Sales Engineer

At Sift, we’re redefining how modern machines are built, tested, and operated. Our platform gives engineers real-time observability over high-frequency telemetry—eliminating bottlenecks and enabling faster, more reliable development.

Sift was born from our work at SpaceX on Dragon, Falcon, Starlink, and Starship—where scaling telemetry, debugging flight systems, and ensuring mission reliability demanded new infrastructure. Founded by a team from SpaceX, Google, and Palantir, Sift is built for mission-critical systems where precision and scalability are non-negotiable.

About the Role

As a Solutions Engineer, you'll be the pre-sales technical bridge between Sift's cutting-edge telemetry platform and our customers' complex engineering challenges. In this role, you'll partner with our sales team to articulate the overall value proposition, vision, and strategy to customers throughout the sales lifecycle. You'll deliver compelling product demonstrations, support technical evaluations, and help close complex opportunities through your advanced technical expertise and credibility.

We're looking for an engineer who thrives in customer-facing environments and is passionate about deep technical solutions in industries like aerospace, autonomous systems, and renewable energy. This is a rare opportunity to join an early-stage startup and directly impact the success of next-generation machines. You will be just our second Solutions Engineer, report to our Forward Deployed Engineering Lead, and play a critical role in driving the technical aspects of the sales process.

In This Role, You’ll:

• Partner with the Sales team to articulate the overall Sift value proposition, vision, and strategy to customers

• Own pre-sales technical engagements with customers during the pilot evaluation phase, communicating our value based on customer needs

• Deliver compelling technical presentations and product demonstrations to potential clients

• Help close complex opportunities through advanced competitive knowledge, technical skill, and credibility

• Develop technical content and documentation that showcases the value of Sift's platform

• Build and present reference architectures and demo applications to help prospects understand how Sift can meet their specific requirements

• Provide feedback to Product Management, Engineering, and Marketing to continuously improve Sift's offerings based on customer input

• Stay current on competitive and complementary technologies in the observability space

The Skillset You’ll Bring:

• 4+ years of experience in technical pre-sales, solutions engineering, or similar customer-facing technical sales roles

• Proven track record in closing complex technical sales opportunities and navigating enterprise sales cycles

• Strong storytelling ability with outstanding presentation skills to articulate technical value to both executives and engineering teams

• Experience translating customer business needs into technical solutions and establishing buy-in with stakeholders at all levels

• Ability to quickly understand and demonstrate complex technical products in customer-relevant contexts

• Experience designing, architecting, and presenting technical systems for customers

• Proficiency with technical demonstrations, POCs, and handling technical objections during sales cycles

• Familiarity with one or more programming languages (Python, Java, etc.) and REST APIs

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, or a related field

• Interest in aerospace, autonomous systems, or advanced engineering applications

Bonus Points:

• Experience in any of the following:

• Aerospace systems, satellite operations, or autonomous vehicle development.

• Data streaming technologies or time-series databases (e.g., Kafka, InfluxDB).

• SQL and database concepts.

• Cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, GCP, Azure).

• Software integration challenges in complex systems.

• Machine learning or AI applications in engineering.

• Demonstrated ability to quickly learn and apply new technologies.

• Experience with sales methodologies and CRM tools (e.g., Salesforce)

• Knowledge of data visualization, time-series databases, or data streaming technologies

• Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and modern software development practices

• Experience mentoring other team members in technical sales approaches

• Demonstrated success in building and maintaining technical partnerships

• Background in competitive technical positioning against similar solutions

What We’re Looking For:

• A technical seller who leads with value and can build trusted advisor relationships with customers

• Someone who excels at identifying customer pain points and mapping them to product capabilities

• A balanced communicator who can engage effectively with both technical teams and executive stakeholders

• A strategic thinker who can navigate complex sales cycles and drive technical consensus

• A team player who collaborates smoothly with sales, product, and engineering to advance opportunities

• Someone with a consultative approach who can provide tailored solutions rather than generic pitches

Location & Travel:

• You must be willing and able to work from the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area and be onsite Monday through Thursday due to the nature and business needs of the role.

• Ability to travel 50%+ required. Varies by location and customer needs.

Sift headquarters is located in Los Angeles (El Segundo), and we work in a hybrid environment. We work closely with hardware companies building everything from autonomous vehicles to spacecraft, and it's essential to be nearby for site visits and collaboration.

Salary range: $125,000 - $175,000 per year. Plus equity and benefits.

Eligibility:

U.S. Person Required: Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual such as an asylee or refugee in compliance with ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) / EAR (Export Administration Regulations) regulations.