Job Description
Job Description
SENIOR TECHNICAL SUPPORT ENGINEER
Overview
We are seeking a Senior Technical Support Engineer (5+ years' experience) to build a best-in-class technical support function from scratch at a rapidly scaling infrastructure startup. This is a founding-style support role where the successful hire will directly shape how enterprise customers are supported as the company scales. Work directly with engineering customers using cutting-edge CI infrastructure, diagnose and resolve complex technical issues, and establish the foundations of world-class support operations.
About the Company
Blacksmith is one of the fastest-growing infrastructure startups in the US, backed by Google Ventures ($13.5M Seed + Series A) and Y Combinator. The company has nearly tripled revenue since early 2025, recently hit approximately $10M ARR in under 2 years, and is now rapidly expanding into enterprise customers. The elite founding team brings backgrounds in infrastructure and scale systems from Faire, Cockroach Labs, and Zapier.
About the Role
This is a highly technical, hands-on role working directly with engineering customers using Blacksmith's CI infrastructure. The support team is currently small (2 people) and will scale to 4+, with this hire playing a key role in defining the foundations and best practices.
Key Responsibilities
Build the foundations of a world-class technical support function: playbooks, processes, SLAs, escalation paths
Diagnose and resolve complex technical issues for engineering teams using Blacksmith's CI infrastructure
Work directly with customers via Slack and Pylon to troubleshoot and resolve issues
Reproduce customer issues and collaborate closely with engineering to drive fixes
Identify recurring issues and create feedback loops into product and engineering teams
Build automations and leverage AI tooling to remove manual support work and scale operations efficiently
Define support processes, standards, and best practices as the function scales
Mentor and support team growth as additional support engineers are hired
Requirements
Experience (Required):
5+ years in technical support or support engineering roles
Experience at a company with established support practices (Series B+ startup or strong engineering org such as Datadog, Notion, MongoDB, Cockroach, Figma, etc.)
Strong experience supporting developer-facing or engineering-heavy products
Proven experience improving or building support processes (not just operating within existing systems)
Comfortable working directly with engineers and deeply technical users
Skills & Competencies:
High energy, strong communicator
Ability to handle high volume of daily technical interactions
Problem-solving mindset with ability to diagnose complex technical issues
Experience with or exposure to: GitHub Actions, CI/CD systems, Docker, Linux, distributed systems
Familiarity with AI/LLM tooling (Claude, MCP) and automation a plus
Self-starter capable of building processes from scratch in a fast-moving startup environment
Work Details
Location: Flatiron, New York City (5 days per week in-office, non-negotiable)
Employment Type: Full-Time, Direct Hire
Remote Status: No Remote (on-site required)
Positions Available: 2 hires planned
Recruit From: Nationwide (relocation assistance available for exceptional candidates)
Visa Sponsorship: Not available (visa transfers accepted)
Tech Stack Exposure
GitHub Actions, Pylon, Slack, Firecracker, Docker, Linux, Ceph, CI/CD systems, distributed systems, AI/LLM tooling (Claude, MCP), CLI-based agents, bare-metal infrastructure
Compensation
Base Salary: $160,000 – $180,000 (flexible for exceptional candidates)
Equity: Competitive package
Benefits: 401(k) matching, 12 weeks parental leave, comprehensive health coverage
Rocketship Growth:
Approximately $10M ARR in under 2 years. Nearly tripled revenue since early 2025. Rapidly scaling into enterprise customers.
Founding-Level Ownership:
This is not an operational role—you'll directly shape the support function's strategy, processes, and culture as it scales from 2 to 4+ people.
Elite Team:
Backed by Google Ventures and Y Combinator. Founding team with backgrounds in infrastructure and scale systems from Faire, Cockroach Labs, and Zapier.
Real Impact:
Your work directly supports enterprise growth. Building world-class support practices from the ground up in a fast-moving startup environment.
Strong Compensation & Benefits:
Competitive salary, meaningful equity, 401(k) match, and 12 weeks parental leave.
Developer-Focused Mission:
Work with engineering teams building on Blacksmith's CI infrastructure. Deep technical engagement with some of the most sophisticated customers in the industry.