Sales Engineer Manager - SMB - Plaid : Job Details

We believe that the way people interact with their finances will drastically improve in the next few years. We're dedicated to empowering this transformation by building the tools and experiences that thousands of developers use to create their own products. Plaid powers the tools millions of people rely on to live a healthier financial life. We work with thousands of companies like Venmo, SoFi, several of the Fortune 500, and many of the largest banks to make it easy for people to connect their financial accounts to the apps and services they want to use. Plaid's network covers 12,000 financial institutions across the US, Canada, UK and Europe. Founded in 2013, the company is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in New York, Washington D.C., London and Amsterdam.

Sales Engineering unlocks and empowers prospects' full potential on the Plaid Network. We bring product expertise and drive revenue outcomes by being customer-obsessed technical advisors in the pre-sales process. The SMB Sales Engineering team is dedicated to empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs and growing businesses. We believe that access to better financial technology can unlock transformative growthand we're here to help make that possible. As technical partners in the sales process, we work hand-in-hand with our SMB Sales team to deliver tailored solutions, share scalable best practices, and drive meaningful outcomes. By bringing deep product knowledge and a relentless focus on the customer, we help SMBs realize the full potential of the Plaid Network and build financial tools that serve their communities.

You'll lead Plaid's high-performing SMB Sales Engineering team as a player-coach, contributing directly to strategic deals while guiding the team. In this role, you'll serve as a hands-on technical leader supporting technical discovery, scoping tailored solutions, and aligning stakeholders to drive customer outcomes. You'll also define and scale the SMB segment strategy by building repeatable sales plays, enablement content, and solution assets that accelerate deal velocity. Partnering cross-functionally, you'll ensure customer insights shape both sales strategy and product direction, while mentoring your team through regular coaching and development.

• Coach and develop a team of Sales Engineers through regular 1:1s, feedback cycles, and focused skill-building initiatives
• Lead high-impact Small Business deals as a hands-on technical partner to Account Executives, shaping Plaid-powered solutions and driving deal momentum through demos, POCs, and scoping reviews
• Create and refine segment-specific demo scripts, reference architectures, and sales plays to improve time-to-value and consistency across engagements
• Define and track key pre-sales metrics (e.g., demo-to-close rate, cycle time) to inform strategy and continuously optimize the playbook
• Represent SMB pre-sales in cross-functional forums, advocating for segment needs and influencing broader strategic initiatives
• Translate customer feedback and technical insights into actionable input for product roadmap planning
• Partner with Revenue Leadership and Sales Engineering leadership on resource planning, enablement programs, and SE career development for the Small Business segment
• Partner with Revenue Leadership on deal and segment strategy for efficient and impactful SE resource utilization

• 5+ years of experience in Sales Engineering or Solutions Engineering
• 12 years in a formal management, team lead, or player-coach role, with a track record of scaling Sales Engineering teams
• Background in FinTech, payments, risk, credit, or fraud solutions preferred
• Proven ability to architect and close pre-sales engagements in SMB or other high-volume segments
• Strong business and technical acumen, with the ability to navigate both detailed API/integration conversations and high-level value discussions
• Exceptional coaching skills, with experience mentoring peers, delivering actionable feedback, and developing technical talent
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with confidence engaging both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Proven ability to apply AI tools and techniques to improve Sales Engineering efficiency and quality, particularly in developing solution guides and demos
• Hands-on experience with web services, RESTful APIs, SDK integration, and architecting API-based solutions
• Customer-centric mindset and consultative selling approach
• Willingness to travel up to 20% as needed
• Based in NY-metro area, strongly preferred

$94,483 - $178,080 a year. The target base salary will vary based on the job's location. Our geographic zones are as follows: Zone 1 - New York City and San Francisco Bay Area; Zone 2 - Los Angeles, Seattle, Washington D.C.; Zone 3 - Austin, Boston, Denver, Houston, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego; Zone 4 - Raleigh-Durham and all other US cities. Additional compensation in the form(s) of equity and/or commission are dependent on the position offered. Plaid provides a comprehensive benefit plan, including medical, dental, vision, and 401(k).