Principal Field Engineer

Who We Are:

Materialize is the context engine for AI agents and applications. It lets engineering teams use SQL to transform siloed operational data into up-to-the-second, trustworthy views into any element of their business. Use Materialize to deliver fresh context to AI agents, power data-intensive UIs, and create low-latency, event-driven architectures that drive microservices and core business processes. Materialize is trusted by General Mills, Bilt Rewards, and Crane Worldwide Logistics to solve their most pressing operational data challenges while building a live data foundation for their AI transformation.

Our team spans the US (with a NYC headquarters), Canada, and EMEA. 

Investors:

Kleiner Perkins, Redpoint Ventures and Lightspeed Venture Partners.

About the Role

As a Principal Field Engineer, you are the senior technical leader for Materialize’s most complex and strategic customer engagements. You operate as a trusted advisor to executive stakeholders, shaping how large enterprises evaluate, adopt, and scale Materialize across multiple teams and use cases. In addition to owning technical strategy for key accounts, you play a critical role in scaling the Field Engineering function. You help define best practices, mentor other Field Engineers, and establish the technical standards that guide how Materialize goes to market. This is a hands-on role for someone who wants to both lead by example and multiply impact across the organization.

Our Field Engineers report to the Vice President of Customer Success. This role is based in our NYC office near Astor Place, with an expectation of at least 3 days per week in person.

Responsibilities

• Own technical strategy for Materialize’s most strategic and high-impact accounts
• Lead executive-level technical discussions with CTOs, VPs of Engineering, and data leaders
• Navigate complex enterprise evaluation processes, including security reviews and multi-stakeholder decision-making
• Design and oversee enterprise-grade POVs with clear technical and business success criteria
• Identify and drive expansion opportunities across teams and business units
• Partner with AEs on highly competitive deals
• Lead architectural discovery and deliver prescriptive recommendations, not just answers
• Serve as the escalation point for complex or high-risk technical evaluations
• Translate customer feedback into actionable product and roadmap input
• Act as a senior advisor to strategic customers post-production
• Lead executive QBRs and strategic account reviews focused on business outcomes
• Proactively identify and mitigate adoption or technical risks
• Mentor and coach Field Engineers through deal reviews and shadowing
• Define and codify technical methodologies, POV frameworks, and quality standards
• Build scalable assets and accelerators that improve team efficiency and consistency
• Partner cross-functionally with Sales, Product, Engineering, and CS to improve GTM execution

What We’re Looking For

• 10+ years of experience in senior technical pre-sales, field engineering, solutions architecture, or technical consulting roles
• Proven success leading complex enterprise evaluations and executive-level technical conversations
• Deep expertise in modern data architectures, including relational databases, event streaming, and real-time analytics
• Expert-level SQL skills and strong architectural judgment
• Experience mentoring and developing senior technical talent
• Ability to balance enterprise rigor with the pragmatism required in a fast-growing startup

Location: NYC (hybrid, minimum 3 days/week in HQ)

Base Salary: $200,00 - 220,000 USD/year plus additional variable bonus and equity in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits. The base pay offered may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

The salary range provided in this job description should not be considered a guarantee or commitment. The actual compensation offered may vary based on individual qualifications objectively assessed during the application and interview process, including but not limited to the candidate’s:

• Qualifications and relevant work experience
• Educational background and credentials
• Relevant skills and certifications
• Geographic location
• Market demands

Materialize reserves the right to adjust the salary range based on the candidate's specific circumstances and the overall compensation package.

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