Head of Solutions Architecture, Startups (AI)

Location: Hybrid in Austin, New York City, or San Francisco, with 3 days per week in the office

San Francisco OTE pay range: $382,000–$485,000; compensation may vary by employee location and may include equity, benefits, bonuses, and variable pay.

Company

Vercel provides infrastructure and developer tools for shipping and running web and AI software, including its core platform, Next.js, and AI stack.

What you will do

• Lead, develop, and manage the global Startups Solutions Architecture team.
• Set technical standards across the pre-sales cycle and coach engagement on strategic accounts and critical deals.
• Provide hands-on support through customer presentations, architecture reviews, and migration plans.
• Partner with Engineering to convert field feedback into product improvements.
• Develop repeatable plays from customer and market patterns and report team performance quarterly.
• Own organizational planning, staffing, budgeting, and recruiting.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in Solutions Engineering, Sales Engineering, or similar technical pre-sales roles.
• At least 5 years of formal leadership experience.
• Strong knowledge of JavaScript, React, Next.js, Node.js, APIs, and cloud infrastructure.
• Experience leading, coaching, and scaling technical teams in a high-growth environment.
• Experience with enterprise and commercial customers across diverse industries.
• Understanding of modern software development workflows, including CI/CD, DevOps, and frontend frameworks.

Nice to have

• Experience with Vercel, Next.js, or similar frontend frameworks.
• Leadership experience at a developer tools or cloud infrastructure company.
• Expertise in developer tooling, edge computing, or performance optimization.
• Experience presenting at conferences, webinars, or large-scale customer events.

Culture & Benefits

• Inclusive healthcare package.
• Flexible time off.
• Mentorship and support for attending professional events.
• Company-provided equipment and a work-from-home budget.
• Compensation package may include equity and bonus or variable pay.

Hiring process

• Applicants explain why they are a good fit for the role during the application process.
• Recruiters provide additional details about compensation during the hiring process.