Role overview

Kong is seeking a Staff Solutions Engineer who combines deep technical expertise with enterprise sales acumen to help customers build secure, scalable API ecosystems while adopting agentic AI. In this role, you’ll serve as a trusted technical advisor at the intersection of API management and AI connectivity, working with Fortune 500 companies and innovative startups to architect solutions that govern and secure their API and AI infrastructure.

Key responsibilities

Partner with field sales to guide customers through understanding Kong’s API and AI connectivity platform value, from initial product reviews through production deployment.
Conduct discovery conversations to map customer requirements to Kong solutions and lead technical validation during proof-of-concept evaluations.
Manage customer satisfaction across your assigned accounts and collaborate with support, product, and engineering teams to advocate for customer needs and influence product direction.
Lead API and AI governance evaluations by scoping use cases, assessing LLM traffic management, and defining governance requirements for modern and agentic architectures.
Deliver demonstrations and run Technical Feasibility Workshops showcasing Kong’s capabilities including Model Context Protocol governance, semantic caching, prompt guardrails, and shadow AI detection.
Own the technical strategy for complex, multi-stakeholder enterprise deals from initial qualification through contract close.
Mentor junior solutions engineers on technical skills, discovery methods, and deal strategy, and drive thought leadership through technical content, webinars, and speaking engagements at major industry conferences.

Requirements

Seven or more years of software engineering or solutions engineering experience at a SaaS, open source, or enterprise software company.
Proven success owning complex enterprise deals involving multiple technical and executive stakeholders.
Hands-on experience with Docker, Kubernetes, cloud-native platforms, and REST and GraphQL APIs.
Solid background in CI/CD pipelines and API security patterns including OAuth2, OIDC, and mTLS.
Hands-on experience with AI-assisted development tools such as Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, or OpenAI Codex.
Working knowledge of AI and LLM architectures, including model routing, rate limiting, semantic caching, and prompt governance.
Familiarity with Model Context Protocol and agentic AI patterns, along with understanding of cloud computing trends and open source business models.
Strong communication and listening skills, capable of confidently leading discussions with engineers, architects, and executives.
Experience mentoring or coaching other solutions engineers or technical team members.

What makes this role worth considering

This position places you at a pivotal moment in technology, working with established enterprises and forward-thinking startups navigating the convergence of APIs and artificial intelligence. You’ll have the opportunity to influence Kong’s product direction by synthesizing customer feedback and market insights, while building visibility through thought leadership at major industry events like AWS re:Invent and Google Next.