1. What is a Consultant at Ramp?

As a Solutions Consultant (specifically focusing on the Public Sector) at Ramp, you are not just selling software; you are architecting the financial modernization of government agencies, educational institutions, and nonprofits. This role sits at the critical intersection of technical engineering, product strategy, and complex enterprise sales. You are the "technical conscience" of the deal, responsible for proving that Ramp’s platform can handle the rigorous demands of public sector finance while delivering the user experience of a modern consumer app.

You will play a pivotal role in helping organizations—ranging from local municipalities to large federal agencies—transition away from legacy, paper-based processes toward AI-driven automation. This position requires you to be a storyteller who can articulate value to a CFO, a technical architect who can discuss API integrations with an IT Director, and a trusted advisor who understands the nuances of FedRAMP and procurement compliance. You are joining a high-velocity team where your ability to bridge the gap between complex customer requirements and Ramp’s rapidly evolving product will directly impact the company's expansion into this massive vertical.

2. Getting Ready for Your Interviews

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.

3. Interview Process Overview

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.

4. Deep Dive into Evaluation Areas

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.

5. Key Responsibilities

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.

6. Role Requirements & Qualifications

Ramp looks for a specific blend of technical hard skills and consultative soft skills.

Must-Have Qualifications:

• Experience: 7–10 years in Solutions Consulting, Sales Engineering, or Solutions Architecture, ideally within SaaS or Fintech.
• Technical Hard Skills: Hands-on experience with API integrations, SFTP configurations, and security protocols. SQL literacy is frequently tested.
• Financial Domain Knowledge: Strong background in accounting workflows, financial systems, and ERP integrations (e.g., Oracle, SAP, Workday).
• Public Sector Experience: Working knowledge of government procurement, compliance frameworks (FedRAMP, SOC 2), and navigating multi-stakeholder sales cycles.

Nice-to-Have Qualifications:

• Coding Familiarity: Ability to read or write basic Python or Java for solution prototyping.
• Cloud Platforms: Knowledge of AWS, Azure, or GCP infrastructure.
• Certifications: Project management certifications like PMP.

7. Common Interview Questions

The following questions reflect the patterns observed in candidate experiences and the core competencies of the role. While you won't see these exact questions every time, they represent the themes you must be ready to address.

Technical & Discovery

• "Walk me through how you would conduct a technical discovery call with a skeptical IT director."
• "How would you architect a solution for a client using an on-premise ERP that requires daily data synchronization?"
• "Explain the concept of an API to a five-year-old, then explain it to a CTO."
• "Here is a dataset of transaction logs. How would you use SQL to find potential duplicate payments?"

Behavioral & Sales Situational

• "Tell me about a time you had to say 'no' to a customer request during a sales cycle. How did you handle it?"
• "Describe a complex deal you worked on involving multiple stakeholders. How did you build consensus?"
• "How do you handle a situation where a product demo fails or a feature breaks during a live presentation?"
• "Ramp moves incredibly fast. Tell me about a time you had to learn a new technology overnight to solve a customer problem."

Public Sector Specifics

• "What are the biggest challenges government agencies face when adopting cloud-based financial tools?"
• "How do you approach responding to a complex RFP with strict compliance requirements?"

8. Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How technical is the interview process? The process is "technically functional." You generally won't be asked to write production code, but you must be comfortable reading API documentation, writing SQL queries, and explaining technical architecture. Recent candidates explicitly mentioned that SQL and API knowledge were required components of the interview.

Q: What is the most challenging part of the interview? The Case Study is consistently cited as the most difficult and time-consuming portion. Candidates report spending 6–10 hours preparing a presentation and demo. The rigor comes from the expectation that you will deliver a near-client-ready performance.

Q: Is this role remote? The job posting indicates "United States" generally, but Ramp often has hubs in NYC and SF. The benefits section mentions relocation support to NYC or SF "as needed," suggesting a preference for hub locations or a hybrid model, though the role involves field work with customers.

Q: How long does the process take? Candidates report a very efficient process with quick scheduling and timely follow-up. Ramp is known for moving fast, so once you engage, expect the rounds to be scheduled back-to-back over a few weeks.

9. Other General Tips

Prepare for the "Why Ramp?" Question: Ramp is mission-driven to save companies time and money. When asked why you want to join, connect your personal story to this mission. Avoid generic answers; show you understand their unique position in the fintech market.

Master the "Value Sell": In your case study, do not just list features. Public sector clients care about compliance, budget efficiency, and risk reduction. Frame every feature you demo in terms of the specific value it brings to a government agency (e.g., "This feature ensures you remain audit-ready for your next fiscal review").

Brush up on SQL: Even if you are a senior candidate, do not get caught off guard by a basic data query question. Review basic SELECT, JOIN, and GROUP BY syntax before your technical rounds.

Research the Public Sector Stack: Familiarize yourself with the legacy systems common in this space (Oracle PeopleSoft, SAP, Ellucian for Higher Ed). Knowing the pain points of these specific systems will make your discovery questions much sharper.

10. Summary & Next Steps

The Consultant role at Ramp is a high-impact opportunity for a technical professional who thrives in a sales environment. You are being hired to open up a massive new market by proving that government finance can be modern, efficient, and intelligent. The bar is high, particularly regarding your ability to execute a complex case study and demonstrate hands-on technical fluency.

To succeed, focus your preparation on bridging the gap between technical architecture and business value. Review your SQL, study the Ramp API documentation, and prepare to deliver a presentation that is as polished as it is technical. If you are ready to work at a high velocity and help build the future of public sector finance, this is the role for you.

The compensation data above represents the base salary range for this position. Note that for sales-aligned roles like Solutions Consulting, total compensation often includes a significant variable component (commission/bonus) and equity, which can make the total package considerably higher than the base figures shown.

For more insights and community-sourced interview details, you can explore the resources on Dataford. Good luck with your preparation!