Senior Field Engineer – Pre-Sales, Forward Deployed

Jobtailor; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Cognite in Houston seeks a Senior Pre-sales Engineer to lead technical engagements in Industrial AI. You will prototype live solutions using Atlas AI and Data Fusion, design industrial agents, and automate workflows. You will translate client needs into actionable use cases, deliver compelling demos, and collaborate with Product to inform roadmaps.

Strong Python and GenAI knowledge, plus 3+ years in enterprise SaaS or industrial software, are required; travel up to 50% is expected.

Qualifications

• Hands on experience in Industrial verticals such as Oil & Gas, Manufacturing or Pharmaceuticals.
• 3+ years in forward deployed engineering/pre-sales engineering or technical software development.
• Strong engineering background in CS, Math, Software Engineering, Physics or ML.
• Foundations in Python and GenAI concepts (embeddings, RAG, prompt chaining).
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical and communication skills.
• Willingness to travel up to 50% to be on the ground where impact happens.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Account Executives to prioritize strategic opportunities and act as the technical lead.
• Prototype solutions via Fast AI Prototyping using Cognite Atlas AI and Cognite Data Fusion.
• Design and implement first-of-their-kind industrial agents.
• Automate complex workflows with Atlas AI workbench for feasibility and scalability.
• Lead use case workshops, translating requirements into deliverable use cases.
• Deliver client demos and reference architectures to prove ROI of Industrial AI.
• Bridge field and Product, translating deployment learnings into requirements and best practices.

Skills

Python

GenAI

Problem solving

Communication

Travel readiness

Tools

Cognite Atlas AI

Cognite Data Fusion

Industrial Knowledge Graph

AI Workbench

Job description

Responsibilities

• Partner with Account Executives to prioritize strategic opportunities and act as the technical lead for complex engagements.
• Move clients from high-level strategy to live, functioning versions of Cognite’s solutions through Fast AI Prototyping via Cognite Atlas AI™ and Cognite Data Fusion®.
• Lead the design and implementation of first-of-their-kind industrial agents.
• Leverage the Atlas AI workbench to automate complex industrial workflows, ensuring solutions are technically feasible, scalable, and grounded in the contextualized data foundation of our Industrial Knowledge Graph.
• Lead use case workshops and briefings, translating functional and non-functional requirements into deliverable high-level use cases.
• Build executive confidence by delivering client-focused demos and reference architectures that prove the ROI of Industrial AI.
• Act as the critical bridge between the field and Cognite’s Product organization. Translate "field friction" and deployment learnings into actionable product requirements and scalable best practices that strengthen Cognite’s position as the leader in Industrial DataOps.

Requirements

• Hands on experience in the Industrial Vertical such as Oil & Gas, Manufacturing or Pharmaceuticals is required
• 3+ years in forward deployed engineering/pre-sales engineering, or technical software development, ideally in enterprise SaaS, cloud platforms, or industrial software companies.
• Hands on keyboard problem solving
• Strong engineering background. Preferred fields include but are not limited to Computer Science, Mathematics, Software Engineering, Physics, and Machine Learning.
• A strong foundation in Python and a deep understanding of the GenAI landscape (embeddings, RAG, and prompt chaining).
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and communication skills.
• Ability and interest to travel up to 50% as needed to be "on the ground" where the impact happens.

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in Industrial AI solutions, leveraging Python and GenAI technologies to design and implement scalable industrial workflows. Proven ability to translate complex requirements into actionable use cases while building client confidence through effective communication and technical demonstrations.

Tools & Technologies

• Cognite Atlas AI
• Cognite Data Fusion
• Industrial Knowledge Graph
• AI Workbench