Senior Manager, Professional Services

Are you ready to dive headfirst into the next big wave of technological transformation? Imagine a world where AI traffic doesn't just exist, it dominates, far surpassing traditional API traffic, much like APIs once eclipsed human-driven interactions. That future is here, and it's bringing unprecedented challenges in connectivity, security, and governance for enterprises worldwide. Kong is at the absolute forefront of this shift, acting as the vital connectivity layer for AI. We need an exceptional leader to guide our clients through this pivotal transition. If you're passionate about shaping the future of enterprise AI infrastructure and empowering a brilliant team, this is your moment to make a profound impact with a global leader.

Overview

Kong stands as a 6-time Gartner Magic Quadrant Leader and a Forrester Wave Leader, with our technology running at Fortune 500 scale. As companies move beyond piloting AI to deploying it in production, they inevitably confront significant hurdles: ensuring robust governance, ironclad security, and seamless connectivity for entirely new traffic patterns. This critical juncture represents a massive opportunity, and it's why our Professional Services organization is one of the fastest-growing divisions at Kong. We are seeking a dynamic Senior Manager to lead a team of Field Engineers and Consultants, delivering strategic solutions and technical expertise to our enterprise customers. This is a fully remote, worldwide opportunity, offering you the flexibility to contribute from anywhere.

Key Responsibilities

As a Senior Manager, Professional Services, you will be instrumental in shaping the success of our enterprise clients as they navigate the complexities of AI adoption. Your leadership will directly impact team growth and client satisfaction. Your core responsibilities include:

Lead, mentor, and grow a high-performing team of Professional Services Field Engineers and Consultants, fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement.
Oversee the successful delivery of complex enterprise engagements, ensuring client satisfaction, project profitability, and adherence to best practices.
Collaborate closely with sales, product, and engineering teams to define and execute Professional Services strategies that align with company goals and market demands.
Drive the development and evolution of Professional Services offerings, methodologies, and tools to meet the evolving needs of our customers, especially in the AI/API integration space.
Manage client relationships at an executive level, acting as a trusted advisor and primary point of escalation for Professional Services engagements.
Contribute to presales efforts, including scoping, estimation, and proposal development for new opportunities.
Monitor team performance, provide regular feedback, conduct performance reviews, and manage resource allocation to maximize efficiency and impact.

Requirements

To thrive in this critical leadership role, we are looking for a professional who brings a robust combination of experience and strategic acumen. Essential qualifications include:

Extensive experience in Professional Services leadership roles, preferably within a SaaS, API management, microservices, or AI/ML infrastructure context.
Proven track record of building, managing, and scaling technical teams, including hiring, coaching, and performance management.
Demonstrated ability to manage complex enterprise client engagements from inception to successful completion.
Strong understanding of API gateways, service mesh technologies, or distributed systems architecture, with a passion for the evolving landscape of AI connectivity.
Exceptional client-facing skills, including executive presence, presentation abilities, and conflict resolution expertise.
Solid experience with project management methodologies and tools.
Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic, and fully remote global environment.
A Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

What You'll Gain

Joining Kong means stepping into an environment where innovation is the norm and impact is tangible. Here's what you can look forward to as part of our team:

The opportunity to lead and scale a critical, fast-growing part of a leading technology company at the forefront of the AI revolution.
Direct influence on the success of Fortune 500 enterprises as they adopt and operationalize AI at scale.
A collaborative and supportive remote-first culture that values growth, learning, and diversity.
Significant professional development opportunities as you work on cutting-edge technologies and challenges.
The chance to build and empower a world-class team, leaving your leadership imprint on a global organization.
Competitive compensation and benefits package.