Preparation for the Solutions Consultant role requires a shift in mindset. You need to demonstrate that you are technically proficient enough to build prototypes but commercially savvy enough to close deals. Approach your preparation as if you are already a member of the team preparing for a high-stakes client meeting.

You will be evaluated on the following key criteria:

Technical & Product Fluency – You must demonstrate a deep understanding of how financial platforms operate. Interviewers will assess your ability to discuss APIs, ERP integrations (like Oracle or SAP), and security protocols (SFTP, SSO). You need to show you can get "hands-on" with the technology to solve specific customer problems.

Discovery & Solution Design – This is about how you uncover pain points. Can you ask second and third-level questions to understand a prospect's workflow? You will be evaluated on your ability to take raw information and design a tailored solution that aligns with strict compliance frameworks.

Presentation & Communication – You will face a rigorous assessment of your presentation skills. Interviewers look for candidates who can command a room, manage objections in real-time, and pivot their pitch depending on whether they are speaking to a technical or executive audience.

Public Sector Acumen – Since this role targets government and education, you will be tested on your familiarity with the unique constraints of this sector, such as procurement cycles, RFPs, and compliance standards like SOC 2 and FedRAMP.

The interview process at Ramp is known for being efficient, rigorous, and highly practical. Based on candidate data, the process moves quickly—scheduling is often prompt, and feedback is timely. However, the speed of the process should not be mistaken for a lack of depth. Ramp places a heavy emphasis on "work sample" testing, meaning you will be asked to simulate the actual job rather than just answer abstract questions.

Expect an initial screen with a recruiter followed by a hiring manager interview to assess your background and fit. If you pass these hurdles, you will move into the core evaluation phase, which includes technical deep dives and a substantial case study presentation. The technical rounds are challenging but described as fair, focusing on the specific skills listed in the job description, such as SQL and API knowledge.

The timeline above illustrates the typical flow from application to offer. Note the significant weight placed on the Case Study & Demo stage. This is the "make or break" moment of the process, designed to test your endurance and quality of work under pressure. Use the earlier stages to gather as much context as possible to fuel your case study performance.

Ramp’s evaluation for this role is comprehensive. You should focus your preparation on three primary pillars: technical competency, sales acumen, and the specific demands of the public sector.

The Comprehensive Case Study

This is the most critical part of the loop. Candidates report being assigned a "very lengthy case exercise" that can take 6–10 hours of preparation. You will likely be given a mock scenario involving a public sector prospect with specific inefficiencies and legacy systems.

Be ready to go over:

• Discovery findings: How you interpret the prompt to identify the customer's true pain points.
• Solution mapping: How you map Ramp’s specific features (e.g., spend controls, bill pay) to those pain points.
• The Live Demo: You may be asked to present a live demo within the Ramp platform or a simulated environment.
• Objection handling: Interviewers will role-play as skeptical stakeholders (e.g., a CISO concerned about data privacy or a Comptroller worried about ERP sync).

Example scenarios:

• "Present a solution to a university finance team that is currently using manual paper checks and a legacy Oracle ERP."
• "Demonstrate how Ramp would handle a specific procurement workflow that requires three layers of approval."

Technical Proficiency (SQL & APIs)

Unlike some sales roles where "technical" means "good with spreadsheets," Ramp expects genuine technical literacy. You need to prove you can understand and potentially prototype integrations.

Be ready to go over:

• API Integrations: Understanding RESTful APIs, authentication methods, and how to read API documentation to scope an integration.
• Data Manipulation: Basic to intermediate SQL knowledge is often required to demonstrate how you would query data or help a customer visualize spend.
• ERP Ecosystems: Knowledge of how data flows in and out of major systems like Workday, PeopleSoft, or SAP.

Example questions:

• "How would you explain an API integration to a non-technical Finance Director?"
• "Write a SQL query to identify the top 5 spending departments from this dataset."

Public Sector & Compliance Knowledge

You must demonstrate that you understand the regulatory environment Ramp operates in.

Be ready to go over:

• Compliance Frameworks: Knowledge of FedRAMP, HIPAA, and CJIS.
• Procurement Processes: Understanding how government agencies buy software (RFPs, RFIs) and the typical length of these sales cycles.
• Security Architecture: Discussing data encryption, SSO, and user permissions in a government context.

As a Consultant, your daily work flows between high-level strategy and deep technical execution. You are the primary technical advisor for prospective customers, meaning you own the "technical win" in the sales cycle. You will spend a significant portion of your time conducting deep discovery sessions to understand the tangled web of legacy financial processes that government agencies use today.

Once you understand the problem, you will design and architect solutions. This involves more than just configuring settings; it requires leveraging Ramp’s APIs and integration capabilities to ensure the platform talks seamlessly with existing ERPs and workflows. You will build and deliver customized demos that don't just show features, but tell a compelling story about time saved, compliance ensured, and efficiency gained.

Beyond the sales cycle, you act as a bridge. You will collaborate closely with Product and Engineering to relay feedback from the field, influencing the roadmap to better serve public sector needs. You will also lead technical responses to RFPs and partner with Customer Success to ensure that what was sold is successfully implemented.