Principal Sales Engineer – Warehouse Robotics Systems

skildai · San Mateo, CA · 5 months ago

Seniority: Principal
Category: Solutions engineering
Company size: 11-50
Salary: USD 100,000 – 300,000 / year

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Company Overview

At Skild AI, we are building the world's first general purpose robotic intelligence that is robust and adapts to unseen scenarios without failing. We believe massive scale through data-driven machine learning is the key to unlocking these capabilities for the widespread deployment of robots within society. Our team consists of individuals with varying levels of experience and backgrounds, from new graduates to domain experts. Relevant industry experience is important, but ultimately less so than your demonstrated abilities and attitude. We are looking for passionate individuals who are eager to explore uncharted waters and contribute to our innovative projects.

Position Overview

We are seeking a Principal Sales Engineer to own the technical modeling and system design process that underpins every enterprise deal we close. This role sits at the intersection of sales, engineering, and product strategy — you will architect quantitative models used to size and justify our warehouse robotics systems while serving as the primary feedback loop between market-facing teams and our engineering and product organizations. This is a high-visibility, high-impact position with a direct line to influence the product roadmap.

Responsibilities

Develop and own quantitative models for designing and sizing warehouse robotics systems, including throughput simulations, labor displacement analyses, ROI models, and operational workflow configurations.

Translate complex customer data — order profiles, SKU velocity, floor layouts, labor rates, WMS integrations — into optimized system designs with clearly justified recommendations.

Build and continuously refine modeling tools, templates, and frameworks that enable consistent, scalable operation across the sales engineering team.

Lead design reviews with internal engineering teams and customer stakeholders, presenting technical solutions accessibly to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Partner with account executives across the full sales cycle — qualification through proposal, technical validation, and close.

Lead technical discovery sessions with operations, engineering, and executive-level stakeholders at prospective customers.

Construct business cases and ROI analyses translating system capabilities into measurable outcomes: units per hour, labor cost reduction, order accuracy, and capital payback period.

Serve as the primary conduit between market-facing teams and internal engineering and product management, capturing customer objections, competitive differentiators, and unmet requirements.

Conduct ongoing competitive analysis and maintain a structured gap analysis framework to drive prioritized product requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

7+ years of experience in sales engineering, solutions engineering, or systems engineering within warehouse automation, material handling, or supply chain technology.

Demonstrated expertise building throughput models, simulation analyses, or operational designs for automated warehouse systems (AS/RS, AMRs, conveyor/sortation, goods-to-person).

Deep knowledge of warehouse operations: order fulfillment workflows, labor management, WMS/WCS architecture, inbound/outbound processes, and peak planning.

Proficiency with simulation or modeling tools (AutoMod, Emulate3D, FlexSim, or equivalent); custom modeling in Excel or Python a strong plus.

Familiarity with WMS/WCS systems and integration requirements (API, EDI, SOAP/REST).

Ability to read and interpret facility drawings, floor plans, and AutoCAD files.

Exceptional communicator comfortable presenting to both VP of Operations and CFO-level stakeholders in the same meeting.

Willingness to travel to customer sites (~40–50%).

Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Supply Chain, or related technical discipline; Master's or MBA a plus.

Background working with or for 3PLs, large-format retailers, or e-commerce fulfillment operations preferred.

Base Salary Range

$100,000—$300,000 USD

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Company Overview

Position Overview

Responsibilities

Preferred Qualifications