Field CTO

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Maryland.

📋 Description

• Expand Blend’s Databricks operations throughout North America by providing executive advisory services, technical pre-sales support, and architectural leadership.

• Collaborate with Client Partners, Business Development leaders, and Databricks field teams to discover opportunities and shape engagements.

• Assist in discovery sessions, proposal development, architecture workshops, demonstrations, hands-on labs, and co-selling initiatives.

• Convert client priorities into solution architectures, delivery roadmaps, effort estimates, and desired business outcomes.

• Create architectures for lakehouse modernization, batch and streaming data engineering, analytics, machine learning, generative AI, and agentic AI.

• Develop strategies for governance, security, data quality, interoperability, performance, and cost management.

• Guide architectural decisions and validate solutions based on enterprise-scale, reliability, security, and operational requirements.

• Address complex challenges across data pipelines, cloud infrastructure, integrations, governance, and production AI systems.

• Ensure continuity from pre-sales through to delivery.

• Offer hands-on assistance for proofs of concept, reference implementations, architecture reviews, and delivery escalations.

• Aid clients in transitioning AI solutions from experimentation to production.

• Set architecture standards, reusable patterns, accelerators, and delivery guidance for global teams.

• Mentor architects and engineers, facilitate technical hiring, and cultivate Blend’s Databricks community.

• Collaborate with Databricks counterparts on technical enablement, certifications, and new platform capabilities.

• Create repeatable offerings, demonstrations, case studies, and thought leadership content.

• Advise client CTOs, CIOs, CDOs, and business leaders on data and AI strategy as well as platform modernization.

• Articulate architectural trade-offs in terms of business value, effort, cost, risk, and time to value.

• Represent Blend in client workshops, partner discussions, and industry events.

⛳️ Requirements

• Over 15 years of experience in data, platform, or cloud architecture.

• A minimum of five years concentrating on Databricks, modern data platforms, or associated solution engineering and technical pre-sales.

• Extensive hands-on experience with Databricks, including designing and delivering enterprise production solutions.

• Strong proficiency in Apache Spark, Delta Lake, Unity Catalog, Databricks SQL, and both batch and streaming architectures.

• Practical skills in Python and SQL.

• Familiarity with Databricks data engineering and orchestration functionalities, such as Lakeflow.

• Experience in designing reliable and governed data pipelines.

• Hands-on experience in creating and deploying AI and agentic solutions on Databricks, including Agent Bricks, Mosaic AI Model Serving, Vector Search, and Genie.

• Experience in connecting agents to enterprise data, tools, and APIs via MCP and Unity Catalog functionalities.

• Proven track record of moving AI solutions into production, including MLflow evaluation and tracing, Databricks Apps or serving endpoints, security, monitoring, and cost management.

• Strong background in cloud architecture on AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud.

• Experience in leading data platform migrations or modernization initiatives.

• Demonstrated success in working alongside sales teams and engaging directly with senior client executives.

• Experience collaborating with Databricks field teams on joint opportunities and the development of technical solutions.

• Background in consulting, professional services, or an embedded technology partner role.

• Relevant Databricks professional certifications, particularly in data engineering, machine learning, or generative AI (preferred).

• Experience with enterprise governance, data sharing, federation, and open table formats (preferred).

• Familiarity with Databricks partner programs, the Marketplace, and repeatable industry solutions (preferred).

• Experience in establishing technical communities, mentoring senior practitioners, and creating reusable delivery assets (preferred).

🏝️ Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.

• 401(k) retirement plan.

• Paid time off.

• Paid holidays.

• Commuter benefits.

• Flexible spending accounts.

• Life and disability insurance.

• Employee assistance programs.