JobsMotorola Solutions

Presales Engineer - Central/Midwest

Motorola Solutions · Chicago, IL

Posted Jul 19, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Sep 20, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

Behavioral

Walk me through a time you had to design a public safety communications solution for a customer with a really tight budget and a long wish list. How did you decide what to cut and what to keep?

whether the candidate can balance technical ambition against real-world constraints while keeping the customer relationship intact

Tell me about a bid or proposal you built where the standard product didn't quite fit the customer's requirements. What did you do?

experience working with product groups to customize solutions rather than just reselling off-the-shelf configurations

Tell me about a time a technical implementation didn't go the way you planned during commissioning or testing. What went wrong and what did you do next?

troubleshooting instincts and composure when a deployment hits real problems

Give me an example of when you had to challenge a customer's assumption about what technology they needed. How did that conversation go?

willingness to push back constructively and confidence in technical judgment, tied to the posting's call for challenging the status quo

Tell me about a project where you had to work closely with operations and outside developers to hit a customer's delivery deadline. What was your role in keeping it on track?

cross-functional coordination skills and accountability for delivery timelines beyond just the design phase

Technical

How would you explain the tradeoffs between APCO P25 and commercial LTE networks to a fire chief who has never heard either term before?

ability to translate complex wireless standards into plain language for non-technical stakeholders

What do you look at first when you're asked to do an RF coverage prediction for a new deployment area?

hands-on familiarity with RF modeling tools and process, not just theoretical knowledge

How comfortable are you with IP networking protocols and security when a customer's IT team starts asking pointed questions about how your solution sits on their network?

depth of IP networking knowledge and whether the candidate can hold their own against a skeptical technical audience

What's your experience with real-time video and data analytics for law enforcement, and how do you see that fitting alongside traditional voice and data networks in a proposal?

whether the candidate keeps current with newer intelligence-led public safety technology, not just legacy radio systems

Situational

Say a police department comes to you wanting to move from a P25 land mobile radio system toward LTE-based mobile broadband, but they're worried about coverage gaps in rural county areas. How would you approach that conversation and the technical assessment?

depth of knowledge across LMR and LTE architectures and the ability to translate coverage tradeoffs into terms a non-technical buyer understands

Describe a situation where sales made a commitment to a customer that you knew, from an engineering standpoint, was going to be hard to deliver. What did you do?

how the candidate navigates tension between sales promises and technical reality without damaging trust

If a utility company customer asked you to integrate their dispatch console and CAD system with a new mobile data network, how would you scope that project from first customer conversation to final proposal?

understanding of end-to-end solution scoping across integrated command and control systems

This role covers the Central and Midwest territory with up to 25 percent travel. How do you manage keeping multiple customer accounts and proposals moving at once when you're on the road a lot?

organizational skills and ability to juggle a multi-state territory without dropping deals or deadlines

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The full job description

As published by Motorola Solutions.

Company Overview At Motorola Solutions, we believe that everything starts with our people. We’re a global close-knit community, united by the relentless pursuit to help keep people safer everywhere. We build and connect technologies to help protect people, property and places. Our solutions foster the collaboration that’s critical for safer communities, safer schools, safer hospitals, safer businesses, and ultimately, safer nations. Connect with a career that matters, and help us build a safer future. Department Overview At Motorola Solutions, we help people be their best in the moments that matter. We help firefighters see inside buildings and police officers see around street corners. We provide the situational awareness first responders need when a moment brings catastrophe. We do this by connecting them to seamless communication networks, applications and services, by providing them with real-time information, and by arming them with intuitive, nearly indestructible handheld devices. The Sales Engineering Group is the technical lifeblood of the Sales Organization. Our engineers bring to life the innovative communications solutions that make a difference in the moments that matter. As the solutions architecture the Sales Engineering Groups have the technology and design responsibility for all sales support engagements nationwide. Job Description The Presales Engineer manages all presale opportunities and implementation of the identified complex projects. This comprises all stages of the projects, starting from scope definition until final close of the project. This team concentrates on the following mission-critical communications technologies at various levels of complexity: • Public safety grade mobile voice and data networks • Advanced mobile devices • Public safety mobile broadband networks and devices (LTE) • Integrated command and control: 9-1-1 Dispatch Consoles, Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) Intelligence-Led Public Safety: Real time video and data analytics Responsibilities: • Working closely with the Sales Team to deliver customer-driven, world-class, leading-edge, end-to-end solutions that rise to the challenges of first responder, government, utility, transportation, and enterprise customers across the country.  • Defines directions and requirements to ensure timely implementation and  quality of the technical solutions. • Provide engineering services for Customers, including commissioning and testing Motorola equipment in accordance with technical requirements, documentation and contract obligations, system presentation for the internal/external customers. • Preparation of system bids, taking into account the customer's needs and the equipment available, as well as any modifications required in conjunction with the product group. • Work with operations as well as other internal and external developers of the networking products and systems to meet customer's delivery requirements and meeting deadlines.  Qualifications: • Bachelor's Degree with 4+ years of sales, sales engineering, public safety experience • OR 8+ years of sales, sales engineering, public safety experience • Land Mobile Radio (LMR) experience highly preferred • A positive attitude with a can-do mentality that enables you to be creative, resourceful and deliver results • Strong written and oral communications skills with the ability to present complex topics to technical and non-technical audiences • Ability to build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders • Willingness to think out of the box and challenge the status quo • Attention to detail and a flawless execution mindset • Strong general knowledge of wireless communications fundamentals and voice/data architectures - both public and private (e.g. APCO P25, LTE, 802.11, 3G/4G) is highly desirable. • Strong general knowledge of IP networking architecture, protocols and security is highly desirable • Knowledge of RF coverage predictions, traffic/capacity modeling, and related toolsets is an asset Location/Travel: • Preferred candidates will live in the Central/Midwest • Must be willing to travel up to 25% of the time Target Base Salary Range: $85,000 - $110,000 USD Consistent with Motorola Solutions values and applicable law, we provide the following information to promote pay transparency and equity. Pay within this range varies and depends on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The actual offer will be based on the individual candidate.  #LI-KF2 Basic Requirements • Bachelor's Degree with 4+ years of sales, sales engineering, public safety experience • OR 8+ years of sales, sales engineering, public safety experience Travel Requirements 10-25% Relocation Provided None Position Type Experienced Referral Payment Plan No Our U.S. Benefits include: • Incentive Bonus Plans • Medical, Dental, Vision benefits • 401K with Company Match • 10 Paid Holidays • Generous Paid Time Off Packages • Employee Stock Purchase Plan • Paid Parental & Family Leave • and more! EEO Statement Motorola Solutions is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other legally-protected characteristic.  We are proud of our people-first and community-focused culture, empowering every Motorolan to be their most authentic self and to do their best work to deliver on the promise of a safer world. If you’d like to join our team but feel that you don’t quite meet all of the preferred skills, we’d still love to hear why you think you’d be a great addition to our team. We’re committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruiting experience for candidates with disabilities, or other physical or mental health conditions. To request an accommodation, please complete this  Reasonable Accommodations Form  so we can assist you.

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