Role overview

Kong is seeking a Staff Solutions Engineer to serve as a trusted technical advisor for enterprise customers adopting API management and AI connectivity solutions. In this role, you’ll work at the intersection of API and AI platforms, helping organizations architect secure and scalable ecosystems while navigating the transition to agentic AI.

Key responsibilities

Support field sales by helping customers understand and evaluate Kong’s API and AI connectivity platform for their business needs.
Conduct discovery conversations to understand customer requirements and map them to appropriate Kong solutions, from initial reviews through production deployment.
Own technical validation and stakeholder alignment throughout proof-of-concept evaluations.
Lead API management and AI governance evaluations, including scoping use cases, LLM traffic management, and governance requirements.
Deliver product demonstrations covering API and AI governance capabilities such as Model Context Protocol governance, semantic caching, prompt guardrails, and shadow AI detection.
Run Technical Feasibility Workshops to validate Kong’s fit for modern and AI-driven architectures.
Mentor junior solutions engineers on technical skills, discovery methods, and deal strategy while driving thought leadership through technical content, webinars, and speaking engagements.

Requirements

Seven or more years of software engineering or solutions engineering experience at a SaaS, open source, or enterprise software company.
Proven track record owning complex, enterprise-level deals involving multiple technical and executive stakeholders.
Experience mentoring or coaching other solutions engineers or technical team members.
Hands-on experience with Docker, Kubernetes, and cloud-native platforms.
Knowledge of REST and GraphQL APIs, CI/CD pipelines, and API security patterns including OAuth2, OIDC, and mTLS.
Practical experience with AI-assisted development tools such as Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, OpenAI Codex, or equivalent.
Working knowledge of AI and LLM architectures, including model routing, rate limiting, semantic caching, and prompt governance, plus familiarity with Model Context Protocol and agentic AI patterns.

What makes this role worth considering

You’ll work on technology at a critical juncture where API management and artificial intelligence converge. Kong serves Fortune 500 companies and AI-native startups, giving you exposure to enterprise-scale challenges and cutting-edge AI adoption. The role offers significant influence over product direction through customer feedback synthesis and the opportunity to shape how organizations approach AI connectivity and governance at scale.