Solutions Engineer

Who We Are:

At Formic, we’re on a mission to revolutionize American manufacturing and create more abundance in the world. We believe in continuing the American legacy of innovation by making automation accessible to all manufacturers and increasing their factory productivity by 10x. 

Built upon deep expertise in robotics and manufacturing, our unique Pay-for-Productivity robotics solutions combine the best automation technology, tools, and uptime services for manufacturers, paving the way for a new era of supercharged efficiency and competitiveness. 

As the world faces growing pressure from rising costs and labor shortages, Formic is a uniquely powerful tool in overcoming these challenges. Fueled by our vision for a resurged “Made in America,” we’re growing fast - achieving 70% quarterly growth in customer count and ARR, with ~30% of our customers having already deployed multiple systems.

Supporting us in our mission, with investments thus far totaling over $60 million, are backers including Blackhorn Ventures, Mitsubishi HC Capital America, NEC, Lorimer Ventures, Translink Capital, Alumni Ventures, FJ Labs, Lux Capital, Initialized Capital and founders of multiple Fortune 50 companies. 

About the  Solutions Engineering team:

Solutions Engineering is dedicated to helping our customers address production challenges by developing automation solutions that deliver superb production outcomes. The team collaborates with prospective customers and the Formic sales team to scope out and understand challenges, identify the value drivers for the customer, and develop a fully managed Robotics as a Service solution with cost reductions and a positive ROI on Day 1.

As a Solutions Engineer, you will serve as our customers' first pre-sale technical and applications point of contact, advocating for their success and navigating the requirements of their production operation, and key technical and operational value drivers.  You will establish credibility in both production and technical expertise with prospects by rapidly developing an understanding of their production goals, challenges, and needs.  You will leverage that understanding to serve as a consultative partner, providing customers with a solution, context, and guidance on the best path forward to optimize their production.

Additionally, you will partner with Formic’s Deployment team by completing successful project handoffs that facilitate rapid turnaround and enable us to cross-functionally deliver the value of the solution you developed. This position is highly impactful in Formic’s mission to be a valued partner in enabling customers’ adoption of automation, and you will be a key driver in our customers’ first steps along their automation journey.

As a Solutions Engineer, you will: 

• Partner with prospective customers, sales, and cross-functional internal teams to understand customer needs and develop an understanding of our prospects key production and manufacturing challenges
• Conduct technical discovery calls in partnership with Sales team to understand needs and gather requirements
• Analyze production requirements, value drivers, project constraints, drawings, CAD data, parts lists, and other production and technical specifications to rapidly develop scopes of work and prospective solutions
• Scope and develop automation solutions from Formic’s portfolio of standard automation products that deliver a prospect’s desired production outcome
• Build and deliver automation solution proposals and pricing
• Iterate solutions & proposals as needed to align with feedback from prospective customers, Formic sales team members, and Formic’s cross-disciplinary teams
• Meet with prospective customers’ senior and executive management teams to review proposals and drive sales opportunities to a successful close
• Facilitate project handoffs from Sales/Solutions to Deployment
• Effectively manage multiple projects/proposals at once
• Recommend changes in procedures, design, or equipment where necessary
• Leverage understanding of customers’ businesses and feedback to identify gaps in Formic’s technical, operational, and commercial offerings
• Communicate insights and feedback to Head of Solutions, Head of Sales, and Head of Deployment
• Visit customer sites in person as needed

What makes you a great fit:

• 3+ years of production or operational management responsibility in a consumer packaged goods (CPG), food production, manufacturing, or packing or packaging environment
• 2+ years of responsibility overseeing end of line packing and packaging activities
• Technical or Engineering degree in a discipline that is relevant to manufacturing/packaging automation
• Familiarity with one or more segments of end of line packaging factory automation, preferably palletizing and/or case packing, with a firm understanding of the production and operational impacts of deploying turnkey automation systems
• Familiarity and experience with CAD drafting required
• Experience in a consulting, consultative sales, technical sales, or similar environment is a plus
• Experience supporting technology adoption in a production or manufacturing environment is a plus
• Ability to organize, track, and manage deliverables across multiple concurrent projects
• Excellent problem solving and critical thinking skills
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate cross functionally
• Previous solutions or applications experience is a plus
• Ability to travel up to 50%
• A current, valid driver’s license and access to a car

What we look for:

