Vector Database Senior Sales Engineer

actian · Round Rock, Texas

seniorfull timehybrid
Apply on actian’s site →

Role at a Glance

Senior hybrid Sales Engineer role at Actian in Round Rock, TX. You are the company's vector database subject-matter expert: running enterprise proof-of-concepts, architecting Milvus and Qdrant solutions, and coaching the broader SE team globally. Requires 5+ years of pre-sales experience and production-level hands-on time with vector databases. Salary not listed by employer.

What This Role Is Actually About

Actian is expanding its Sales Engineering function with a specialist who can own the vector database conversation at the enterprise level. Unlike a generalist SE position, the mandate here is narrow and deep: become the definitive internal authority on AI data infrastructure, drive proof-of-concepts end-to-end using Milvus and Qdrant, and connect customers' AI/ML ambitions to Actian's multi-model platform. There is also a meaningful internal dimension — mentoring Sales Engineers across global regions and lifting the organization's collective knowledge of vector AI solutions.

About Actian

Actian builds data infrastructure for organizations where data failure is not an option. Their platform spans the full data lifecycle — integration, management, warehousing, and analytics — and it runs inside mission-critical systems at enterprises including Bloomberg, Citibank, Intuit, and Lufthansa. The platform's current differentiator is a vector-first capability embedded within a multi-model engine, so customers can run relational, analytical, and vector workloads together rather than assembling a stack of specialized point tools. Twenty-four Fortune 100 companies rely on Actian technology, giving the Sales Engineering team a credible reference base in competitive deals.

What You Will Own Day-to-Day

  • Partner with Account Executives to identify, qualify, and close enterprise AI and data platform opportunities
  • Lead technical qualification calls, architecture workshops, and requirements-scoping sessions throughout the pre-sales cycle
  • Design and execute proof-of-concept projects showcasing Actian's vector database capabilities in competitive, enterprise-scale environments
  • Build and deliver polished demonstrations and presentations tailored for both hands-on engineering teams and C-suite audiences
  • Maintain deep, current competitive intelligence on vector database vendors and the broader analytics ecosystem
  • Guide customers through technical challenges specific to their AI/ML stack and data architecture
  • Route structured product feedback to Engineering, Product Management, and Marketing to inform the roadmap
  • Mentor Sales Engineers across global regions, raising team-wide fluency in vector AI architecture and emerging patterns
  • Cultivate long-term relationships with prospects and customers to build a reliable, repeatable pipeline

Must-Have Qualifications

  • 5+ years in a customer-facing pre-sales or post-sales technical role
  • Bachelor's degree or higher in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field — or demonstrably equivalent hands-on experience
  • MUST HAVE: Production hands-on experience with Milvus and/or Qdrant vector databases
  • Demonstrated expertise designing and implementing RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) architectures with LangChain integration
  • Deep working knowledge of the vector AI landscape: embedding models, vector search algorithms, and enterprise AI/ML infrastructure patterns
  • Extensive SQL proficiency and hands-on familiarity with large-scale analytics database systems such as Oracle, SQL Server, Snowflake, Teradata, and Netezza
  • Proven record of closing data or analytics software deals at the enterprise level, including navigating complex multi-stakeholder buying cycles
  • Experience with at least one major cloud IaaS platform: AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud
  • Ability to present and debate complex technical architectures fluently — whether at a whiteboard or in a formal demo — for both practitioner and executive audiences

Nice-to-Have Skills

  • Hands-on experience with BI and data exploration tools such as Tableau, PowerBI, or Looker
  • Background architecting solutions that blend vector, relational, and analytical workloads within a single multi-model database environment
  • Familiarity with additional large-scale relational platforms beyond the core list (e.g., Informix, Netezza, IBM DB2)
  • Experience designing or building AI/ML data pipelines that feed downstream vector search and retrieval use cases

Skills Map: Required vs. Nice-to-Have

The non-negotiable technical foundation is production experience with Milvus and/or Qdrant — this is an explicit hard requirement, not a soft preference. Layer on: RAG pipeline design, LangChain integration, and solid understanding of embedding model selection and vector indexing strategies. Relational and analytics database depth (Snowflake, Oracle, Teradata) is a supporting must-have rather than mere background context — enterprise deals consistently require positioning vector capabilities alongside existing data warehouse investments. BI tool familiarity (Tableau, PowerBI, Looker) and broad cloud IaaS knowledge are nice-to-haves that accelerate onboarding but are not disqualifying gaps.

Salary & Compensation

Actian has not published a salary range for this position. No benefits details are specified in the employer's listing either. Candidates should conduct independent market research on current compensation for senior-level Sales Engineers in the Texas data and AI infrastructure sector. We recommend surfacing your expectations directly with the recruiter in your first screening call — this is a specialized role requiring rare production experience with Milvus or Qdrant, and both parties benefit from aligning on range early rather than late.

Location & Work Model

This position is based in Round Rock, Texas, and operates on a hybrid schedule combining in-office and remote workdays. The posting does not specify the required on-site frequency or designated office days. Visa sponsorship availability and relocation assistance are not mentioned in the employer's listing — candidates with relocation or work-authorization requirements should confirm these details directly during the recruiting process.

Frequently asked questions

Is hands-on production experience with Milvus or Qdrant truly required, or will general familiarity suffice?

The job description explicitly labels production hands-on experience with Milvus and/or Qdrant as a MUST HAVE. This is the primary differentiating requirement — the entire role is built around serving as Actian's internal subject-matter expert on vector databases, so familiarity alone will not meet the bar.

What does the hybrid arrangement mean for on-site expectations?

The employer describes the role as hybrid and located in Round Rock, Texas. The specific on-site cadence — how many days per week and which days are required — is not stated in the job posting. Clarify the schedule during your first recruiter conversation.

Will I be presenting to technical engineers only, or also to company executives?

Both. The job description explicitly states you must present complex technical architectures to C-level and technical audiences alike, including the ability to communicate clearly in impromptu whiteboard sessions as well as in formal presentations and product demos.

Does this role involve mentoring or managing other Sales Engineers?

Yes. A significant part of the role involves mentoring and developing Sales Engineers at all levels across global regions, sharing vector database knowledge, and building the broader SE organization's capability around AI data infrastructure patterns. This is described as a mentoring and enablement responsibility, not a direct people-management reporting role.

What database systems beyond vector databases should I be prepared to discuss?

The posting expects solid grounding in relational and large-scale analytics databases. Oracle, Informix, SQL Server, Snowflake, Netezza, and Teradata are cited as reference points, and extensive SQL expertise is explicitly required. Familiarity with BI tools — PowerBI, Looker, and Tableau — is listed as a nice-to-have.

Are you a fit for this role?

See how your background matches Vector Database Senior Sales Engineer — and the 20 live jobs that fit you best. No signup, no email, nothing stored.