Founding Sales Engineer

Founding Solutions Architect (Sales & Engineering)

Location: Remote with client onsite visits - Austin, TX preferred

Type: Direct Hire - FTE

An early-stage, venture-backed startup is building an AI-driven observability platform that turns existing camera infrastructure into real-time operational intelligence for physical environments. Having recently closed a $5M seed round just months after launch, the company is now hiring its first go-to-market team member: a Founding Solutions Architect who can act as the technical face of the business, translating customer challenges into deployed solutions while helping close revenue.

This is a hybrid role split evenly between engineering and sales. You will spend time on the ground at manufacturing and logistics sites, scoping real-world use cases, building working proofs of concept, and shaping the company's overall sales approach. You will work directly with the founder and play a central role in driving the business toward its first $1M in annual recurring revenue, primarily through mid-market manufacturing and logistics accounts.

Day to Day

• Travel to customer facilities such as factories and distribution centers to understand video-based use cases firsthand, gather detailed requirements, and recommend appropriate hardware (cameras, edge computing devices, network infrastructure)
• Build functional demos and proofs of concept using actual customer video data, then convert business requirements into technical specifications for the product and engineering teams
• Manage the full technical sales cycle independently, from initial discovery conversations through contract signature, on deals typically ranging from $50K to $100K in annual contract value
• Contribute to pipeline generation efforts, including cold outreach, industry conference attendance, and coordination with outside partners or agencies
• Identify and pursue expansion opportunities within existing accounts (for example, moving a customer from equipment utilization monitoring into quality control use cases) to increase retention and account growth

What We're Looking For

• 1 to 5 years of experience in a technical, customer-facing role such as solutions engineering, sales engineering, technical consulting, or a related field
• Comfort operating in an ambiguous, early-stage environment without established playbooks or processes
• Willingness to travel regularly to industrial sites, including factory floors and logistics facilities
• Strong ability to translate technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders and translate customer needs back into clear technical requirements
• Experience with, or strong interest in, computer vision, video infrastructure, edge devices, or related hardware and networking concepts
• A self-starter mentality with genuine interest in owning both the technical build and the commercial outcome of a sale
• Prior experience in a founding or early-stage startup role is a plus, though not required