We’re building a company from the ground up, so every single person we hire has a massive impact on our team, culture, and ability to accomplish our mission. While each individual brings their own unique skills and perspectives to Formic, we look for people who share our vision and act in alignment with our Operating Principles. If this sounds like you, Formic could be the place for you:

• Fearless Optimism: You share our ambitious vision of what we can accomplish. You’re aware of the challenges we will face as a startup doing new things in an old space, but you’re energized by the incredible opportunity we have to drive change for our customers, and for the manufacturing industry at large.
• Factories First: You have a strong customer focus, no matter who your customer is. You seek to make things easier and better for our customers, even if it makes your job a little harder. 
• Today, Not Tomorrow: There are always plenty of projects to tackle in a startup, but you prioritize, take accountability for work, and have a bias toward action.
• Be Right Often: You don’t do things just because that’s how they’ve always been done. You keep looking for ways to improve, seek out feedback along the way, and back your decisions up with data. 
• Made of Rubber: Just like rubber, when you fall you bounce back up. You know there’s going to be a lot of challenge and change in our work ahead but you are adaptable, resilient, and ready to thrive through it all.
• Good Baton Passes: You work with a desire to make things easier and better for your team members. You use empathy to understand the needs and goals of others and support each other so Formic can be successful together. 

Total Rewards:

Total rewards packages at Formic consist of salaries benchmarked against similar stage growth companies, insurance (medical, dental, vision, life, STD, LTD), and equity in Formic itself. As an early stage startup, equity is an important part of our investment in you, and your investment in Formic. When Formic succeeds, we all succeed.

Final offer amounts are custom-crafted, based on the cash/equity ratio preference of the candidate, as well as their experience, geographical location and cost of labor, and more, and may vary from the range listed below. Ultimately we’re seeking top performers who will make a difference to our business, and we’re open to negotiating the compensation structure for the right candidate.LI-MB1

What we look for:

We’re building a company from the ground up, so every single person we hire has a massive impact on our team, culture, and ability to accomplish our mission. While each individual brings their own unique skills and perspectives to Formic, we look for people who share our vision and act in alignment with our Operating Principles. If this sounds like you, Formic could be the place for you:

• Fearless Optimism: You share our ambitious vision of what we can accomplish. You’re aware of the challenges we will face as a startup doing new things in an old space, but you’re energized by the incredible opportunity we have to drive change for our customers, and for the manufacturing industry at large.
• Factories First: You have a strong customer focus, no matter who your customer is. You seek to make things easier and better for our customers, even if it makes your job a little harder. 
• Today, Not Tomorrow: There are always plenty of projects to tackle in a startup, but you prioritize, take accountability for work, and have a bias toward action.
• Be Right Often: You don’t do things just because that’s how they’ve always been done. You keep looking for ways to improve, seek out feedback along the way, and back your decisions up with data. 
• Made of Rubber: Just like rubber, when you fall you bounce back up. You know there’s going to be a lot of challenge and change in our work ahead but you are adaptable, resilient, and ready to thrive through it all.
• Good Baton Passes: You work with a desire to make things easier and better for your team members. You use empathy to understand the needs and goals of others and support each other so Formic can be successful together. 

What We Offer:

Formic believes we do our best work when we are equipped to take care of ourselves and our loved ones. To support this Formic offers comprehensive benefits and perks for full-time US-based employees, including:

• Equity in Formic: your slice of ownership in a fast-growing Series A startup, backed by some of the best investors in the world
• 99% coverage on our base Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans (75% coverage for dependents) via Blue Cross Blue Shield and Guardian, with buy-up options, as well
• FSA & DCFSA
• Life insurance, Short-Term Disability, and Long-term Disability plans (covered at 100%) via Guardian
• Employee Assistance Program
• Paid parental leave
• Company-sponsored 401k
• Home Office Stipend for remote and hybrid roles
• Monthly Phone/Internet Reimbursement
• Flexible time off policy and 10+ company holidays
• Opportunity to join a talented and diverse team united behind our mission to revolutionize American manufacturing

As our team grows, our benefit and perk offerings for employees based outside of the United States will vary. We are happy to discuss these options with you as part of our recruiting and interviewing process. Temporary or contract positions are not eligible for Formic employee benefits and perks, except where legally required.

Formic is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or religious creed, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, marital status, family or parental status, disability, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. All employment decisions are based on a person’s merit, business needs, and role requirements. If you require further accommodations or have questions regarding accessibility of our roles, please reach out to careers@formic.co.