Director, Field Engineering (CPG & Retail)

Databricks
United States
On-site

Who this role is best for

Strong fit for mid-level leaders with enterprise software pre-sales experience who can build collaborative teams and drive strategic customer relationships in the Retail and CPG industries.

Best fit for

  • Mid-level leaders with 10+ years of leadership and experience in enterprise software pre-sales for Retail or CPG
    — “At least 3 years of second-line leadership experience managing teams of 30+ individuals, with 10+ years of overall leadership experience.
  • Candidates who can translate technical solutions into business value and manage complex sales cycles
    — “communicate complex technical solutions in terms of business value, support enterprise sales cycles
  • Professionals with a track record of building executive-level customer relationships and driving large strategic deals
    — “Ability to elevate executive engagement, with a track record of driving large strategic transactions

Things to consider

  • This role requires managing a high-growth team and maintaining operational rigor in a dynamic environment
    — “Drive operational rigor to manage a high-growth business
  • Candidates must be prepared to coach and develop teams, not just lead them
    — “foster a culture of psychological safety while developing and scaling a high-performing team

How to stand out

  • Highlight measurable outcomes from past customer transformation initiatives in your resume and interviews
    — “Proven track record of delivering transformational customer outcomes
  • Emphasize your ability to align technical solutions with long-term business strategies
    — “Experience positioning technical solutions within complex enterprise environments
  • Showcase your leadership in cross-functional partnerships with Sales, Engineering, and Product teams
    — “Track record of building strong customer relationships and cross-functional partnerships
Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · CompanyLevel · Senior

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • new customer acquisition
  • expansion of strategic relationships
Typical background
enterprise software pre-salessolution architecture

Skills & requirements

Required

Enterprise Software Pre-salesTechnical Pre-salesSolution Architecture

Preferred

Cloud TechnologiesData EngineeringAi/ml

About the role

Original posting from Databricks

REQ ID: FEQ427R375

Mission:

As the Director of Field Engineering, you will be responsible for partnering with our enterprise Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) and Retail customers to democratize Data and AI within their organizations, leveraging Databricks solutions and expertise to address their most critical business challenges.

Reporting to the Tech GM of Field Engineering for Retail & Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), the Director, Field Engineering will lead a team of pre-sales Managers and Solutions Architects focused on acquiring new customers and expanding strategic relationships across the Retail and CPG industry. You will work closely with Sales, Product, Engineering, Customer Success, and executive stakeholders to drive strategy and execution against our ambitious growth goals.

You will foster a culture of psychological safety while developing and scaling a high-performing team with expertise in enterprise software, data engineering, analytics, AI/ML, and cloud technologies. Your experience partnering with Sales will help drive complex enterprise opportunities while coaching managers and field engineering teams to deliver exceptional customer outcomes. You will guide your team through strategic engagements, communicate complex technical solutions in terms of business value, support enterprise sales cycles, and build trusted relationships with senior business and technology leaders across the Retail and CPG industry.

The impact you will have: 

Hire and manage first-line Managers and a growing team of technical pre-sales

Solutions Architects.

Build a collaborative culture within a rapid-growth team. Embody and promote

Databricks' customer-obsessed, truth-seeking, diverse culture, and first principles

mindset.

Develop trusted, long-term executive relationships with customers while maintaining a

deep understanding of the Retail and CPG industry, including key business trends,

competitive dynamics, and digital transformation priorities.

Help customers accelerate their Data and AI strategies across areas such as customer

experience, merchandising, supply chain, demand forecasting, marketing, and

operations.

Promote a solution- and value-based Field Engineering organization.

Display an understanding of customer business priorities and revenue opportunities

across the assigned region and industry.

Serve as a thought leader for Databricks and within the Retail, CPG, Data, and AI

ecosystem.

What we look for:

At least 3 years of second-line leadership experience managing teams of 30+

individuals, with 10+ years of overall leadership experience.

Proven success leading high-growth enterprise software pre-sales organizations

within Retail, CPG, cloud, data, analytics, or AI.

Experience partnering with Retail and/or CPG customers on large-scale data,

analytics, AI, or digital transformation initiatives.

Ability to elevate executive engagement, with a track record of driving large strategic

transactions and expanding high-growth enterprise accounts.

Proven leadership ability to influence, develop, and empower teams to achieve

ambitious business objectives through collaboration.

Drive operational rigor to manage a high-growth business, establishing the right

operating cadence while ensuring visibility into customer priorities, escalations, and

product feedback.

Proven track record of delivering transformational customer outcomes and

measurable business value.

Track record of building strong customer relationships and cross-functional

partnerships across Sales, Engineering, Product, Marketing, and Customer Success.

Experience positioning technical solutions within complex enterprise environments

and helping customers realize long-term value and platform adoption with Databricks.

Strong operational leadership with experience implementing scalable processes that

improve the effectiveness and productivity of technical field organizations.

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or

equivalent practical experience.

About Databricks

Databricks is the Data and AI company. More than 20,000 organizations worldwide — including adidas, AT&T, Bayer, Block, Mastercard, Rivian, Unilever, and 70% of the Fortune 500 — rely on the Databricks Data + AI Platform to build and scale data and AI apps, analytics and agents. Headquartered in San Francisco with 30+ offices around the globe, Databricks offers a unified platform that includes Genie, Lakebase, Agent Bricks, Lakeflow, Lakehouse, and Unity Catalog. To learn more, follow Databricks on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, and Instagram.

Benefits

At Databricks, we strive to provide comprehensive benefits and perks that meet the needs of all of our employees. For specific details on the benefits offered in your region click here.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

At Databricks, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture where everyone can excel. We take great care to ensure that our hiring practices are inclusive and meet equal employment opportunity standards. Individuals looking for employment at Databricks are considered without regard to age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other protected characteristics.

Compliance

If access to export-controlled technology or source code is required for performance of job duties, it is within Employer's discretion whether to apply for a U.S. government license for such positions, and Employer may decline to proceed with an applicant on this basis alone.

Source: Databricks careers

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