Principal Technical Engagement Manager

Available Locations: Austin or San Francisco
About the role
The Technical Enablement Manager (TEM) is responsible for driving the successful adoption and utilization of the company's products or solutions by customers and partners. This role focuses on ensuring that clients are equipped with the necessary technical knowledge and resources to integrate and use the company's solutions effectively. The TEM works closely with customers, internal teams (such as product, engineering, and customer success), and external partners to identify and resolve technical challenges during the onboarding process. By providing hands-on support, training, and guidance, the TEM ensures seamless technical integration and accelerates the time to value for customers. Additionally, the TEM plays a crucial role in identifying potential barriers to adoption, addressing technical issues, and fostering long-term customer success. Their work directly contributes to increasing customer satisfaction, retention, and the overall success of the company's solutions in the market.
Responsibilities:
(1) Strategic Technical Leadership
- Define and drive the China-focused technical enablement strategy, ensuring alignment with regional business objectives and global product roadmaps.
- Serve as the highest-level escalation point for complex technical challenges related to network integration, compliance, and performance optimization in China.
(2) Advanced Solution Architecture
- Lead the design of customized deployment frameworks for enterprise clients, addressing unique requirements of China's network ecosystem (e.g., hybrid cloud, cross-border connectivity, ICP compliance).
- Advise C-level stakeholders on long-term technical adoption roadmaps, balancing innovation with regulatory constraints.
(3) Ecosystem & Partner Enablement
- Establish deep technical partnerships with key China-based cloud providers (Alibaba, Tencent, JD Cloud), ISPs, and regulatory bodies.
- Develop and deliver executive-level workshops and certification programs for partners and enterprise clients.
(4) Thought Leadership & Advocacy
- Represent the company as a subject-matter expert on China's networking landscape at industry events, whitepapers, and customer briefings.
- Influence product strategy by synthesizing China-specific market needs into global engineering priorities.
Examples of desirable skills, knowledge and experience:
(1) Mandatory Qualifications
- 12+ years in technical leadership roles (e.g., Principal Solutions Architect, Senior TAM, or Consulting Engineer) with a focus on China's network/cloud infrastructure.
- Proven track record of enabling large-scale deployments (e.g., Fortune 500 enterprises, hyperscalers, or regulated industries in China).
Expertise in:
- Advanced networking (SASE, ZTNA, edge computing, traffic acceleration across GFW).
- China's regulatory environment (CSL, PIPL, cross-border data transfer laws).
- Local cloud ecosystems.
(2) Leadership & Soft Skills
- Bilingual executive presence (Mandarin & English) - highly proficient at negotiating with both technical teams and C-suite.
- Mentorship ability - leads junior enablement teams and fosters a culture of technical excellence.
- Diplomatic problem-solving - navigates technical-political challenges (e.g., vendor lock-in, data localization).
(3) Preferred Background
- Former roles at Global CDN/SASE providers (e.g., Akamai, Palo Alto, AWS, Microsoft) with China-market responsibilities.
- Top-tier cloud/ISP players (e.g., Alibaba/Microsoft/AWS Cloud, China Telecom, China Mobile).
- Experience with sovereign cloud initiatives or government-facing projects in China.
(4) Differentiators for Principal Level
- Architect, not just advisor: Designs reusable frameworks (e.g., "China Network Readiness Playbook").
- Trusted boardroom ally: Translates technical constraints into business risks/opportunities.
Compensation
Compensation may be adjusted depending on work location.

• For Colorado, Illinois, Maryland and Minnesota based hires: Estimated annual salary of $186,000 - $228,000.
• For Bay Area based hires: Estimated annual salary of $220,000-$268,000.

Equity
This role is eligible to participate in Cloudflare's equity plan.
Benefits
Cloudflare offers a complete package of benefits and programs to support you and your family. Our benefits programs can help you pay health care expenses, support caregiving, build capital for the future and make life a little easier and fun! The below is a description of our benefits for employees in the United States, and benefits may vary for employees based outside the U.S.
Health & Welfare Benefits

• Medical/Rx Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Commuter Spending Accounts
• Fertility & Family Forming Benefits
• On-demand mental health support and Employee Assistance Program
• Global Travel Medical Insurance

Financial Benefits

• Short and Long Term Disability Insurance
• Life & Accident Insurance
• 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
• Employee Stock Participation Plan

Time Off

• Flexible paid time off covering vacation and sick leave
• Leave programs, including parental, pregnancy health, medical, and bereavement leave