Head of Solution Architecture / Sales Engineering

Harmonic Security • San Francisco, CA

2d

About The Position

Harmonic Security lets teams adopt AI tools safely by protecting sensitive data in real time with minimal effort. It gives enterprises full control and stops leaks so that their teams can innovate confidently. We are led by cybersecurity experts and backed by top investors including N47, Ten Eleven Ventures, and In-Q-Tel. We’ve achieved early traction and product-market fit, and we’re now entering the phase where technical credibility, customer trust, and execution in the field will define the category. This role sits at the center of that inflection point. You’ll shape how our most strategic customers experience Harmonic, influence the product roadmap through real-world insight, and build the technical field organization that helps turn early momentum into a category-defining company. You'll report to the VP GTM Strategy & Operations and work closely with product, engineering, marketing, and partner teams. This is a highly cross-functional role where you'll serve as the technical bridge between prospects evaluating our platform, customers deploying it, and partners extending our reach. You'll build and lead a world-class solution architecture team while delivering solutions that meet complex enterprise security requirements. We're looking for a rare combination: a security architecture expert who can build and lead teams, architect enterprise solutions, and serve as a trusted technical advisor to our customers' security leaders. This is a player-coach role where you'll split your time between hands-on customer engagement, team building, and technical thought leadership. If you've ever been called a "field CTO" or wished you could combine deep security expertise with the thrill of customer-facing problem solving, this role is for you.

Requirements

• 10+ years in enterprise security with deep knowledge of security architecture, zero trust, threat modeling, and compliance frameworks
• Hands-on experience with SaaS security models, API security, and cloud-native architectures
• Strong understanding of emerging GenAI security challenges: prompt injection, data leakage, model poisoning, and adversarial attacks
• Familiarity with gateway architectures, proxy technologies, and protocol-level security (MCP/Model Context Protocol experience a major plus)
• Experience with endpoint security, including agent deployment, telemetry collection, and EDR/XDR concepts, and real-time threat detection
• Proven track record of closing complex, enterprise-level security deals through technical influence
• Experience building technical teams from the ground up in startup or high-growth environments
• Exceptional demo skills and ability to translate technical complexity into business value
• Experience recruiting, developing, and retaining top technical talent
• Strong coaching and mentoring skills with a focus on career development
• Comfortable with the ambiguity and pace of Series A startup life

Nice To Haves

• You've been called a "field CTO" and loved it
• You've built technical teams before and know what great looks like
• You get energized by customer conversations and solving hard technical problems
• You've navigated competitive deals and won on technical merit
• You're excited about GenAI security and the opportunity to define a new category
• You thrive in startup environments where you can shape both product and process
• You believe the best technical leaders are also great coaches and mentors

Responsibilities

• Serve as the technical voice of our company in strategic customer conversations, from initial discovery through proof-of-concept and deployment
• Conduct security architecture assessments and design solutions that address complex enterprise requirements
• Present to CISOs, security architects, and engineering teams with credibility and executive presence
• Handle technical objections and competitive scenarios with confidence and depth
• Recruit, hire, and mentor a world-class team of solution architects
• Partner with Director of Technical Enablement to create technical enablement programs for internal and partner teams
• Establish best practices for customer engagement, technical discovery, and proof-of-concept delivery
• Act as the voice of the customer to product and engineering teams, translating field insights into roadmap priorities
• Publish technical content on GenAI security, MCP architecture, and modern threat landscapes
• Speak at industry conferences and customer events
• Become the go-to technical leader for our most strategic customer opportunities
• Refine and improve SA processes and customer facing interactions, maintain conversion rates from POV to close at 50%
• Deliver SA enablement and field readiness for new product launches: Endpoint Agent, MCP Gateway

Benefits

• Competitive compensation and meaningful equity with a direct stake in Harmonic's success
• Comprehensive benefits including health, dental, vision, and 401k matching
• A small, passionate team that values transparency, creativity, and learning
• Thoughtful leadership that cares deeply about growth, impact, and people
• Annual global offsites
• The chance to directly shape both our product and our culture as we build a category-defining company

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 11-50 employees