Director of Solutions Engineering at Cribl - Lead AI SE Team in Columbus

Join the company that's building the telemetry infrastructure for the AI era. At Cribl, we partner with IT and Security teams at many of the world's biggest enterprises, including half of the Fortune 100, to bridge the gap between AI ambition and infrastructure reality. As the AI Platform for Telemetry, we give customers the choice, control, and flexibility to manage and analyze telemetry for both humans and agents, so they can build what's next.

We're one of the fastest-growing private companies and a leading player in a massive, fast-moving market. With a global workforce, we're remote-first and grounded in a simple idea: software is a people business. Cribl is the place where curious, collaborative people can do their best work, grow fast, and bring their full selves to the herd.

Location: This is a remote role based out of United States or Canada.

Why You'll Love This Role

• Lead the AI transformation: Guide a high-visibility, high-impact team at the forefront of the AI and observability shift, shaping both the solutions we deliver and the modern ways we work.
• Shape the strategy: Have a direct seat at the table in shaping Cribl's GTM strategy as we scale our multi-product platform (Stream, Edge, Lake, Search).
• Embrace modern work: Work in a remote-first, collaborative environment where you are encouraged to challenge legacy processes and use AI to reinvent everyday workflows.
• Culture first: Join a company where software is recognized as a people business, where we solve hard problems from first principles, and where differences are valued and welcomed.

As An Active Member Of Our Team, You Will…

• Team Leadership & Development
  • Build and lead a team of Solutions Engineers and SE Managers who serve as our core product introduction, evaluation, and education experts across Cribl's full platform.
  • Design and execute a comprehensive talent strategy for the AMER SE team, encompassing recruiting, enablement, career pathing, and retention.
  • Champion the adoption of AI and automation tools across the SE organization to streamline technical enablement, accelerate PoV delivery, and optimize day-to-day pre-sales workflows.
  • Continually assess and develop the technical capabilities of each team member across our platform and emerging AI/agentic telemetry use cases, ensuring high technical depth.
  • Provide ongoing mentorship to SE Managers and SEs, fostering a 'Customer First, Always' mindset while coaching them on technical and non-technical pre-sales techniques.
• GTM Strategy & Execution
  • Partner with Enterprise sales leadership to hit regional quota and consumption/ARR expansion targets, focusing on multi-product attach and Cribl.Cloud consumption growth.
  • Drive pre-sales operational excellence by optimizing Proof of Value (PoV) conversion rates, shortening technical sales cycles, and standardizing shared sales methodologies (e.g., MEDDIC).
  • Innovate and implement sales plays — land-and-expand, platform/on-prem-to-cloud migration, and consumption selling — that uplevel your team's skills.
  • Partner closely with Customer Success to ensure seamless technical handoffs, drive continuous adoption, and secure high Net Retention Rates (NRR) and customer satisfaction.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration & Strategy
  • Provide strategic guidance to revenue leaders on sales strategy, platform-selling motions, and product obstacles/gaps, and represent the SE team's needs to executive staff.
  • Coordinate cross-functional, dotted-line resources (Staff/Principal SEs, Partner SEs, Technical Enablement, Professional Services) to achieve your team's goals.
  • Deliver executive-level presentations, represent Cribl's full product portfolio, and conduct and oversee critical PoV events and product demonstrations.
  • Collaborate closely with product, engineering, marketing, and channel/FSI partners as Cribl's platform expands into Apps, AI Insights, and new product lines.
• We are a remote-first company and work happens across many time zones — you may be required to occasionally perform duties outside your standard working hours.

If You've Got It — We Want It

• Proven ability to communicate effectively in presentations — in person, by phone, and via remote conferencing — with executive-level customers, direct reports, and the Cribl Leadership Team.
• A history of successfully leading a technical pre-sales team or region at a software company that drives target attainment against monthly, quarterly, and annual quota and consumption targets.
• Proven experience leading SE Managers (a leader of leaders), including coaching managers through multi-product/platform-selling motions.
• Experience supporting large, complex, multi-year Enterprise deals, ideally including multi-product bundling and/or on-prem-to-cloud/hybrid migration motions.
• Ability to teach consultative, land-and-expand selling methodology for identifying new and existing opportunities across a multi-product portfolio.
• Demonstrated mindset of leveraging AI tools and modern automation to enhance personal and team efficiency, leading by example in adopting new ways of working.
• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent AND 5+ years of experience in a customer-facing pre-sales leadership role, OR equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Ability to travel approximately 30%.

Bonus Points / Preferred Qualifications

• Experience building technical champions and executive relationships within large Enterprise accounts.
• Background in Observability, Security (SIEM/SOC), DevOps, or Cloud infrastructure.
• Familiarity with Cribl's product suite, or a comparable vendor-agnostic telemetry/data pipeline platform.
• Proven self-starter with a motivated attitude, able to manage multiple tasks, projects, and responsibilities simultaneously.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines, while maintaining a pleasant and professional attitude toward your team, customers, and co-workers.

Compensation

The salary for this role is dependent on geographic location and will be based on the individual candidate's job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

In addition to base salary, for sales and some sales-adjacent roles, employees are eligible to earn incentive compensation (commission). For all other roles, employees are eligible to participate in the Cribl Corporate Bonus Program.

In addition to a competitive salary, Cribl also offers a generous benefits package which includes health, dental, vision, short-term disability, and life insurance, paid holidays and paid time off, a fertility treatment benefit, 401(k), and equity.

Base Salary Range: $180,000 — $240,000 USD

Bring Your Whole Self
Diversity drives innovation, enables better decisions to support our customers, and inspires change for the better. We're building a culture where differences are valued and welcomed, and we work together to bring out the best in each other. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or any other applicable legally protected characteristics in the location in which the candidate is applying.

Interested in joining the Cribl herd? Learn more about the smartest, funniest, most passionate goats you'll ever meet at cribl.io/about-us.