Engineer

Job Description: Consulting Systems Engineer – Global GSI / Tech Partner, Data Center & AI Security

Role Overview

The Consulting Systems Engineer (CSE) is responsible for managing relationships with a select number of Global System Integrators (GSIs) and technology partners (Tech Partners) at a strategic and technical level, with a strong focus on Data Center, Cloud, AI infrastructure security.

The role requires close collaboration with Global Alliance Managers, Technical leaders, and country Pre-Sales Leads within the GSI/ Tech Partner ecosystem to drive adoption, integration, and joint development of Fortinet cybersecurity solutions across enterprise, data center, cloud, and AI environments.

The CSE plays a key role in defining joint solution offerings, developing technical blueprints, and shaping go-to-market strategies with strategic partners. A key responsibility will be to work with GSIs/ Tech Partners and their technology ecosystems to develop secure Data Center and AI infrastructure architectures, including collaboration with infrastructure, compute, networking, and technology partners such as Dell and other strategic vendors.

The position involves leading technical engagement, enabling partner organizations, and representing Fortinet as a trusted technical authority across multiple geographies and technology domains.

The CSE will act as a technical leader on the security of modern Data Center and AI environments, helping GSIs address emerging security challenges associated with AI factories, GPU clusters, high-speed networks, distributed workloads, hybrid cloud infrastructure, and the convergence of networking, compute, and cybersecurity.

This is a highly visible role that requires deep technical expertise, strong stakeholder management, and the ability to influence both technical and executive audiences.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as Fortinet’s primary technical representative assigned Global System Integrators, engaging with alliance managers, enterprise architects, pre-sales leadership, bid managers, and post-sales organizations.
• Work in close partnership with a Global GSI Manager to align technical strategy with global sales objectives, ensuring a unified approach to partner engagement.
• Drive partner adoption of Fortinet’s cybersecurity portfolio by demonstrating technical value, business impact, and competitive differentiation.
• Develop and deliver technical workshops, enablement sessions, architectural briefings, and demonstrations for GSI teams at global and local levels.
• Drive joint architecture initiatives with GSIs around Data Center, Cloud, AI infrastructure, and cybersecurity, developing repeatable reference architectures and solution blueprints.
• Engage with strategic technology partners and infrastructure vendors, including Dell and other compute, networking, storage, virtualization, and cloud ecosystem partners, to define integrated and secure architectures.
• Work with GSIs to design security architectures for modern Data Centers, including network segmentation, micro-segmentation, east-west security, north-south security, high-speed networking, workload protection, secure connectivity, and hybrid cloud environments.
• Develop and promote cybersecurity architectures for AI Data Centers / AI Factories, addressing the specific security requirements of GPU-based infrastructure, AI workloads, data pipelines, model infrastructure, and high-performance networks.
• Advise GSIs and their customers on securing AI infrastructure from the network layer through to workloads, applications, and supporting infrastructure.
• Identify opportunities to integrate Fortinet security capabilities into GSI-led Data Center and AI transformation projects.
• Support regional GSI teams through onsite engagements, technical advisory, solution validation, proof-of-concepts, and complex architectural discussions.
• Act as a technical evangelist for Fortinet, articulating strategic cybersecurity vision to C-level executives, senior architects, Data Center leaders, AI infrastructure teams, and decision-makers.
• Lead technical discussions involving multi-vendor Data Center and AI environments, ensuring interoperability between Fortinet, GSI solutions, and third-party infrastructure technologies.
• Collaborate with internal Fortinet teams—including Product Management, Engineering, and other Consulting Engineers—to address integration challenges and refine solution design.
• Contribute to the creation of white papers, solution guides, reference architectures, use cases, AI security frameworks, and technical presentations that strengthen GSI alignment with Fortinet.
• Lead technical discussions related to system integration, interoperability, and multi-vendor environments.
• Support the creation of technical demonstrations and validation environments showcasing secure Data Center and AI architectures.
• Maintain thought leadership on cybersecurity trends, emerging threats, AI security, Data Center security, and industry best practices relevant to GSIs and their customers.
• 10+ years of experience in technical pre-sales, consulting, architecture, or engineering role, working across multiple countries and cultures.
• Proven experience working with Global System Integrators, large enterprises, or technology partners in complex multi-vendor environments.
• Strong organizational and coordination skills with the ability to manage multiple strategic initiatives simultaneously.
• Proven problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills, with sound judgment on when to escalate issues.
• Solid understanding of enterprise sales processes, with strong listening and consultative skills.
• Expert-level troubleshooting and technical problem determination capabilities.
• Ability to clearly articulate complex technical and security concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong executive communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence architects, engineering teams, and C-level decision-makers.
• Willingness to travel extensively within Europe and work flexible hours as required.
• Excellent business writing, presentation, and communication skills.
• Demonstrated customer-centric mindset with strong relationship management capabilities.
• Strong background in Enterprise, Data Center, and Network Security Architecture.
• Strong understanding of modern Data Center architectures, including computer, networking, virtualization, storage, and high-speed interconnect technologies.
• Solid understanding of Cloud Architecture, SASE, digital transformation, hyperscale’s, and hybrid infrastructure.
• Strong knowledge of Data Center networking and security, including north-south and east-west traffic flows, segmentation, micro-segmentation, high-speed connectivity, and secure workload communication.
• Experience designing, installing, configuring, or architecting enterprise and Data Center networks and security technologies including:

  • Switches

  • Routers

  • Firewalls

  • Data Center firewalls

  • SASE

  • Network segmentation and micro-segmentation

  • Host and workload security

  • Network detection and response

  • Secure remote access

  • Cloud security

• Strong understanding of core networking protocols and technologies including:

  • TCP/IP

  • BGP

  • OSPF

  • VXLAN / EVPN

  • VPN

  • PKI

  • High-speed Ethernet

  • Data Center interconnect

• Strong understanding of AI infrastructure and AI Data Center architectures, including GPU-based environments, AI clusters, high-performance networking, distributed workloads, and the security challenges associated with AI infrastructure.
• Knowledge of AI security principles, including protection of AI infrastructure, AI workloads, data, APIs, model environments, and the network communications supporting AI platforms.
• Experience working with or understanding major Data Center infrastructure ecosystems such as Dell, VMware, NVIDIA, Cisco, and hyperscalers is highly desirable.
• Hands-on experience with heterogeneous environments including Microsoft, VMware, Linux, and cloud platforms.
• Experience with containerized and cloud-native environments such as Kubernetes is a plus.
• Experience designing and managing technical demonstrations, proof-of-concept, or lab environments.
• Familiarity with the Fortinet Security Fabric is a strong advantage.
• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, MIS, or related field.
• Industry certifications such as:

  • Network+

  • MCSA / MCSE

  • VMware VCP

  • CISSP

  • CCNP / CCIE

  • Cloud certifications from Microsoft, AWS, or Google

• Vendor certifications from Fortinet, Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, Check Point, Juniper, Zscaler, Netskope, or equivalent are a plus.
• Data Center, virtualization, cloud, or AI infrastructure certifications are highly desirable.
• Knowledge of SD-WAN technologies, SASE, Data Center networking, Cloud Security, and AI Security is highly desirable.

Key Success Factors

The successful candidate will combine strategic GSI relationship management with deep technical expertise in cybersecurity and modern infrastructure.

  The role requires the ability to move comfortably between:

GSI executive strategy → Enterprise Architecture → Data Center Architecture → AI Infrastructure → Cybersecurity Architecture → Technical implementation.

The ideal candidate is able to understand the architecture of an AI Data Center, identify its security challenges, and work with GSIs and technology partners to define a comprehensive security architecture around it.

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