Head of Solutions Architecture, Startups
Vercel is hiring a Head of Solutions Architecture, Startups in San Francisco, United States. It pays $382k-$485k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on Vercel.
Level's read on this job
- On Level's scale, this solutions architect role is Little AI ●○○○: aI is not part of the work.
- The listed pay starts 127% above the typical solutions architect posting on Level.
- Tools and skills the posting cites include OpenAI.
- Level classifies it as an executive role.
- Level lists 86 other open roles at Vercel.
AI in this role
About Vercel:
Vercel is the agentic infrastructure company, freeing people and agents to ship what's next. For more than a decade we've helped builders move from idea to production with speed, security, and exceptional developer experience.
Now we're scaling our products for both agents and people to ship and run software, built in the open and trusted by OpenAI, PayPal, Ramp, Supreme, and millions of developers worldwide.
About the role
As a Head of Solutions Architecture for startups, you’ll build and lead the technical sales organization behind our relationships with the startups shaping how web and AI products get built. These teams ship on Vercel’s core platform, Next.js, and our AI stack, and the decisions made in their first architecture review often determine how far they scale with us.
You’ll lead a global team of Solutions Architects in our Startups sales organization, set the technical bar across the deal cycle, coach through strategic accounts and critical deals, and step in yourself when it matters most: architecture reviews, migration plans, and high-stakes presentations. You’ll turn patterns from the field into repeatable plays, carry what startups tell you back to engineering so it shows up in the product, and own org planning, staffing, budgeting, and recruiting as you scale the team this segment needs.
This is a hybrid role with 3 in-office days per week in San Francisco, Austin, or New York City.
What you'll do
- Lead, develop, and coach the global Startups Solutions Architecture team across the pre-sales cycle
- Provide hands-on support on key accounts: presentations, architecture reviews, and migration plans
- Develop repeatable plays from the trends you see across strategic accounts and critical deals
- Partner with Sales and Field Engineering leadership to win new business and expand accounts
- Own org planning, staffing, budgeting, and recruiting
What you need
- 10+ years in Solutions Architecture, Sales Engineering, or technical pre-sales, with 5+ years in a leadership role
- Hands-on depth in modern web technologies and developer workflows: JavaScript, React, Next.js, Node.js, APIs, cloud infrastructure, and CI/CD
- Led and scaled technical teams in a high-growth environment
- Sold to and supported startups as customers across industries
- Worked across Sales, Product, and Engineering to drive customer success
Bonus if you
- Built hands-on with Vercel, Next.js, or similar frontend frameworks
- Led SA teams at a high-growth developer tool or cloud infrastructure company
- Bring expertise in developer tooling, edge computing, or performance optimization
Benefits & Compensation:
- Competitive compensation package, including equity.
- Inclusive Healthcare Package.
- Learn and Grow - we provide mentorship and send you to events that help you build your network and skills.
- Flexible Time Off.
- We will provide you the gear you need to do your role, and a WFH budget for you to outfit your space as needed.
The San Francisco, CA OTE pay range for this position is $382,000 - $485,000 OTE. Actual salary will be based on job-related skills, experience, and location. Compensation outside of San Francisco may be adjusted based on employee location. The total compensation package may include benefits, equity-based compensation, and eligibility for a company bonus or variable pay program depending on the role. Your recruiter can share more details during the hiring process.
Disclosures:
- Privacy: Please review our Job Applicant Privacy Policy for more information on how we handle your data.
- Equal Opportunity: Vercel is committed to fostering and empowering an inclusive community within our organization. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Vercel encourages everyone to apply for our available positions, even if they don't necessarily check every box on the job description.
How we rate this
Head of Solutions Architecture, Startups at Vercel rates 22 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Little AI (AI Level 1 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.
Little AI. AI is not part of the work.
- ●●●● Builds AI80 to 100
- ●●●○ Works on AI60 to 79
- ●●○○ Uses AI40 to 59
- ●○○○ Little AI0 to 39
Levels come from how often the tools, models and workflows of the role are named in the posting itself. Read the description and count the AI tools, models and workflows it names.
Prepare for this job
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Pay
- This job starts at
- $382k
- Typical solutions architect job
- $168k
This posting starts 127% above the typical solutions architect job. See solutions architect jobs
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