Staff Solutions Engineer – AI Specialist

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

📋 Description

• Assist field sales teams in demonstrating the value of Kong’s API and AI connectivity platform to customers.

• Engage in discovery conversations to identify customer needs and align them with Kong solutions, from initial product evaluations to deployment.

• Support proof-of-concept initiatives during the evaluation phase, taking responsibility for technical validation and ensuring stakeholder alignment.

• Maintain customer satisfaction across assigned accounts.

• Collaborate with support, product, and engineering teams to advocate for customer requirements.

• Develop technical documentation for DevOps, implementations, and service engagements.

• Lead and assist in evaluations of API Management and AI Governance, covering API/AI use cases, LLM traffic management, and governance needs.

• Showcase Kong’s capabilities in API and AI governance as well as agentic connectivity, including MCP governance, semantic caching, prompt guardrails, and shadow AI detection.

• Conduct API and AI-focused Technical Feasibility Workshops to assess Kong’s suitability for modern and AI/agentic architectures.

• Take ownership of the technical strategy for intricate, multi-stakeholder enterprise deals from qualification to closure.

• Mentor and guide junior solutions engineers on technical skills, discovery techniques, and deal strategies.

• Write technical blogs, host webinars, and represent the company at industry events and conferences.

• Shape product direction by integrating customer feedback and market insights into actionable recommendations for the product team.

• Undertake additional responsibilities as assigned by the manager.

⛳️ Requirements

• Over 7 years of experience in software engineering and/or solutions engineering within a SaaS, open source, or enterprise software environment.

• Demonstrated success in managing complex, enterprise-level deals involving multiple technical and executive stakeholders.

• Experience in mentoring or coaching other solutions engineers or technical team members.

• Proficient in Docker, Kubernetes, and cloud-native platforms.

• Knowledge of REST and GraphQL APIs, CI/CD pipelines, and API security frameworks (OAuth2, OIDC, mTLS).

• Practical experience with AI-assisted development tools such as Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, OpenAI Codex, or similar is essential.

• Familiarity with AI/LLM architectures, including model routing, rate limiting, semantic caching, and prompt governance.

• Understanding of Model Context Protocol (MCP) and agentic AI patterns.

• Comprehensive knowledge of cloud computing trends and open source business models.

• Excellent listening and communication skills for collaborating with engineers, architects, and executives.

• Passion for contributing to a high-profile, fast-paced environment at the intersection of API and AI connectivity.

🏝️ Benefits

• Equity

• Health insurance

• Dental insurance

• Vision insurance

• Paid holidays

• Paid time off (PTO)

• Opportunities for professional development

• Access to professional development tools