Commercial Sales Engineer- New York
Chainguard · Remote · US
- Base
- $110K–$130K
- OTE
- $157K–$185K
- Posted
- 5h ago
Still open · checked 2h agoon Chainguard's careers page
What Chainguard sells
Safe, ready-made open source software for engineering teams
Software teams build their apps from open source parts, and many of those parts carry hidden security holes. Chainguard rebuilds that open source software so it arrives secure and ready to use. Teams can then build faster, stay compliant, and worry less about risk.
In plain English, from their own job posts. Something wrong? Tell us
More Developer & IT tools companies →The Braun Read
Ask hard questionsToo much is left unsaid. Make them answer before you invest.
- Pay
- Base and OTE both listed. Roughly a 70/30 base-to-variable split.
- Transparency
- Says nothing about quota, attainment, deal size, territory or sales cycle.
- Pipeline
- Doesn't say where pipeline comes from. Ask.
- Time on market
- Brand new.
- Company hiring
- Ramping up: posted 8 sales roles in the last 30 days.
Red flags
None spotted.
Green flags
- Publishes OTE. It tells you the on-target earnings up front. Most postings don't.
Based only on what the posting says. Flags are a starting point for your first call, not a final judgment.
Questions to ask on the first call
Built from what this posting leaves out. How they answer tells you as much as what they say.
- 1.
What percentage of fully ramped reps hit quota last year?
OTE is what you could earn. This is how likely you are to earn it.
- 2.
What's the annual quota, and how was it set?
A quota built from real data is a target. Otherwise it's a hope.
- 3.
Where does pipeline come from: inbound, SDRs, or me?
Tells you how much of your week is prospecting versus selling.
- 4.
How long is ramp, and what's the quota during it?
Full quota on day one means you start behind.
- 5.
Is the territory new or existing? Who had it before?
An existing book is a head start. Greenfield means building from zero.
- 6.
Why is this role open? Did someone leave, or is it new?
New headcount is growth. A replacement means someone left. Ask why.
When the offer comes
Save these for later. They land better once they've said yes to you.
- 1.
Can I see the full comp plan in writing, including clawbacks and accelerators?
What's in writing is what gets paid. Read it before you sign.
- 2.
Can I see the actual comp distribution for the team last year, not just the OTE?
The spread shows what most reps really take home. OTE is just the target.
- 3.
I'd be walking away from earned commission to join. Is there room for a sign-on bonus to help cover that?
Leaving money behind is a fair reason to ask. The worst answer is no.
Got an offer from Chainguard? Not sure about it?Ask me. I read every message myself. · JoshAsk Josh
The role
Support sales on hardened open-source software builds for startup and midmarket prospects as a technical pre-sales engineer, using MEDDPICC and advising on Kubernetes, cloud and app security. Must reside in NY metro.
Mid-Market · New Logo
Selling motion
Who you're selling to
- Buyer:
- Technical decision-makers and security teamsIn their words: “engaging with technical decision-makers and security teams to discuss and implement security solutions”
- Company size:
- Mid-Market
Pipeline expectations
Compensation
What is not disclosed
This posting doesn't tell you:
- Quota size
- Quota attainment
- Average deal size
- Territory
- Sales cycle length
The questions above cover the big ones.