Staff Solutions Engineer - Northeast
Kong · Remote · Massachusetts, United States ·
COMPENSATION
$220k – $260k
Listed on the employer's job board (Ashby)
- Staff level position
- Fully remote (Northeast)
- API & AI focus
- Kubernetes & Docker
- Mentoring responsibilities
As a Staff Solutions Engineer at Kong, you will act as a trusted technical advisor for innovative enterprises. You will help customers architect secure, scalable API ecosystems while navigating the transition into the agentic AI era.
You will sit at the intersection of API management and AI connectivity, making the value of Kong’s platform real for customers through technical expertise and strategic guidance.
What you'll do
- Support field sales by explaining the value of Kong’s API and AI connectivity platform
- Conduct discovery conversations to map customer requirements to Kong solutions
- Own technical validation and stakeholder alignment during proof of concepts
- Create technical documentation for DevOps and service engagements
- Lead evaluations for API Management and AI Governance use cases
- Demonstrate capabilities like MCP governance and semantic caching
- Run Technical Feasibility Workshops to validate fit for AI architectures
- Own technical strategy for complex enterprise deals from qualification to close
- Mentor junior Solutions Engineers on technical skills and deal strategy
- Drive thought leadership via blogs, webinars, and industry conference speaking
- Influence product direction by synthesizing customer feedback for the product team
What you'll need
- 7+ years of software or solutions engineering experience in SaaS or enterprise software
- Proven track record owning complex enterprise deals with multiple stakeholders
- Experience mentoring or coaching other technical team members
- Hands-on experience with Docker, Kubernetes, and cloud-native platforms
- Experience with REST and GraphQL APIs, CI/CD pipelines, and API security patterns
- Required hands-on experience with AI-assisted development tooling like Claude Code or GitHub Copilot
- Working knowledge of AI/LLM architectures including model routing and prompt governance
- Familiarity with Model Context Protocol (MCP) and agentic AI patterns
- Solid understanding of cloud computing trends and open source business models
- Strong communication skills to lead discussions with engineers and executives
Stack
- Docker
- Kubernetes
- REST APIs
- GraphQL
- Claude Code
- GitHub Copilot
- OpenAI Codex
- Model Context Protocol
How you'll work
- Fully remote position
- Focus on Northeast region