Principal Sales Engineer

Intercom; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 258,000 - 301,000; Full time

Job summary

Intercom seeks a Principal Sales Engineer to join our Customer Solutions Team, playing a vital role in customer engagement and success throughout the sales cycle. This position requires strong technical skills and the ability to collaborate with various teams to meet customer needs effectively.

Benefits

Competitive salary and meaningful equity

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage

Flexible paid time off policy

Paid Parental Leave Program

401k plan & match

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in a technical pre-sales role.
• Experience with AI-driven automation and customer support technologies.
• Ability to manage C-Level technical and business relationships.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical discovery to identify and address customer needs.
• Deliver pre-sales experiences through technical expertise.
• Design and lead tailored Proof of Concepts (POCs).

Skills

Technical acumen

Problem-solving

Communication

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Job description

Intercom is the AI Customer Service company on a mission to help businesses provide incredible customer experiences.

Our AI agent Fin, the most advanced customer service AI agent on the market, lets businesses deliver always-on, impeccable customer service and ultimately transform their customer experiences for the better. Fin can also be combined with our Helpdesk to become a complete solution called the Intercom Customer Service Suite, which provides AI enhanced support for the more complex or high touch queries that require a human agent.

Founded in 2011 and trusted by nearly 30,000 global businesses, Intercom is setting the new standard for customer service. Driven by our core values, we push boundaries, build with speed and intensity, and consistently deliver incredible value to our customers.

What’s The Opportunity?

Intercom is an AI-first company revolutionizing how customer service is delivered today. Our entire platform is driven by an advanced AI Agent who we call Fin, who blends automation with empathy, setting a new standard in customer support. At Intercom, you’ll help shape the future of AI-first customer service, showing our customers the transformative power of artificial intelligence. By inspiring a bold vision and delivering impactful solutions, you’ll make AI-powered support not just possible, but a reality for our customers.

About the Role:

Intercom is looking for an exceptional Principal Sales Engineer to join our vibrant Customer Solutions Team. In this role, you’ll engage directly with our customers as their trusted advisor, playing a pivotal part in defining and demonstrating value across the entire sales cycle, and driving our customers to success during their evaluation of our product.

With a natural curiosity, independent thinking, and strong problem-solving skills, you’ll partner closely with Product, Data Science and Engineering to ensure our customers’ needs are met with excellent outcomes for them and Intercom.

What Will I Be Doing?

• Lead technical discovery to identify and address our customers’ needs
• Deliver an exceptional pre-sales experience by articulating Intercom's value through your technical expertise
• Conduct impactful, value-based solution reviews and in-depth technical sessions as the customer evaluates our product
• Design and lead tailored Proof of Concepts (POCs) that have clear success criteria and showcase Intercom's capabilities
• Serve as the primary resource for RFPs and customer security questions, utilizing standardized materials and escalating complex issues
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Product and Engineering to represent the customer voice, gathering feedback and insights for product planning
• Build trust with customers by approaching challenges with empathy and curiosity
• Continuously improve processes and contribute to building a best-in-class Sales Engineering playbook at Intercom
• Commit to customer success, ensuring lasting value and proactively addressing challenges

What Skills Do I Need?

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in a technical pre-sales role, managing C-Level technical and business relationships
• Strong technical acumen with experience in conducting technical discovery and delivering high-impact value presentations
• Ability to solve problems independently while thriving in collaborative team environments
• Understanding and curiosity to deepen your understanding of AI-driven automation, LLMs, and customer support technologies
• Proven time management skills in a dynamic team environment
• Demonstrated ability to quickly identify and communicate the value proposition throughout the sales cycle
• Leverage your skills in translating complex business challenges into tailored Intercom solutions, effectively communicating with both technical and non-technical audiences to drive understanding and impact
• Experience working closely with product and engineering teams to communicate customer feedback and influence product direction
• Familiarity with managing POCs, RFPs, and addressing complex architectural and security questions
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a passion for leading with empathy and curiosity
• Ability to challenge the status quo and continuously improve Sales Engineering processes and playbooks
• Bring an open mind, be a collaborative colleague with a commitment to go above and beyond to drive the success of your team and the company
• Willing and able to travel occasionally

Benefits

We are a well-treated bunch, with awesome benefits! If there’s something important to you that’s not on this list, talk to us!

• Competitive salary and meaningful equity
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Regular compensation reviews - great work is rewarded!
• Flexible paid time off policy
• Paid Parental Leave Program
• 401k plan & match
• In-office bicycle storage
• Fun events for Intercomrades, friends, and family!

The OTE range for candidates within the San Francisco Bay Area is $258,306 - $300,194. Actual pay will depend on a variety of factors such as education, skills, experience, location, etc. The pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future. All regular employees may also be eligible for the corporate bonus program or a sales incentive (target included in OTE) as well as stock in the form of Restricted Stock Units (RSUs).

Policies

Intercom has a hybrid working policy. We believe that working in person helps us stay connected, collaborate easier and create a great culture while still providing flexibility to work from home. We expect employees to be in the office at least two days per week.

We have a radically open and accepting culture at Intercom. We avoid spending time on divisive subjects to foster a safe and cohesive work environment for everyone. As an organization, our policy is to not advocate on behalf of the company or our employees on any social or political topics out of our internal or external communications. We respect personal opinion and expression on these topics on personal social platforms on personal time, and do not challenge or confront anyone for their views on non-work related topics. Our goal is to focus on doing incredible work to achieve our goals and unite the company through our core values.

Intercom values diversity and is committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity. Intercom will not discriminate against an applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, age, physical or mental disability, veteran or military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state, or local law.

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