Customer Engineer

Don’t let the quirky name fool you: At MotherDuck, we’re on a mission to make data warehousing fun, frictionless, and ducking awesome for developers and data practitioners building blazing fast internal and customer-facing analytics experiences. We're building a cloud-hosted version of DuckDB, working hand-in-hand with the creators of the fastest-growing and fastest-improving query engine on the planet. Unlike other databases, MotherDuck was architected to unify local development with cloud operations to bridge the gap between software and data engineering workflows. Our team is a mix of thoughtful, passionate, and empathetic data industry veterans.

At MotherDuck, we're building a delightful, cloud-native analytics platform powered by DuckDB. We believe in simplifying data without dumbing it down... and we're looking for a Senior Sales Engineer who can help our customers see how magical (and fast!) data can be. This role is perfect for someone who's waddled through the world of data engineering and is now ready to ruffle some feathers in a customer facing role. You'll be the technical tailwind for our sales team, showing prospects how MotherDuck can help them fly through their data challenges with ease.

This is a hybrid role that can be based out of our New York City, Seattle or San Francisco office.

Key responsibilities include

• Partner with Account Executives to lead the technical side of sales, from discovery through to technical win.

• Design elegant data architectures using DuckDB, MotherDuck, and the modern data stack... always with simplicity and performance in mind.

• Create and deliver tailored demos and proof-of-concepts that really get customers flapping with excitement.

• Translate business needs into scalable, cost-effective, and delightful technical solutions.

• Work cross-functionally with Product and Engineering to bring customer feedback to the nest and shape the roadmap.

• Be a trusted technical advisor, helping customers navigate their journey with MotherDuck from pilot to production.

• Build and deploy AI-powered automations that scale your own impact... think less manual prep, more time wowing customers.

• 5+ years of experience as a data engineer, analytics engineer, or similar, with hands-on skills in SQL, Python, and cloud-native data tooling.

• 2+ years in a pre-sales or solutions engineering role, ideally in the data or analytics space.

• Proven, hands-on experience with OLAP workloads... you've designed and optimized for analytical query patterns

• You've built with or alongside AI systems in a real way... not just using AI tools to go a bit faster, but actually automating workflows, building agents, and multiplying your own output through smart systems.

• You've worked with tools like BigQuery, Snowflake, dbt, Airflow, and you're always curious about what's hatching in the modern data stack.

• You’ve worked with Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, or other agent harnesses to empower yourself and others.

• You love talking to customers, whiteboarding solutions, and quacking confidently in front of both technical and non-technical audiences.

• Deep familiarity with data warehouse architecture, performance optimization, and data modeling.

• Experience working in a fast-paced startup environment.

• [nice to have] Experience with DuckDB and/or MotherDuck (or at least a strong curiosity to learn and dive deep).

• "They can land any POC like a pro... our prospects leave every demo flapping their wings in excitement."

• "They just get the modern data stack and know how to explain it without a 30-slide deck."

• "They made complex data pipelines feel like a walk in the park... with breadcrumbs."

• "They're the go-to for any technical deep dive. Calm under pressure, sharp as a beak."

• "Our customers ask for them by name. Total ducking rockstar."

• "They always bring clarity, confidence, and a splash of charm to every sales call."

• "They turned our most skeptical prospect into a lifelong fan... and did it with a smile."

• "They've automated half their own prep work with AI and still somehow seem to do more than anyone else on the team."

• Feather-ruffling compensation – competitive salary and stock options so you have a stake in our flock’s success.

• Top-notch healthcare coverage – 100% paid medical, dental, and vision for employees, plus 85% coverage for dependents (because we care about your whole nest).

• Flexible PTO – take the time you need to recharge, explore, or just have a lazy day by the pond.

• 401k plan – because even ducks need to plan for the future.

• Flexible work environment - spend most of the week in the office collaborating with the flock, and work from wherever you're most productive the rest of the time. Specifics are role dependent and as agreed upon with your manager.

We like to keep things transparent, so here's what to expect if you apply...

1. Intro call with our recruiting team to get acquainted and make sure we're a mutual fit

2. Technical & account handling chat with our Sales Engineering lead

3. A set of deeper conversations covering cross-functional storytelling, OLAP technical depth, AI technical chops, and customer obsession

4. A final conversation with our CEO focused on values and vision

Does this role sound appealing to you, but you’re missing some of the requirements or don’t quite think you’re qualified?  Please apply anyway. Research has shown that underrepresented groups in technology often shy away from roles which aren’t a 100% match. We aim to build a diverse team and will strongly consider applicants who bring many of the requirements plus have other experiences which round out their qualifications.

MotherDuck is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. MotherDuck is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with physical and mental disabilities.