Manager, Solutions Engineering

Personio's intelligent HR platform helps small and medium-sized organizations unlock the power of people by making complicated, time-consuming tasks simple and efficient. Our team of 1,500 Personios is building user-friendly products that delight our 15,000+ customers and their 1.5 million employees. Ready to make an impact from day one?
Role Description & Responsibilities
As a Solution Engineering Manager at Personio, you will play a critical role in driving the success of our solution engineering function for the German market, while fostering a high-performing, collaborative, and inclusive team environment. You will lead a team of experienced Solution Engineers, promoting their development, optimizing processes, and shaping the strategic direction of the team to align with Personio's overall objectives. Acting as a technical sales leader, you will ensure your team delivers exceptional pre-sales support, drives performance in line with sales targets, and makes a meaningful impact on customer acquisition.

Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Operational Impact

• Shape and execute the strategic direction of the Solution Engineering (SE) function with the Director of SE, aligning team efforts with Personio's OKRs and long-term growth objectives.
• Analyze team performance, customer needs, and market trends in the HR SaaS space to identify areas for improvement and implement scalable, innovative solutions.
• Navigate complexity and ambiguity by identifying risks and opportunities early, creating data-driven strategies to inform short- and long-term plans for the German market.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with leadership in sales, marketing, and product to ensure alignment and seamless execution of strategic initiatives that enhance Personio's go-to-market strategy.
• Drive innovation within the team by adopting best practices, leveraging emerging technologies, and fostering a mindset of continuous improvement that aligns with Personio's commitment to excellence.

Team Development

• Lead, develop, and recruit a high-performing team of Solution Engineers who excel in managing complex technical and commercial sales processes, along with value based selling, tailored to Personio's mission.
• Act as a coach and mentor to a team of Solution Engineers, fostering a culture of collaboration, high performance, and continuous learning in alignment with Personio Principles.
• Set clear performance expectations, provide actionable feedback, and create tailored development plans to help team members grow professionally and contribute to Personio's growth.
• Cultivate an environment where team members feel empowered, supported, and valued, enabling them to bring their authentic selves to work and thrive as part of Personio's people-first culture.

Communication & Cross Functional Collaboration

• Clearly communicate the functional vision, strategy, and OKRs to your team, ensuring they can confidently align their work to maximize impact.
• Act as a strategic leader within the German sales organization, collaborating closely with sales managers, product teams, and customers to optimize the Solution Engineering motion and drive measurable business impact.
• Partner with Personio's product teams to provide actionable feedback and market-specific insights, influencing the roadmap to better address the challenges of SMEs in the German region.

Performance Management & Business Impact

• Manage the overall performance of the Solution Engineering team, ensuring alignment with Personio's sales targets and business objectives, and driving measurable outcomes.
• Act as the escalation point for complex technical challenges, providing guidance and expertise to ensure successful resolution and impactful customer outcomes.
• Celebrate team and individual successes, fostering a positive and motivated team culture that prioritizes collaboration, customer satisfaction, and adherence to Personio Principles.
• Use data-driven insights to forecast team capacity and performance, ensuring predictability and alignment with Personio's organizational goals.

What We're Looking For

• Leadership Experience: At least several years of experience leading and managing pre-sales or solution engineering teams, with demonstrable success in driving team performance and achieving business outcomes.
• Talent Development: Proven ability to hire, coach, and develop high-performing teams in a high-expectations environment, fostering both personal and professional growth.
• Customer-Centric Mindset: A strong focus on delivering scalable, impactful solutions that meet customer needs, with a deep understanding of SaaS offerings and HR/IT processes, particularly within the German and European market.
• Sales Expertise: Precise understanding of software sales processes, with experience in methodologies such as MEDDIC, and a proven ability to operate accurate forecasting and drive predictability.
• Strategic Thinking: Strong ability to navigate complexity, lead change, and influence cross-functional initiatives, while identifying risks and opportunities to inform short- and long-term plans.
• Communication Skills: Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to inspire, align, and collaborate with diverse teams and stakeholders. Fluency in both German and English is essential.
• Adaptability: A flexible, hands-on mindset with the ability to operate at pace, jump between topics, and navigate ambiguity in a dynamic environment.
• Inclusive Leadership: A commitment to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and collaborative team environment, ensuring all individuals feel safe, valued, and empowered to contribute their best.

Why Personio?
Personio is an equal opportunities employer, committed to building an integrative culture where everyone feels welcomed and supported. We embrace uniqueness and understand that our diverse, values-driven culture makes us stronger. We are proud to have an inclusive workplace environment that will foster your development no matter your gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, education level, or race.

At Personio, we value in-person collaboration while also offering flexibility. This role is office-based, with 3 days per week required in your contracted office location. The remaining days can be worked from home or in the office if you prefer. In addition, you'll have 20 Flex Days per year to work remotely from other locations.

Aside from our people, culture, and mission, check out some of the other benefits that make Personio a great place to work:

• Receive a competitive reward package – reevaluated each year – that includes salary, benefits, and pre-IPO equity
• Enjoy 28 days of paid vacation, plus an additional day after 2 and 4 years
• Make an impact on the environment and society with 1 (fully paid) Impact Day
• Receive generous family leave, child support, mental health support, and sabbatical opportunities
• We enjoy gathering for meals, cultural initiatives, and events like local Summer Sessions and year-end celebrations. There's also healthy snacks, drinks, and a weekly catered lunch