Searching for a Pre-Sales SOC Specialist

The challenge: 

A fast-growing vendor specialising in SOC-focused security analytics needed to secure a Senior Sales Engineer with a rare blend of technical depth and commercial acumen. The ideal candidate had to possess an intricate understanding of Security Operations Centres and demonstrate the ability to engage with senior stakeholders and communicate highly complex solutions with clarity. With a tight-knit cyber community in the Netherlands and limited local talent pool, finding someone with the right mix of technical certifications and C-Level communication skills posed a significant challenge.

Our solution: 

We executed a focused recruitment campaign tailored to the unique demands of the Dutch cyber market and the technical nuances of the SOC landscape.

• Mapped the Market: Targeted key players within the security analytics and SOC ecosystem, identifying vendors with similar product offerings and transferable expertise.

• Leveraged Networks: Tapped into long-standing relationships and regional referrals within the Netherlands cyber security scene to uncover qualified, passive candidates

• Applied Tailored Strategies: Prioritised candidates with both industry-relevant certifications and a demonstrable track record of high-level pre-sales engagement, ensuring the shortlist aligned with both technical and cultural expectations..

The outcome: 

Despite a highly specific brief and a compact talent pool, we delivered a curated shortlist of 8 top-tier candidates within two weeks. From this, one standout individual quickly emerged, impressing stakeholders across the business.

The chosen candidate brought years of experience working within SOC environments, with deep technical knowledge of threat detection, SIEM, and endpoint solutions. The successful placement was fluent in Dutch and English, and based locally, and was immediately ready to hit the ground running and integrate with the wider team. The hire has already elevated the client’s pre-sales capability in the region, bringing technical credibility to commercial discussions and helping to accelerate enterprise-level sales cycles.