Staff Solution Sales Engineer - Confluent

IBM Computing; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

IBM Computing is seeking a passionate Solutions Sales Engineer to drive innovative Data Streaming use-cases, work alongside Account Executives, and foster strong customer relationships. In this role, you will lead Technical Proofs of Concept and deliver Thought Leadership through Technical Talks.

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in Solutions Engineering, experience with Event-Driven architecture, and proficiency in programming languages like Java or Python. IBM offers a supportive culture and opportunities for continuous learning.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience as a Solutions Engineer or similar role.
• Experience with Event-Driven architecture and Data Processing techniques.
• Proficiency in Java, Python, or SQL.

Responsibilities

• Drive early-stage evaluation within the sales process.
• Develop and lead Technical Proofs of Concept.
• Conduct Discovery & Whiteboard Sessions for new use-cases.

Skills

Solutions Engineering

Event-Driven architecture

Data Integration & Processing

Java

Python

SQL

Cloud Architecture

Kubernetes

Education

Technical certifications in Cloud Development or Data Engineering

Job description

Introduction

At IBM Global Sales, we bring together innovation, collaboration, and expertise to help clients solve their most complex business challenges. Working across industries and geographies, you’ll partner with colleagues, clients, and partners to co-create solutions that drive digital transformation and lasting impact. Success in Global Sales is built on curiosity, empathy, and collaboration. You’ll connect technical understanding with strong people skills, building trusted relationships and shaping solutions that improve business and society. With world‑class onboarding, continuous learning, and a supportive culture, IBM offers the tools and opportunities to grow your career. Join us and be part of a global team that’s passionate about driving innovation and making a difference.

Your role and responsibilities

Staff Solution Sales Engineers at Confluent drive not only the early‑stage evaluation within the sales process, but also play a crucial role in enabling ongoing value‑realization for customers, all while helping them move up the adoption maturity curve. In this role you'll partner with Account Executives to be the key technical advisor in service of the customers. You’ll be instrumental in surfacing the customers' stated or implicit Business Needs, and coming up with Technical Designs to best meet these needs. You may find yourself at times facilitating art of the possible discussions and storytelling to inspire customers in adopting new patterns with confidence, and at other times driving creative solutioning to help get past difficult technical roadblocks. Overall, we look upon Solutions Engineers to be a key cog within the Customer Success Team that help foster an environment of sustained success for the customer and incremental adoption of Confluent's Technology.

What You Will Do

• Help advance new & innovative Data Streaming use‑cases from conception to Go‑Live
• Execute on and lead Technical Proofs of Concept
• Conduct Discovery & Whiteboard Sessions to develop new use‑cases
• Provide Thought Leadership by delivering Technical Talks and Workshops
• Guide customers with hands‑on help and best practice to drive operational maturity of their Confluent Deployment
• Analyze Customer Consumption trends and identify Optimization opportunities
• Work closely with Product and Engineering teams, and serve as a key Product advocate across the Customer, Partner and Industry ecosystem
• Forge strong relationships with key customer stakeholders and serve as a dependable partner for them

Required technical and professional expertise

• Extensive Experience as a Solutions Engineering or similar work experience
• Experience with Event‑Driven architecture, Data Integration & Processing Techniques, Database & Data Warehouse technologies
• First‑Hand exposure to Cloud Architecture, Migrations, Deployment & Application Development
• Experience with Automation, GitOps and Kubernetes
• Proficiency in Java, Python or SQL
• Technical certifications – Cloud Developer/Architect, Data Engineering & Integration
• Clear, consistent demonstration of self‑starter behavior, a desire to learn new things and tackle hard technical problems
• Exceptional presentation and communications capabilities.
• Confidence presenting to a highly skilled and experienced audience, ranging from developers to enterprise architects and up to C‑level executives

Preferred technical and professional experience

• Acquisition Agreement Knowledge: Deep understanding of acquisition and integration agreements, including terms and conditions, to inform strategic decision‑making.
• Technical Transition Expertise: Experience with managing technical transitions, utilizing technical expertise to guide the process and identify opportunities for growth and optimization.
• Stakeholder Relationship Building: Ability to develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders to facilitate successful integration and seamless transition of technical capabilities.

IBM is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal‑opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, caste, genetics, pregnancy, disability, neurodivergence, age, veteran status, or other characteristics. IBM is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.