Head of Pre-Sales Engineering

This role is located in Somerville, MA - We are a hybrid work environment and are in the office 3+ days/per week.

Tulip, the leader in AI-native frontline operations, is helping companies around the world equip their workforce with composable, connected apps, leading to higher quality work, improved efficiency, and end-to-end traceability across operations. Tulip’s cloud-native, no-code platform, powered by embedded AI, is driving the digital transformation of industrial environments through composable, human-centric solutions that go beyond disrupting the Manufacturing Execution System (MES) category.

A spinoff out of MIT, Tulip is headquartered in Somerville, MA, with offices in Germany, Hungary, Singapore, and Israel. Tulip has been recognized as a World Economic Forum Global Innovator, a 2024 Deloitte Technology Fast award winner, one of Energage’s Top Workplaces USA, and one of Built In Boston’s “Best Places to Work” and “Best Midsize Places to Work.”

The Head of Pre-Sales Engineering is ultimately accountable for the Pre-Sales Charter: winning qualified opportunities to drive sustainable cARR growth. This role serves to bridge the gap between product capability and industrial business value. We are looking for a systems-thinker who believes there is a better way to handle digital transformation - a leader who views Pre-Sales as a high-leverage engine built on standardized processes, technical trust, and a passion for manufacturing.

About You:

• You are deeply passionate about the manufacturing space. You understand that "technical trust" is the foundation of long-term customer success and revenue acceleration.
• You thrive on communicating and can do so across all levels—from the shop floor to engineering managers to C-suite executives.
• You naturally look to build and use tools, systems, and processes. You are a "get-it-done" leader who can easily switch between thinking creatively about industrial digital transformation and thinking analytically about global systems, data-driven win rates, and pipeline velocity.
• You are comfortable operating in a matrix organization. You have deep empathy, low ego, and the ability to motivate a diverse, global team to deliver on aggressive goals.
• You thrive in a dynamic, fast-growing startup environment. You understand that your success is measured by Tulip’s ability to scale high-quality technical execution globally.

What skills do I need? 

• 10+ years of experience leading technical sales or professional services, with 5+ years in a senior leadership capacity (managing managers) within a global SaaS scale-up.
• 10+ years of valuable experience in Manufacturing or Industrial operations. You speak the language of MES/MoM, ERP, IIoT, and WMS fluently.
• Proven ability to partner with Sales leadership to drive ARR growth. Deep understanding of the value-based selling cycle, contract negotiation, and the intersection of technical requirements and commercial outcomes. Has a track record of exceeding KPIs (cARR, Win Rate, ADS).
• A strong track record of streamlining processes and driving standardization and repeatability across multi-divisional, multi-geographical stakeholders.
• Expert in uncovering customer pain, identifying value levers, articulating the ROI, mapping the path to value realization through Tulip’s product, services and ecosystem capabilities and aligning this journey to the customers strategic objectives at the enterprise level.
• MS or higher in a related engineering discipline (Mechanical, Industrial, Computer Science); an MBA is preferred.

Key Responsibilities:

Global Leadership

• Scaling the Function: Direct leadership of the global Pre Sales Engineering group, with a focus on scaling the organizational design and culture to meet the needs of the business.
• Mentorship & Growth: Mentor and develop people managers and technical leaders and team members, fostering a learning organization culture and managing the full employee lifecycle in partnership with team leaders.
• Matrix Alignment: Partner with GTM and Product leadership to establish company goals and a unified vision for the customer adoption journey.

Operational Excellence

• Leadership of the Pre Sales functions:
  • Technical & Value Discovery: Ensure the team effectively identifies operational challenges and quantifies the business value of the Tulip solution for every prospect.
  • Technical Deal Support & Trust: Provide executive-level oversight on complex deals, offering direction on integration architecture, validation considerations, and overcoming technical objections.
  • RFx & Proposal Excellence: Maintain high standards for technical responses (RFI, RFP, RFQ) and security questionnaires, ensuring Tulip is positioned competitively and accurately.
  • Solution Roadmap & Hand-off: Guide the development of strategic, value-driven use case roadmaps that ensure transition from technical win to implementation, guaranteeing that what is sold is deliverable and valuable.
• Process Building: Build and operationalize a technical win methodology that is repeatable and minimizes manual work.
• Tech Stack Optimization: Build and manage the tools and systems of a modern Pre-Sales org, ensuring the tech stack is fully integrated with CRM data and provides actionable business intelligence.
• AI Strategy: Develop the team’s ability to articulate the value of AI-native frontline operations, shifting the conversation from static automation to intelligent, generative assistance.
• Voice of the Customer: Implement feedback loops to gather prospect insights and drive product enhancements, acting as a trusted advisor to the Product & Ecosystem teams.

Strategic Revenue Acceleration

• Driving sustainable cARR: Own the primary goal of driving new cARR by ensuring the team effectively progresses opportunities and secures commitments for technical closes.
• Consultative Strategy: Guide the team in preparing customers for digital transformation through needs gathering, RFx management, and technical assessments.

Key Collaborators:

• Sales
• Customer Success & Technical Account Management
• Professional Services
• Partner Ecosystem
• Product

Working At Tulip

We know even great candidates experience imposter syndrome. Even if you don’t match every requirement, applying gives you the opportunity to be considered. 

We’re building a strong, diverse team that values hard work, families, and personal well-being. Benefits of working with us include:

• Direct impact on product and culture
• Company equity
• Competitive benefits package including Health, Dental, Vision, Short-term Disability, Long-term Disability, Life Insurance, AD&D Insurance, Flexible Spending Account (FSA), Commuter Benefits, Parental Leave, and 401(K)
• Flexible work schedule and unlimited vacation policy
• Virtual company events and happy hours
• Fitness subsidies
• An inclusive, dog-friendly office with diverse and inspiring colleagues

We are an equal opportunity employer. At Tulip, we celebrate all. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Help us build an inclusive community that will transform frontline operations.

The compensation information displayed on each job posting reflects the range for new hire pay rates for the position across all US locations. Within the range posted, actual compensation will be determined depending on multiple factors including job-related knowledge & skills, experience, business needs, geographical location, market compensation data, and internal equity. Expected compensation ranges for this role may change over time. The base salary range for this position is $175,000 - $225,000 per year, and is eligible for on-target-earnings (OTE).