Shelf
Job Description
The Field CTO will serve as Shelf’s primary technical authority in customer‑facing engagements, combining deep technical expertise with strategic sales leadership. You’ll take ownership of the critical technical sales function currently handled by our CTO, partnering with Account Executives to close deals across the entire pipeline while building and leading a team of Sales Engineers.
This role offers immediate impact and long‑term growth potential. You’ll engage with Enterprise Architects, CTOs, VPs of Engineering, and AI Leaders to demonstrate how Shelf solves data‑quality challenges preventing GenAI initiatives from reaching production. Your ability to rapidly solution during fast‑paced 3‑5 day pilots and translate complex technical concepts into business value will be crucial to driving revenue success.
Reporting to our CTO with a strong dotted line to our VP of Sales, you’ll influence product direction while staying laser‑focused on sales outcomes. The ideal candidate is a former CTO or VP of Engineering who has transitioned to customer‑facing roles, with experience building technical teams in high‑growth B2B SaaS environments. Founder or early employee experience is a significant plus.
What We’re Looking For
- Technical Executive Background – Former CTO, VP of Engineering, or senior technical leader who transitioned to customer‑facing roles in B2B SaaS
- Enterprise Technical Authority – Deep expertise in enterprise architecture, AI/GenAI technologies, and modern data platforms with proven ability to engage C‑level stakeholders
- Team Builder – Track record of building and scaling technical teams; ready to hire, mentor, and lead Sales Engineers
- Revenue‑Oriented – Understanding of enterprise sales cycles with demonstrated ability to influence revenue through technical leadership
- Exceptional Communicator – Explains complex concepts to diverse audiences; comfortable presenting to technical and executive stakeholders
- Entrepreneurial Drive – Founder or early employee experience preferred; thinks like an owner and thrives in high‑growth environments
- Hands‑On & Strategic – Comfortable setting up demos and running pilots while maintaining strategic perspective
Key Responsibilities
- Serve as primary technical authority in strategic customer engagements across the sales pipeline
- Lead technical discovery, solution design, and presentations demonstrating Shelf’s value
- Drive rapid high‑stake pilots that prove measurable value and convert to closed deals
- Build and lead a Sales Engineering team
- Create scalable processes and best practices for technical sales excellence
Strategic Collaboration
- Collaborate with CTO and Product leadership to provide market insights and influence roadmap based on technical sales engagements
- Partner with other sales roles to drive technical wins across the ecosystem
- Contribute to thought leadership through select conferences, content creation, and sales enablement materials
- Maintain deep expertise in AI/GenAI trends, competitive landscape, and enterprise technology ecosystem
Qualifications
- 10‑15+ years combining technical leadership with customer‑facing roles in enterprise B2B SaaS
- Former CTO, VP of Engineering, or senior technical executive with proven customer engagement experience
- Deep expertise in enterprise architecture, AI/ML technologies, cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), and data platforms
- Experience building and leading technical teams in high‑growth environments
- Demonstrated ability to influence revenue through technical leadership
- Exceptional presentation and communication skills with technical and executive audiences
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field
- Founder or early employee experience strongly preferred
Success Metrics
- Revenue Influence – Directly contribute to $25M+ in ARR through technical involvement across the sales pipeline
- Pilot Conversion Excellence – Achieve strong pilot‑to‑conversion rates on rapid proof‑of‑value engagements
- Team Building – Successfully hire, onboard, and lead a high‑performing Sales Engineering team
- Technical Credibility – Establish Shelf as a trusted technical authority with key enterprise accounts and become the go‑to resource for complex technical engagements
- Sales Enablement – Create reusable technical assets, demo environments, and solution templates that accelerate sales cycles
What We Offer
- Realistic, clearly communicated expectations.
- Team‑wide aligned values and goals.
- Comprehensive health and wellness packages.
Location
NYC with flexibility to travel for high‑stakes customer meetings, industry events, and internal leadership meetings.
#J-18808-Ljbffr