Sales Engineer

About MotherDuck

Don’t let the quirky name fool you! We’re on a mission to radically transform the data analyst user experience. We empower and delight analysts using a novel cloud architecture built on top of DuckDB, an open source foundation with a vibrant community. Our team is a diverse mix of passionate, collaborative and empathetic data industry veterans from Google, Amazon, Meta, Snowflake, Looker, SingleStore, Databricks, and the like.

What you will do

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 an experienced 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 pre-sales 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 hybrid role that can be based out of our San Francisco, Seattle, or NYC hubs

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.

What you bring

• 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.

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

• Strong grasp of data warehouse architecture, performance optimization, and data modeling.

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

• [nice to have] Experience working with large-scale enterprise customers or in a fast-paced startup environment.

• [nice to have] You know the ins and outs of ETL/ELT, columnar formats, and distributed query engines.

What people should be saying if you’re doing ducking awesome

• “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.”

What we provide

• 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 80% 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.

• Legendary company events – we bring the whole flock together twice a year for unforgettable summits in fun locations, plus 1-2 team gatherings a year to keep our bonds strong.

• Hybrid work environment – Spend three days a week in the office collaborating with the flock, and work from wherever you’re most productive the rest of the time—whether that’s your home office, a coffee shop, or a peaceful lakeside retreat.

Please Apply

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.

Salary: ${'@type': 'MonetaryAmount', 'currency': 'USD', 'value': {'@type': 'QuantitativeValue', 'minValue': 120000, 'maxValue': 220000, 'unitText': 'YEAR'}}