At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead technical discovery, own POCs, and architect integrations for innovative access management solutions.
- Company: Join Cakewalk, a pioneering access management platform shaping the future of identity governance.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, bonuses, equity, and a direct path to leadership opportunities.
- Other info: Work in a dynamic London office with high ownership and a collaborative culture.
- Why this job: Be the first Solutions Engineer and define the future of solutions engineering at Cakewalk.
- Qualifications: 3+ years in solutions engineering with strong development skills and SaaS startup experience.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
About Cakewalk
Cakewalk is the access management platform for every identity in your company, human and AI agent, governing the right access at the right time from the first login to the last tool call. Customers can self-serve and be live in minutes, starting with one team and scaling from there. We're building the access layer for the agentic era, and we're hiring our first Solutions Engineer.
The role
You'll be the technical counterpart in every customer conversation — from first discovery call through to a live rollout. You'll run POCs, architect integrations against real identity and agent stacks, and turn what you learn in the field into product feedback and reusable assets. As the first SE hire, you'll define how this function works and, over time, build the team behind it.
What you'll do
- Lead technical discovery with prospects and translate their identity, security and agent requirements into a workable solution
- Own POCs end to end: scoping, success criteria, build, and technical close
- Deliver tailored demos and build demo environments that reflect the customer's actual stack
- Architect and prototype integrations with IdPs, HRIS, SaaS apps and AI agent frameworks
- Handle security reviews, architecture deep-dives and technical objections alongside the account team
- Partner with Customer Success on complex rollouts and integrations
- Feed field insight back to product and engineering, and influence what we build next
- Write the technical collateral we're missing — integration guides, reference architectures, POC playbooks, competitive positioning
- Set the standard for how solutions engineering runs at Cakewalk
What we're looking for
- 3+ years in solutions engineering, pre-sales, or a similar customer-facing technical role
- Early-stage SaaS startup experience (required) — you've worked without a playbook and built one instead
- Strong hands-on development skills: APIs, scripting, automation, building integrations from scratch
- Practical understanding of identity and access management concepts — SSO, SCIM, OAuth, RBAC, provisioning, governance
- Experience integrating with identity platforms, security tooling or AI agent frameworks
- Excellent communication skills — equally credible with a platform engineer and a CISO
- Comfortable owning ambiguity and shipping fast
- Based in London and able to work from our office 3 days a week
Nice to have
- Experience with MCP, agent frameworks, or agentic infrastructure
- Background at an IGA, IAM or security vendor
- You've been a first or early SE hire before
What we offer
- Competitive base salary + bonus and meaningful equity
- First Solutions Engineering hire at a category-defining company
- A direct path to building and leading your own function
- 3 days/week in our London office, 2 days flexible
- High ownership, low ego
Founding Solutions Engineer in London employer: Cakewalk
At Cakewalk, we pride ourselves on being an innovative employer that fosters a collaborative and dynamic work culture. As the first Solutions Engineer, you'll have the unique opportunity to shape your role and lead the development of our solutions engineering function while working in a vibrant London office. We offer competitive salaries, meaningful equity, and a direct path for career growth, ensuring that you can thrive both personally and professionally in this exciting early-stage SaaS environment.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Founding Solutions Engineer in London
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at Cakewalk or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to Cakewalk.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like Cakewalk.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like Cakewalk that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Founding Solutions Engineer in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Cakewalk.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Cakewalk and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at Cakewalk
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Cakewalk uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
