Why This Job is Featured on The SaaS Jobs
This role stands out in the SaaS ecosystem because it sits at the point where enterprise software value is either realized or lost: deployment, adoption, and measurable outcomes. Alation operates in the data intelligence and governance category, where products must integrate with complex data estates and stakeholder groups, and where AI agent use cases are increasingly evaluated on trust, controls, and operational fit rather than demos alone.
For a SaaS career, the position builds durable experience in forward deployed delivery, a path that blends consulting style discovery with hands on platform configuration. It offers repeated exposure to the full arc of enterprise SaaS work: shaping a business case, prototyping, translating requirements into deployable solutions, and closing the loop with product teams. That combination tends to be highly portable across SaaS companies selling technical platforms into large accounts, especially where services, product, and go to market execution intersect.
The profile best matched here is someone who enjoys ambiguity early, then brings structure through workshops, prototypes, and clear success measures. It should suit professionals comfortable engaging senior stakeholders while staying close to SQL level details, and who prefer roles where field learnings can influence roadmap direction as well as customer outcomes.
The section above is editorial commentary from The SaaS Jobs, provided to help SaaS professionals understand the role in a broader industry context.
Job Description
Alation is pioneering the next era of data intelligence — powered by AI agents and trusted data. Organizations around the world rely on Alation to drive self-service analytics, cloud transformation, data governance, and AI innovation. Our technology helps enterprises connect people and data to make faster, smarter, and more confident decisions. With more than $340M in funding – valued at over $1.7 billion and more than 650 customers, including 40% of the Fortune 100. As data becomes the foundation of every business, Alation is leading the way in helping organizations unlock their full potential. By bringing intelligence, automation, and trust to every interaction, we empower customers to scale data-driven innovation with confidence and speed. Joining Alation means being part of a winning team shaping the future of AI-powered data intelligence. We move fast, think big, and deliver results together. Job Description: Join Alation to drive business transformation and technical excellence at the intersection of data intelligence, AI, and governance. As a Sr. Staff Deployment Strategist, you act as a hybrid between a strategic consultant and a forward-deployed solution architect, partnering directly with customers to discover, define, design, and deliver high-impact agentic solutions using Alation’s configuration-first platform. As a strategic member of the account team, you own the full client lifecycle from vision setting to realized outcomes; translating ambition into enterprise-grade deployments that drive measurable value. As a visionary builder, you will work side-by-side with C-suite executives to define their data strategy, prototype, and deploy analytical and governance agentic workflows that turn your strategy into the realization of tangible business outcomes. This role will report to the Sr. Director, Deployment Strategy in the Northeast Region. What You Will Do Strategic Discovery & Solution Design (Initiation) Diagnose & Prescribe: Lead executive discovery sessions to surface business challenges, critical bottlenecks, data + governance gaps, and high-value opportunities for AI automation. Rapid Prototyping: Rapidly prototype and validate AI agent solutions using Alation’s platform - don’t just describe the solution, show it! Build functional low/no-code prototypes and "proof of concept" agents within the Alation platform (and other tools) to validate hypotheses and demonstrate immediate value. Business Case Development: Quantify business value through clear KPIs and ROI modeling, linking technical possibilities to enterprise outcomes. Translate technical capabilities into clear business outcomes that justify investment. Solution Architecture: Work with an incredible technical team to architect tailored deployment paths, balancing configuration-first quick wins with scalable custom solutions. Delivery Ownership & Client Integration (Implementation) Forward-Deployed Delivery: Own end-to-end deployment of configuration-first deployments. You are responsible for configuring core application capabilities, logic, and agentic behaviors to meet client needs. Operational Integration: Ensure solutions are not just "installed" but "embedded." Work with client teams to integrate new workflows into their daily operations, ensuring adoption and stickiness. Technical Orchestration: Translate strategic objectives into actionable technical requirements, manage projects and coordinate with technical counterparts. Feedback Loop: Serve as the bridge between client stakeholders and Alation’s product teams for continuous solution refinement. Your insights from the field will directly influence the next generation of our platform’s capabilities. Value Realization & Growth (Transition & Growth) Value Realization: Conduct Executive Business Reviews (EBRs) to present the "value delivered" to customer leadership, using data to prove the solution's impact on their business. Strategic Partnership: Evolve from delivery lead to trusted advisor, identifying new growth opportunities and business challenges that can be solved with Alation, championing deeper client maturity. Feedback Loop: Act as the customer’s voice within Alation, translating market needs into future product capabilities. What You Bring Experience: 8+ years in management consulting (strategy, operations, tech) or forward-deployed solution roles at data platform companies. Proven Technical Fluency: Hands-on with data (SQL essential), familiar with Python, APIs, and modern data architectures. Technical fluency, not engineering depth. You can read code, work in SQL, build in low/no-code platforms, and hold your own with a technical team--but you're not writing production software. Executive Presence: Executive presence with superior communication skills. You are a confident facilitator, advisor, and strategic partner at the C-level. Builder Portfolio: Demonstrated track record of building and deploying low/no-code solutions, driving from prototype to production. Problem Solving: Relentless problem solver, always synthesizing ambiguity into clear, actionable recommendations. Experience influencing product direction by surfacing client needs and market insights. AI & Data Governance: Deep understanding of agentic patterns, LLMs, data governance, and metadata management (preferred). Advanced Education: Technical undergraduate or graduate program. An Advanced degree (MBA, technical Master’s) is a plus. But demonstrated impact and leadership matter most. Ability to travel for customer and prospect onsite visits (approx. 25 – 40%) #LI-KS1 #LI-Remote Compensation Pay Range: $138,071.00 - $186,395.40 Salary Information The base salary range is specific to the United States. The salary of the final candidate selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to internal equity, experience, education, work location, specialty and training. If the final candidate has a different level of experience, the base salary target range may be lower or higher than what is published. Alation, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regards to that individual’s race, color, religion or creed, national origin or ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, genetic information, ethnicity, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by law. The Company will strive to provide reasonable accommodations to permit qualified applicants who have a need for an accommodation to participate in the hiring process (e.g., accommodations for a job interview) if so requested. This company participates in E-Verify. Click on any of the links below to view or print the full poster. E-Verify and Right to Work. Our growth is creating great opportunities! Our team is expanding, and we want to hire the most talented people we can. Continued success depends on it! So once you've had a chance to explore our current open positions, apply to the ones you feel suit you best and keep track of both your progress in the selection process, and new postings that might interest you! Thanks for your interest in working on our team!! Introduce yourself to our recruiters and we'll get in touch if there's a role that seems like a good match. Our founders have come together from different backgrounds: business, engineering, and design. This unique mix from our founding team is important to the Alation culture story. Today, our team consists of creators and communicators with varied backgrounds - from Stanford, to the Indian Institute of Technology, big companies and one-person startups, the United States, and abroad. We continue to seek ever more diverse perspectives as we grow. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, name, religion, color, national origin, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Why Alation? Market-Leading Data Catalog Provider High-growth, collaborative environment with diverse and inclusive teams Continuous learning, enrichment and development opportunities Competitive pay and health offerings including commuter benefits Flexible time off to relax and recharge
