Solutions Architect Cambridge, MA | Hybrid (Mon, Wed, Thu in-office) Reports to: Head of Customer Experience

About Proton.ai

Proton.ai builds AI-native software for the distribution industry — an $8 trillion market that tech forgot. We're not bolting AI onto legacy software. It's in every product from day one.

We've built an AI-powered CRM that distributors actually use, and we're expanding fast. 120%+ NDR, 93% logo retention, $20M Series A from Felicis and Battery Ventures, and a 70-person team in Cambridge.

If you want to work on hard problems in a market where AI genuinely changes how businesses operate, this is it.

The Role

We're hiring a Solutions Architect to sit at the intersection of our technology and our customers' operations. This isn't a post-sale support role. It's a creative, strategic position where you figure out how Proton fits into the way a distribution business actually runs — and then make the case for it.

You'll work deals from the pre-sales stage through customer onboarding, designing workflows and technical solutions that connect Proton's platform to how our customers buy, sell, and service accounts. You'll spend a lot of time with prospects and customers: asking good questions, listening hard, and translating what you learn into solutions that stick.

If you don't get excited when a prospect walks you through a gnarly ERP integration or a weird edge case in their reorder workflow, this probably isn't the right fit. If you immediately start thinking about how to solve it — great, let's talk.

One more thing: we're serious about AI. Not as a buzzword, as a working tool. If you can't tell us specifically how you've used Claude (or another model) to do your job better, we'll have a hard time moving forward.

What You'll Do

• Partner with Sales to understand prospect needs and design solutions that map Proton's capabilities to their business workflows
• Build and present technical proposals, workflow diagrams, and architecture recommendations tailored to each customer's operations
• Lead discovery sessions with prospects and customers to surface integration requirements, data flows, and operational constraints
• Own solution design through the sales cycle, then hand off cleanly to Implementation with full context
• Collaborate with Product and Engineering to communicate patterns you're seeing in the field and influence the roadmap
• Serve as a trusted technical voice for customers post-launch when new use cases emerge

What We're Looking For

• 4+ years in a Solutions Architect, Sales Engineer, or technical pre-sales role at a SaaS company
• Comfortable with API integrations, data modeling, and explaining technical concepts to non-technical buyers
• Experience working with ERP or distribution systems is a plus, but intellectual curiosity about operations matters more
• Strong communicator who can run a discovery call, build a compelling demo, and write a clear solution brief
• You've used AI tools — specifically Claude or comparable models — as a real part of your workflow. You have a specific, concrete answer when asked how.
• Low ego, high ownership. You'll be early in building this function and that means figuring things out as you go.

Compensation & Benefits

• Base salary: $160,000 – $200,000 + equity
• Unlimited PTO + 10 company holidays
• 401(k) with 3% employer contribution
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 12 weeks paid parental leave
• Professional Growth Fund

About Us:

The wholesale distribution industry is ready for a revolution, and Proton is leading the charge. The world relies on distributors to sell nearly every physical product, but despite its massive contribution to the global economy, this industry has been left behind in terms of technology. Proton is changing that with AI-powered CRM software. Distributors using Proton see 10x ROI, faster new hire ramp-up, and happier sales teams.

In 2022, we raised a $20M Series A backed by Felicis Ventures (investors in Twitch, Shopify, Opendoor, and many others) and Battery Ventures. This year, we’re laser-focused on driving customer growth. If you’re excited about the opportunity to wear multiple hats, and continuously learn and experiment, now’s the time to join the Proton team.

About the role:

Reporting to the Head of Marketing and working closely with the CEO, you’ll be on the frontlines of maintaining our rapid growth in the industry. Your key responsibility will be to ensure Proton is the first name that comes to mind for distributors looking for a CRM. Focusing on potential Proton CRM buyers, your role is central to uncovering sales opportunities and fuelling our sales pipeline.

We’re looking for someone who is passionate about creating processes from scratch. The ideal candidate will not only thrive in their core responsibilities but will also play a vital role in developing the future of Proton’s business development strategies and team.  If you’re fascinated by the psychology behind sales, thrive on the challenge of breaking through to the right contact, and see each “no” as a step towards an eventual “yes”, this role could be your perfect match. If you’re at the beginning of your career, gritty, and eager to be part of a fast-growing tech startup’s journey from the early stages, this is an opportunity for you.

This is a hybrid role, based in the greater Boston area (Kendall Square).

Comp: 80k + 30k variable

Your responsibilities:

• You'll lead the charge in cold outreach—cold calls, emails, LinkedIn—aiming to turn the heads of those who've barely engaged with Proton.
• Qualify leads and arrange meetings for our sales executives. You're often the first Proton contact for potential customers, so making a strong impression is key.
• You'll also nurture leads from events and previous interactions, nudging them towards setting up a meeting.

What You’ll Do:

• Conduct thorough research on target accounts, pinpointing decision-makers who need to know about Proton.
• Be relentless on the phone, turning those conversations into bookings for our sales team.
• Work closely with the Head of Marketing to craft messages and emails that pull prospects to our website, events, and discovery calls.
• Keep engaged with, nurture, and qualify leads from events and sponsorships, drawing them in with content that converts them into opportunities.
• Keep our CRM up to date with all prospecting activities, including key info like a prospect’s renewal timeline.
• Use insights from prospect interactions to refine content strategies and provide valuable input to the Sales and Marketing teams.
• Proactively invite prospects from target accounts to events Proton is attending.
• Handle inbound inquiries from non-target accounts.
• Regularly reconnect with previous prospects, keeping Proton on their radar with relevant updates and reigniting potential conversations.

We'll measure your success through:

• Activity benchmarks like the volume of cold calls made and emails sent
• The effectiveness of your outreach, judged by email open rates and click-through rates.
• The total number of meetings booked with prospects

Your qualities:

• You communicate clearly: You bring excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills to the table. Each interaction with a prospect is well-researched, personalized, and executed thoughtfully, positioning you as a trusted advisor.
• You are curious: You have a natural curiosity that drives you to understand Proton's products, mission, and the problems we solve. You dive into sales calls, interviews, and educational content to become a subject matter expert
• You are a good listener: Ability to understand customer needs and concern
• You are resilient: The word "No" doesn’t deter you. You see it as a challenge that motivates you. Instead, it motivates you to push harder and find new ways to achieve your objectives.
• You have a proven track record: You've been in the trenches before, with relevant experience in a business development or outbound sales role and a track record of successful results to show for it.
• You are determined: Your grit and drive power you through challenges. Your mantra is "the more effort you put in, the greater the rewards."
• You are creative: You have an innate knack for problem-solving, finding innovative ways to achieve your goals and overcome obstacles.
• You are ambitious: You don’t just meet goals, you strive to exceed them, constantly pushing to better your performance.

Benefits

• Competitive Salaries + Company Stock Options - we want to pay you well (and equitably!) and make you feel like an owner.  
• Unlimited PTO + 10 Company Paid Holidays - we even have tools implemented to detect burnout to make sure folks recharge regularly.
• 401k with Employer Contribution (US only, for now!) - we know work isn’t forever, so we contribute up to 3% of your salary to help you prepare whether you directly contribute or not.
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance - we cover one medical plan 100% in the USA and cover a premium plan 100% for international employees (for US- this includes a HSA!) and cover 50% for dependents on all our medical plan options.
• 12 Weeks Fully Paid Parental Leave - that goes for primary and secondary caregivers; even if you’re adopting or fostering!
• Company off-sites - time for us to be together, brainstorm, and make magic happen.