Merge pull request #3371 from FlowFuse/se-role

Add solutions engineer JD to the handbook

Author: ZJvandeWeg

src/handbook/peopleops/job-descriptions/solutions-engineer.md

@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+---
+navTitle: Solutions Engineer
+navGroup: Job Descriptions
+---
+
+# Solutions Engineer
+
+## Job Description
+
+We’re hiring an experienced Solutions Engineer to work across the full customer lifecycle - from pre-sales discovery to long-term customer success. This is a senior, customer-facing role requiring strong domain expertise in industrial automation and a proven ability to guide both technical implementation and strategic solution expansion.
+
+We’re looking for someone who not only enables the initial deployment but also identifies additional opportunities to expand value across the customer’s organization - be it new use cases, integrations, or system-wide architecture improvements.
+
+You’ll be a key technical advisor and trusted partner to both prospective and existing customers.
+
+Pre-Sales Support:
+* Partner with Account Executives during discovery to understand customer goals and technical environments.
+* Deliver tailored demos, solution architecture walkthroughs, and lead technical proof-of-concepts (PoCs).
+* Help prospects align FlowFuse to their broader industrial and digital transformation goals.
+* Collaborate on pricing proposals and technical responses to RFPs and security reviews.
+
+Post-Sales Engagement:
+* Lead technical onboarding and early solution implementation.
+* Partner with customers to assess results, resolve blockers, and optimize solution design.
+* Actively explore and surface additional use cases within the customer organization.
+* Facilitate roadmap alignment and strategic planning discussions with technical champions.
+* Deliver ongoing best practices, architecture reviews, and training to ensure long-term success.
+
+## Skills
+
+What We’re Looking For:
+* 5+ years in a Solutions Engineering, Sales Engineering, or Customer Success Engineering role.
+* Deep industry expertise in industrial automation, IIoT, smart manufacturing, or related fields.
+* Track record of identifying additional solution opportunities within enterprise accounts.
+* Experience with technologies such as Node-RED, MQTT, OPC-UA, SCADA systems, PLCs, or edge computing.
+* Strong communication skills - comfortable engaging engineers, architects, and executive stakeholders.
+* High degree of initiative and ability to manage customer relationships across the lifecycle.
+* Willingness to travel occasionally for key customer engagements.
+
+Nice to Haves:
+* Hands-on experience deploying Node-RED at scale.
+* Familiarity with Unified Namespace or other modern industrial data architectures.
+* Experience with containerization, cloud (AWS/Azure), or Linux-based edge devices.
+* Multilingual skills (e.g., German, French, Spanish).
+
+## 90-Day Plan
+
+* Week 1-4:
+   * Familiarize yourself with the FlowFuse product, platform capabilities, and target customer profiles.
+   * Understand existing sales processes, customer success methodologies, and relevant internal tools.
+   * Meet with key internal stakeholders across Sales, Product, and Engineering teams.
+   * Begin shadowing customer calls, demos, and technical engagements to learn our approach.
+   * Review and provide feedback on existing solution architecture documentation and sales enablement materials.
+   * Start leading portions of customer demos and technical discussions with guidance.
+* Week 5-8:
+   * Develop a deep technical understanding of FlowFuse and its integration points within industrial environments.
+   * Engage in your first set of technical PoCs, contributing to design and execution
+   * Take ownership of specific pre-sales and post-sales customer engagements, leading technical discussions and solution design.
+   * Proactively identify and propose opportunities for expanding FlowFuse's value within customer accounts.   
+* Week 9-13:
+   * Contribute to internal knowledge sharing, developing best practices or technical guides based on customer interactions.
+   * Start building relationships with customer technical champions to facilitate long-term success and strategic alignment.
+
+## Hiring Plan
+
+* Initial Screening: Review resumes and cover letters to assess candidate qualifications, experience, and domain expertise.
+* First Interview (Technical & Role Fit): Conduct a phone or video interview to evaluate technical knowledge relevant to industrial automation, IIoT, and solutions engineering, as well as communication skills.
+* Second Interview (Deep Dive & Customer Experience): In-depth interview with the hiring manager and other team members to discuss specific experience in customer-facing technical roles, complex problem-solving, and managing customer lifecycles.
+* Technical Presentation / Case Study: Candidate will prepare and deliver a presentation on a technical solution or a case study of a past customer engagement demonstrating their problem-solving and communication skills.
+* STAR Interview (Behavioral Alignment): A behavioral interview to understand past experiences and assess alignment with FlowFuse's values, initiative, and collaboration style.
+* Final Interview: A final interview with key stakeholders, potentially including a sales leader or executive, to assess strategic alignment and executive presence.
+* Offer: Extend an offer to the selected candidate.