# Principal Solution Architect at Ddn > Hybrid · United States · Principal · Other · open. Source: https://alderhq.app/jobs/ashby%3Addn%3A72f34cda-142d-4a13-9905-53ddeb236e93 (read 2026-11-05). ## Facts (observed) - Company: [Ddn](https://alderhq.app/companies/ddn) - Location text: Santa Clara Office - Where it can be done from (inferred): Hybrid · United States (evidence: "Location: Santa Clara Office") - Posted: 2026-10-06 (29 days ago) - First seen by alder: 2026-11-02 · last verified: 2026-11-04 - Reposted: 0 times · edited: 0 times - Apply on the employer's site: https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/ddn/72f34cda-142d-4a13-9905-53ddeb236e93 - Skills listed (inferred): PyTorch, TensorFlow, LLMs ## Pay and sponsorship - Posted pay: $300k–$330k per year (from the listing's pay field) - Market band for similar posted roles (SF Bay Area, n 62): p25 $208k, median $236k, p75 $273k ## Description (the employer's text) The Principal AI Solutions Architect at DataDirect Networks (DDN) combines technical mastery with outcome driven strategic selling/consulting delivering high-performance AI, ML, and HPC solutions. This role is pivotal in aligning DDN’s cutting-edge AI solutions and data management technologies with clients’ business needs, driving measurable outcomes to include efficiencies, optimizations, utilization, reduced latency, and accelerated time-to-insight. The ideal candidate will bring pre-sales engineering experience, AI technical expertise and intelligence, and a passion for delivering tailored solutions that enable customer success. ### Core Responsibilities AI Intelligence: Demonstrate expertise in AI technologies, including architecture, deployment, optimization, and integration, with a focus on delivering measurable outcomes Outcome-Driven Approach, Positioning and Consultation: Engage deeply with clients to understand their AI and data challenges & performance goals, recommending DDN’s AI & high-performance solutions to achieve desired business outcomes, whether it’s accelerated time-to-insight or operational efficiency. Value-Centric Solution Design: Partner with clients to architect and deliver AI-driven data solutions that prioritize long-term value, scalability, and performance optimization. Leverage DDN’s expertise in AI, HPC, and cloud storage to address current requirements while enabling future growth and innovation. Active Selling Partner: As a proactive part of the sales process, the AI Solutions Consultant is a Sales Engineering role which actively engages in client discussions, delivers compelling product demonstrations, and contributes to closing deals by demonstrating the business value and ROI of DDN’s solutions. Pre-Sales Customer Development: Providing hands-on technical presentations, demonstrations, proof-of-concept support and management, and ongoing client management and support to ensure successful adoption, usage, and maximized business impact from DDN technologies. ### Primary Responsibilities Outcome-Driven: Leverage experience in AI, Data & Analytics to engage deeply with clients, understanding their challenges and delivering value-driven solutions. Data Architecture Proficiency: Design scalable solutions and implement strategies for effective data models and management to support AI/ML workflows. Generative AI Enablement: Apply knowledge & expertise in AI technologies, including Large Language Models (LLMs), neural networks, RAG, Inference, and recommendation systems, to drive innovation and client success. Technical Solution Design: Utilize frameworks like NeMO, NIMs, TensorFlow, PyTorch, and Nvidia Enterprise Suite to craft and demonstrate DDNs advanced AI solutions tailored to client needs. Cross-Functional Collaboration: You are a partner with between Sales, Product, Marketing and Engineering teams, ensuring customer insights inform messaging, collateral, product development, support/services and technical strategies. Partner Ecosystem Development: Build and maintain relationships across our ecosystem of Alliances, OEMs, CSPs, hyper-scalers, channel and integrators to create joint go-to-market strategies and expand DDN’s market reach. Enablement and Training: Deliver technical development for internal teams and partners, ensuring a deep understanding of DDN’s AI solutions. Market Awareness: Stay abreast of trends in AI, data management, and competitive landscapes to position DDN’s solutions effectively. ### Key Practices Consultative Engagement: Demonstrate the ability to understand client needs, outcomes and deliver tailored solutions through effective discovery processes and relationship building. AI Expertise: Showcase knowledge of AI workflows, frameworks, pipelines to include above the stack applications, Data Prep/Analytics, Toolkits, Training, Inference, Application Frameworks, NVIDIA Enterprise suite, LLMs, RAG, and related technologies, aligning solutions to business outcomes and emerging AI trends. Data Architecture Leadership: Provide insights and designs for data strategies that support efficiency, scalability, performance, and ROI. --- Data: alder (https://alderhq.app). Cite https://alderhq.app/jobs/ashby%3Addn%3A72f34cda-142d-4a13-9905-53ddeb236e93 and the date you read it. Observed facts come from the employer's own listing; location reach, level, family and skills are inferences.