Principal Solutions Engineer (Foster City, CA)

As customers continuously push the envelope for ways to extract value from data, Alluxio is driving innovation in data access and management for large-scale distributed systems. Alluxio is charging full steam ahead to help customers navigate digital transformation. Venture-backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Hillhouse Capital, and Seven Seas Partners. Alluxio was founded at UC Berkeley’s AMPLab by the creators of the Tachyon open-source project.  

Alluxio's data orchestration platform is a new layer between storage and compute engines. This new data layer serves data to large-scale analytics and AI in any cloud across clusters, regions, clouds, and countries, providing simplified data access to files and objects. Features like intelligent caching, unified namespace, and data management provide agility and cost efficiency to customers in financial services, high-tech, retail, and telecommunications.

Alluxio is trusted by Meta, Uber, Tencent, Tiktok, Alibaba, Expedia, Rakuten, Microsoft, Walmart, and more! Please review Wikipedia to learn more about us! Join our world-class team of empathetic, enthusiastic, and creative people who can work on some of the toughest big data problems.

About the Role: 

As a Principal Solutions Engineer at Alluxio, you will be at the forefront of driving technical success with our enterprise customers, working hands-on to design and implement cutting-edge data solutions. You’ll collaborate closely with key decision-makers and executives from prospective customers, translating their needs into tailored solutions that leverage Alluxio’s platform. This role offers the unique opportunity to solve complex technical challenges, engage directly with top-tier clients, and play a pivotal role in revolutionizing data management for AI and big data within a fast-paced, innovative environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Technical Sales Engagement: Lead the technical aspects of the sales process, from initial customer meetings through proof of concept (PoC) and final close. Your insights and technical expertise will be key to securing customer buy-in.
• Collaborative Solution Design: Work closely with our Solutions Engineering Manager and cross-functional teams to design solutions that leverage Alluxio’s capabilities to meet specific customer requirements, with a strong focus on database architecture and deployment.
• Hands-On Implementation: Take ownership of PoC processes in multi-technology environments, driving technical evaluations that demonstrate the value of Alluxio’s solutions in real-world scenarios.
• Customer Enablement: Conduct training sessions and workshops to empower customers to fully utilize Alluxio’s products, ensuring they realize the maximum business value.
• Industry Expertise: Stay ahead of industry trends, particularly in AI and big data, and use this knowledge to position Alluxio’s offerings effectively against the competition.
• Feedback and Continuous Improvement: Actively gather feedback from customers and collaborate with our product management and engineering teams to drive product enhancements that address market needs.
• Technical Documentation: Develop and maintain comprehensive documentation, including best practices and lessons learned, to support scalable and repeatable solutions.

Qualifications:

• Technical Expertise: Strong background in database technologies and server infrastructure, including experience in building and deploying databases. Experience with orchestration frameworks (Kubernetes), and Linux/Networking/Storage. Familiarity with distributed systems (Hadoop, Spark, Presto).
• Hands-On Experience: Implementing and troubleshooting technical solutions, including the ability to conduct in-depth technical evaluations in complex, multi-technology environments.
• Problem-Solving Skills: Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot complex technical issues in distributed systems and deliver effective solutions.
• Technical Demos and Presentations: Expertise in designing and delivering compelling technical demos, tailored to meet the specific needs of prospective customers.
• Executive Communication: Demonstrated ability to lead technical presentations and discussions with executives, effectively translating complex technical concepts into business value propositions that resonate with senior leadership.
• Client Relationship Management: Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders at all levels, ensuring alignment with customer needs and driving long-term success.
• Technical Skills: Proficiency in shell scripting, Java, Python, SQL, with a solid understanding of data pipelining and large scale analytics databases.
• Education: BA/BS in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field is required. An advanced degree is a plus.
• Experience: Hands-on skills as a solutions engineer, solutions architect, professional services engineer, or technical account manager with a proven track record in supporting all phases of the technical sales cycle.

Alluxio is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or any other non-merit factor.

The salary range for this full-time position in the United States is $250,000 - $350,000 OTE, depending on experience, level, and subject to standard withholding and applicable taxes. All candidates will also receive equity (stock options) and access to a comprehensive benefits package. The base salary range reflects the minimum and maximum target for candidates across all US locations. The specific compensation awarded will be based on factors such as work location, skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Our Recruiting Team or Hiring Manager will provide more details about the specific salary range during the recruitment process.