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- Tasks: Lead and scale global Solution Engineering teams to drive AI adoption in critical sectors.
- Company: Join Windward, the leading Maritime AIâ„¢ company transforming ocean data into actionable insights.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, growth opportunities, and a chance to impact national security and law enforcement.
- Why this job: Be at the forefront of AI technology, making a real difference in high-stakes environments.
- Qualifications: 7+ years in Solution Engineering or Technical Sales, with experience in SaaS/AI and complex sales cycles.
- Other info: Dynamic work culture focused on innovation, collaboration, and professional development.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 108000 £ per year.
Overview
Windward is the leading Maritime AI™ company, turning ocean data into decisive action. We deliver mission-grade, multi-source intelligence that provides full visibility across the seas through sensor-agnostic technology and agentic workflows. Following a strategic acquisition and a partnership with leading growth equity firm FTV Capital, Windward is scaling toward $100M+ ARR and expanding its global presence to support the world’s most advanced militaries and blue-chip enterprises. Our platform fuses AIS data, satellite imagery (EO, SAR, RF), and proprietary behavioral analytics to help defense agencies, law enforcement, and commercial leaders anticipate threats, protect critical assets, and stay in control at sea.
The Role
Windward is in growth mode and we’re looking for a VP, Solution Engineering to lead and scale our global pre-sales and forward-deployed technical teams. This leader will bridge sophisticated AI technology with high-stakes operational outcomes across intelligence, national security, law enforcement, critical infrastructure, and highly regulated commercial markets. Reporting to the CRO, you will build the technical engine that helps customers evaluate, adopt, and realize measurable value from Windward’s Maritime AI™ platform—through world-class discovery, solution design, demonstrations, pilots/POCs, and secure production deployments.
What You’ll Do
- Lead a world-class global Solution Engineering function.
- Build and scale a high-performing SE organization with clear operating cadence, quality standards, and measurable impact.
- Develop a repeatable pre-sales methodology that translates customer missions into technical solutions and quantified outcomes.
- Define and optimize coverage models (including AE:SE ratios), enablement, and performance metrics.
- Own technical strategy for complex, mission-critical deals.
- Partner with Sales leadership to support strategic opportunities and multi-stakeholder buying groups (mission operators, technical teams, security, procurement, executives).
- Drive rigorous technical discovery, solution architecture, and value-based pilots/POCs with clear success criteria.
- Ensure solutions align with customer security, privacy, compliance, and deployment requirements.
- Lead Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE) for customer success in the field.
- Oversee forward-deployed teams building customer-specific workflows, integrations, and secure AI-enabled deployments.
- Establish reusable playbooks, reference architectures, and patterns that balance speed, security, and repeatability.
- Partner with Customer Success to ensure seamless technical handoffs and accelerated time-to-value.
- Strengthen the loop between the field and the product.
- Collaborate closely with Product and Engineering to inform roadmap priorities based on customer needs and technical discovery.
- Contribute to technical storytelling—solution briefs, demos, and thought leadership that clearly communicate Windward’s differentiated capabilities.
What Success Looks Like
- A scalable SE/FDE organization with strong leadership bench, clear roles, and consistent execution.
- Improved win rates and POC-to-close conversion through rigorous discovery and repeatable proof points.
- Faster time-to-value for customers through clean handoffs, secure deployments, and standardized implementation patterns.
- A coaching culture that develops talent and raises the bar on technical excellence and customer impact.
What We’re Looking For
Experience- 7+ years of leadership in Solution Engineering, Technical Sales, Professional Services, or Forward Deployed Engineering within high-growth SaaS/AI organizations.
- Proven track record scaling technical teams and operating models through rapid growth.
- Experience supporting complex enterprise and/or government sales cycles; exposure to national security, law enforcement, or critical infrastructure is strongly preferred.
- Experience leading customer-facing technical delivery (FDE, professional services, technical consulting, or implementation teams).
- Strong understanding of modern AI and data platforms (LLMs, agentic workflows, analytics, data fusion, evaluation, and deployment patterns).
- Comfort with integrations and technical architecture (REST APIs; familiarity with Python/SQL is a plus).
- Knowledge of cloud infrastructure and security fundamentals (AWS/GCP/Azure; identity, access, data controls).
- Ability to translate sophisticated technical capabilities into executive-level value narratives and measurable outcomes.
- Builder mindset: thrives in growth mode, creates clarity from ambiguity, and scales teams and processes effectively.
- Strong coach: develops talent, sets a high bar, and drives consistent execution.
- Exceptional communicator: credible with both mission operators and C-level executives.
Why Windward
This is an opportunity to build the technical engine that powers AI adoption where the stakes are real—national security, law enforcement outcomes, protection of critical infrastructure, and the resilience of global trade. If you want to lead a team that delivers measurable mission impact and sets the standard for mission-grade Maritime AI™, we’d love to meet you.
VP Solution Engineering employer: Windward
Contact Detail:
Windward Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land VP Solution Engineering
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with folks in the industry. Attend events, join online forums, and don’t be shy about reaching out on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Nail that interview prep! Research Windward’s mission and values, and think about how your experience aligns with their goals. Prepare to discuss how you can lead and scale their Solution Engineering function—show them you’re the perfect fit!
✨Tip Number 3
Follow up after interviews! A quick thank-you email can go a long way. Mention something specific from your conversation to remind them of your enthusiasm and fit for the role. It shows you’re genuinely interested and professional.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining the Windward team and contributing to their mission.
We think you need these skills to ace VP Solution Engineering
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the VP, Solution Engineering role. Highlight your experience in leading technical teams and your understanding of AI and data platforms. We want to see how your background aligns with our mission at Windward!
Showcase Your Leadership Skills: In your application, emphasise your leadership style and how you've successfully built and scaled teams in high-growth environments. We’re looking for someone who can inspire and develop talent, so share examples of how you’ve done this in the past.
Demonstrate Technical Expertise: Don’t shy away from showcasing your technical knowledge! Mention your familiarity with modern AI technologies, cloud infrastructure, and any relevant programming skills. We want to know how you can bridge the gap between complex tech and customer needs.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining the Windward team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Windward
✨Know Your Maritime AI™ Inside Out
Before the interview, dive deep into Windward's Maritime AIâ„¢ platform. Understand how it integrates AIS data, satellite imagery, and behavioural analytics. Be ready to discuss how these technologies can impact national security and law enforcement, as this will show your genuine interest and expertise.
✨Prepare for Technical Discovery Questions
Expect questions that assess your ability to lead technical discovery sessions. Brush up on your experience with complex enterprise sales cycles and be prepared to share specific examples of how you've translated customer missions into technical solutions. This is your chance to showcase your strategic thinking!
✨Demonstrate Leadership and Coaching Skills
As a VP, Solution Engineering, you'll need to build and scale teams. Prepare to discuss your leadership style and provide examples of how you've developed talent in previous roles. Highlight any coaching experiences that led to improved team performance or customer success.
✨Align with Windward’s Vision
Familiarise yourself with Windward's mission and values. Be ready to articulate how your vision aligns with theirs, especially regarding the importance of AI in maritime intelligence. Showing that you understand their goals will help you stand out as a candidate who is not just qualified but also passionate about the role.
