Chainguard is the trusted source for open source. By delivering hardened, secure, and production-ready builds of all the open source software engineers and AI agents rely on, Chainguard helps organizations build faster, stay compliant, and eliminate risk.
Our customers include Fortune 500 enterprises and global industry leaders, including Anduril, Canva, Fortinet, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, OpenAI, Snap Inc., and Snowflake.
Chainguard is venture-backed by leading investors, including Amplify, IVP, Kleiner Perkins, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Mantis VC, Redpoint Ventures, Sequoia Capital, and Spark Capital.
We are seeking an experienced and dynamic Corporate Sales Engineer to join our team. This role is integral to our sales efforts, especially focusing on startup and midmarket prospects. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in technical sales with proven expertise in deploying advanced sales frameworks and a deep understanding of cloud and container technologies. As a trusted advisor, you will provide high-level technical guidance and support to our customers, helping to solve complex technical challenges and driving success in a fast-paced startup environment.
- Collaborate closely with sales teams to understand customer requirements and craft tailored solutions that meet their business and technical needs.
- Leverage extensive knowledge of sales frameworks like MEDDPICC and Command of the Message to effectively communicate and position our products and services.
- Provide expert guidance on a variety of technologies including Kubernetes, serverless frameworks, Docker, AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud platforms.
- Advocate for cloud security best practices and app security, engaging with technical decision-makers and security teams to discuss and implement security solutions.
- Maintain an in-depth understanding of the competitive landscape and industry trends to better serve the company and advise customers.
- Engage with prospects, cultivating lasting relationships as a trusted advisor who understands their unique challenges and needs.
- Proven experience (2+ years) as a Sales Engineer, Pre-Sales Engineer, or in a similar technical sales role, preferably with a focus on startup and midmarket clients.
- Solid understanding and experience with sales methodologies such as MEDDPICC
- Technical expertise in container technologies like Kubernetes, Docker, and serverless solutions.
- Knowledge of cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) and familiarity with cloud and containers security.
- Previous experience in a startup environment, demonstrating flexibility and the ability to thrive under pressure.
- Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to effectively negotiate and build rapport with clients.
- Strong team player with a commitment to ongoing learning
OTE RANGE (based on experience/location): $180,000 - $220,000
We live and breathe our company values:
- We are customer obsessed — We focus on delivering solutions to our customers that create value and make their lives better.
- We have a bias for intentional action — We prioritize, plan, try things, and fail fast.
- We don't take ourselves too seriously (but we do serious work) — We are solving an important problem which takes focus, but we also like to enjoy the journey.
- We trust each other and assume good intentions — We're transparent with decisions to empower team members to make well informed decisions.
A few of the benefits we offer:
- Flexible & Remote-First Culture: Work remotely with team meetup opportunities, bi-annual destination summits, and a monthly stipend for coworking spaces, phone and internet costs.
- Our Approach to Equity: Receive stock options upon hire and promotion. Plus, you can participate in secondary offerings and have 10 years to exercise your options (yes, you read that correctly: 10 years!).
- 100% Covered Health Insurance: We cover 100% of your health, vision and dental insurance premiums for you and your dependents. Nothing comes out of your paycheck.
- ∞ Flexible Time Off: Take the time you need – to do our best work, we need to recharge and reset.
- 18 Weeks Paid Parental Leave: We offer 18 weeks for birthing parents and 12 weeks for non-birthing parents, with the option to use it all at once or throughout your child's first year.
If your experience is close but doesn't fulfill all requirements, please apply. We're building the best team in technology and are focused on hiring "Chainguardians" with unique backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences.
Chainguard is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, reproductive health decisions, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, political views or activity, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law.
By submitting your application, you acknowledge that Chainguard will process your personal data in accordance with Chainguard's Global Candidate Privacy Notice.
©2026 Chainguard. All Rights Reserved.
Skills Required
- Proven experience (2+ years) as a Sales Engineer, Pre-Sales Engineer, or similar technical sales role
- Experience selling to startup and midmarket clients
- Solid understanding and use of sales methodologies such as MEDDPICC
- Familiarity with Command of the Message sales framework
- Technical expertise in container technologies (Kubernetes, Docker) and serverless solutions
- Knowledge of cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) and cloud/container security
- Previous startup experience and ability to work under pressure
- Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills; ability to negotiate and build client rapport
Chainguard Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Chainguard and has not been reviewed or approved by Chainguard.
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Affordable Benefits — Health insurance is fully employer-paid for employees and dependents, materially reducing out-of-pocket costs. Public benefits materials consistently highlight this as a cornerstone of the package.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid parental leave for all parents and meaningful family-planning support (including adoption, IVF, egg freezing, and surrogacy) are emphasized across company materials. These elements broaden support for different family paths and stages.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Stock options are granted at hire and promotion with a long post-termination exercise window, improving flexibility and potential value capture. This structure is presented as notably employee-friendly for a startup.
Chainguard Insights
What We Do
Chainguard is the secure foundation for building with open source software. The company's portfolio of secure, minimal container images helps organizations embrace a new culture of software development where starting left with security, not shifting left, is the reality. Chainguard was founded by the industry's leading experts on software supply chain security, open source, software, and cloud-native development. We aren't a traditional security vendor. It's container images provide secure-by-default infrastructure that introduces zero friction to developer workflows. That's why developers love and CISOS trust Chainguard. Its customers include Fortune 500 enterprises and leading technology and security companies, including Anduril, Canva, Domino Data Lab, Checkmarx, HPE, GitLab, Snowflake, and Wiz. Chainguard is venture-backed by leading investors, including Amplify, IVP, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Redpoint Ventures, Sequoia, and Spark Capital.
Why Work With Us
Security is our mission, but having fun is our mantra. Since our founding, we've increased +1M memes, sung 900+ hours of Kubernetes-themed karaoke, and created 774+ whacky Slack emojis. Beyond this, Chainguard's innovation and leadership in open source and software supply chain security has been recognized by industry leaders.
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