Jobs › CDW

Presales Manager - Security

CDW · IL · Remote available · Full time

Posted Sep 9, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

Apply at CDW

Likely interview questions for this role

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

About your past

Tell me about a presales team you managed. How did you measure their performance?

What they are checking: Whether they manage presales with clear expectations and meaningful measures, not just utilization.

Tell me about a time you coached a presales engineer to a better result in front of customers.

What they are checking: Whether their coaching is specific and leads to visible improvement.

Tell me about a high-stakes customer engagement where you stepped in personally. Why did you step in?

What they are checking: Their judgment about when a manager should get involved in a deal.

How do you celebrate success on a team that mostly supports deals other people close?

What they are checking: Whether they recognize presales contributions in a way that keeps the team motivated.

What would you do

Your team covers Security, Business Applications and EXCX. How would you lead people whose expertise you do not fully share?

What they are checking: Whether they can lead across specialties with credibility and trust in their experts.

Sales is asking for more presales help than your team can give. How do you decide where your engineers go?

What they are checking: Their judgment in allocating scarce technical resources based on pipeline value and win likelihood.

A top engineer is burned out and thinking about leaving. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they notice and act on retention risk with real support, not just words.

How do you contribute to go-to-market initiatives while still running daily operations?

What they are checking: Whether they can balance strategic work with managing the team day to day.

About the work

What do you look for when you review a technical proposal before it goes to a customer?

What they are checking: Whether they ensure proposals tie technology to business outcomes and are technically sound.

How do you monitor presales activity across many opportunities without micromanaging?

What they are checking: Whether they use data and check-ins to spot problems while trusting their team.

Practice this interview out loud.

Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at CDW from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.

Practice this out loud

The full job description

As published by CDW.

The Presales Manager – Security, Business Applications & EmployeeExperience/Customer Experience (EXCX) - will lead a team of technical presales professionals focused on delivering innovative Security, Business Applications, and EXCX solutions. This role manages day-to-day operations of the presales team, coaches team members to perform at a high level, and collaborates closely with Sales, Solutions Architects, and Services teams to drive customer success and revenue growth. The role also supports go-to-market initiatives, pipeline health, and alignment to core business priorities. What you will do: • Lead and manage a team of presales engineers supporting Security, Business Applications and EXCX opportunities. • Conduct regular performance check-ins, provide coaching and mentorship, and support professional development. • Set clear individual and team expectations, drive accountability, and celebrate successes. • Partner with account teams to support sales cycles by providing technical expertise and crafting solution strategies tailored to customer needs. • Review and enhance technical proposals, presentations, and demonstrations to ensure they align with business outcomes. • Participate in high-impact customer engagements and help drive alignment with customer technical stakeholders. • Monitor presales activities and engagement across active opportunities to ensure strong coverage and quality support. • Provide feedback on opportunity qualification and help accelerate deal velocity through strategic resource alignment. • Track KPIs, metrics, and reporting in support of accurate forecasting and pipeline visibility. • Collaborate cross-functionally with Sales, Professional Services, Practice Leaders, and other stakeholders to drive presales excellence and deliver seamless customer experiences. • Help implement presales best practices and standard operating procedures. • Contribute to GTM initiatives, including solution packaging, messaging, and enablement. • Identify gaps in tools, processes, or training and proactively recommend solutions. • Stay informed on emerging technologies and industry trends relevant to security, cloud, data, AI, and software engineering. • Support the upskilling of team members to ensure technical capabilities align with evolving market demands. What we expect of you: • Bachelor’s degree and 7+ years, 1+ years managerial experience OR 11+ years of experience, 1+ years managerial experience required. • Strong understanding of presales processes, solution development, and customer engagement strategies. • Demonstrated ability to coach and mentor technical professionals. • Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to explain technical concepts to business stakeholders. • Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams, including Sales and Services, to drive outcomes. • Experience with opportunity pipeline tools (e.g., Salesforce) and familiarity with forecasting and reporting practices. • Ability to adapt to changing priorities in a fast-paced environment and help teams navigate ambiguity. • Prior experience in a formal people management role, a plus. • Background in security, cloud, data, AI, or software engineering, a plus. • Demonstrated ability to build strategies, gain group consensus, and execute successfully, a plus. • Experience building and managing goal methodology, a plus. • 3 years’ experience in technology sales or security sales, a plus. • 6 years of domain experience, a plus. Pay range: $132 ,400 - $185,520 depending on experience and skill set Annual bonus target of 25 % subject to terms and conditions of plan Benefits overview: https://cdw.benefit-info.com/ Salary ranges may be subject to geographic differentials CDW is committed to being an AI-fluent organization As a leader, you will champion and be accountable for our vision of becoming an AI-fluent organization. We expect leaders to model curiosity, encourage responsible AI adoption, and foster a culture of continuous learning. You don’t need deep technical expertise, but you should be comfortable exploring how AI can enhance strategy, decision-making, and team performance. Your role includes guiding others in building confidence and capability with AI tools and practices, while promoting openness to experimentation and shared learning. Additionally, CDW is committed to fostering an equitable, transparent, and respectful hiring process for all applicants. During our application process, our goal is to understand your experience, strengths, skills, and qualifications. As an AI forward company, we see AI not just as a tool, but as a catalyst for new ways of thinking, creating, and communicating. We encourage candidates to embrace an AI mindset, one that’s curious, adaptive, and ready to explore what’s possible. We welcome thoughtful use of AI to expand your perspective and elevate how you share your story, while ensuring your application remains rooted in your own background, judgment, and voice. About Us CDW is a Fortune 500 technology solutions provider that helps businesses, government, education, and healthcare organizations achieve what’s possible through technology. What makes CDW different isn’t just what we do—it’s how we do it. At CDW we act as one—building trust, speaking candidly, and working together to achieve more. We play to win—focusing on what matters most and delivering for our customers. And we think forward—staying curious, moving fast, and continuously learning. We believe meaningful work happens when people feel supported, heard, and empowered to contribute. That’s why we think of ourselves as coworkers, not just employees—working together to solve complex challenges and deliver real impact for our customers and communities. As a full‑stack, full‑lifecycle technology partner, CDW brings deep expertise, strong relationships, and broad industry knowledge to help turn ideas into outcomes. When you join CDW, you become part of a collaborative environment where your work matters, your growth is supported, and your contributions help shape what’s next. Together, we deliver the full promise of what technology can do. Together, we Make Amazing Happen. CDW is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regards to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other basis prohibited by state and local law.

Apply at CDW