Senior API & AI Solutions Architect

Kong; United States; Remote; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Kong is seeking a Staff Solutions Engineer in the United States to be at the center of API and AI connectivity. You will advise customers, map requirements to Kong solutions, and lead technical validation through POCs and workshops.

You will own technical strategy for multi-stakeholder deals, mentor junior SEs, and help shape product direction with customer feedback and market signals. This role emphasizes enterprise impact and cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of software engineering and/or solutions engineering experience in SaaS or enterprise software.
• Proven track record owning complex, enterprise deals with multiple stakeholders.
• Experience mentoring other SEs or technical team members.
• Experience with Docker, Kubernetes, and cloud-native platforms.
• Experience with REST and GraphQL APIs, CI/CD pipelines, and API security patterns.

Responsibilities

• Support field sales in helping customers understand Kong's API and AI connectivity platform.
• Conduct discovery conversations to map requirements to Kong solutions from review to production.
• Own technical validation and stakeholder alignment during POCs and evaluations.
• Ensure customer satisfaction across assigned accounts and collaborate with teams to advocate for needs.
• Create technical documentation for DevOps, implementations, and services engagements.
• Lead API Management and AI Governance evaluations including use-case scoping and governance requirements.
• Deliver demonstrations of Kong’s API/AI governance capabilities and run feasibility workshops.

Skills

Enterprise deal ownership

Mentoring other SEs

Software engineering

AI tooling experience

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Cloud-native platforms

REST APIs

GraphQL APIs

CI/CD pipelines

OAuth2 / OIDC / mTLS security patterns

Job description

Kong is seeking a Staff Solutions Engineer in the United States to be at the center of API and AI connectivity. You will advise customers, map requirements to Kong solutions, and lead technical validation through POCs and workshops.

You will own technical strategy for multi-stakeholder deals, mentor junior SEs, and help shape product direction with customer feedback and market signals. This role emphasizes enterprise impact and cross-functional collaboration.