Before joining Omnea, Seán was completing a PhD in energy systems and was firmly on an academic track. While research sharpened his analytical skills, it didn’t quite scratch the itch he’d always had: to build something of his own.
Without a specific startup idea yet, Seán wasn’t looking to found a company immediately. Instead, he wanted to immerse himself in a high-performing environment where he could learn how great businesses are actually built. That led him to Omnea, where he joined as a founding Solutions Associate in the New York office. We sat down with Seán to talk about his transition from academia, what surprised him most about startup life, and why the SA role is a powerful launchpad for folks from non-SaaS backgrounds.
You were a PhD student before Omnea. What made you make the leap to a scale-up?
I’m still deeply passionate about my PhD research area and I’d love to found a company in the space someday. I’m not fully confident in a specific idea yet, though. In the meantime, I wanted a role that would bring me closer to real-world problems, customers, and execution; a fast-paced scale-up felt like the best way to do that.
In terms of culture, academia taught me a huge amount, especially how to think rigorously and work through complex problems. But I’ve also realised I value autonomy. I don’t thrive in rigid chains of command, or in environments where progress feels slow or indirect. I wanted to be somewhere that moves quickly, where I can learn by doing, and see the impact of my work in real time.
Why Omnea specifically? What drew you in?
I was really intentional about the environment I wanted to join. I knew I wanted to be around high-performing people, ideally those who’d built and scaled companies before, and I wanted exposure to how startups actually operate day to day.
Omnea stood out because of the team’s pedigree and the pace. It felt like a place where I’d be able to learn a huge amount in a short time, simply by being surrounded by people who’d done this before.
What’s it like working in the New York office for a UK based company?
Because the New York team's so small, I kind of got my hands dirty with almost every part of the customer team, which has been good and definitely a steep learning curve. There’s also a real sense of ownership in the New York office. Because the company is growing here, you’re not just joining an established setup, you’re defining how things work. We do lots of team activities and we love showing the London team the city when they visit. I also make it back home to Ireland and to the London office pretty regularly.
How flexible has the Solutions Associate role been in practice?
One of the biggest surprises has been how much access you get across the business. You’re not pigeonholed. If you’re curious, people genuinely welcome that. I’ve joined sales calls, customer status meetings, QBRs, product roadmap sessions, and engineering stand-ups!
I can chat directly with engineers, suggest things we should build, and speak with clients regularly. That curiosity is seen as a driver of growth, not a distraction. You’re encouraged to understand the whole system of Omnea from product to marketing to sales, not just your own narrow remit.
What kind of responsibility have you taken on so far?
Pretty quickly, I was running projects end to end, which is something I wouldn’t have dreamed on during my first day. I recently led a six-week proof of concept with a client, and now I’m leading kickoff calls independently. In fact, my first client went live today!
There’s a lot of trust given early on. You’re expected to take ownership, but you’re also supported when things get complex. That balance has made the learning curve steep—but in a good way.
What’s been the most challenging thing you’ve worked on so far?
Well, I spent the first few weeks learning every industry acronym - you’d have found me quickly Googling anything from ERP to SDDQ. But apart from that? I’m currently working on a complex ERP integration that’s been pretty demanding. It’s a custom API integration and, because of that, it requires a lot of brain power but I’m learning at every step.
I don’t have deep SQL expertise, but my role is to act as the translator between the client and our engineering team, understanding the problem, communicating it clearly, and helping prioritise fixes. It’s a daily challenge and requires constant coordination, but it’s also where you learn the most.
How does startup communication compare to academia?
In academia, there’s a strong expectation that you always know the answer. Admitting uncertainty can feel like failure. In a startup, it’s completely different. It’s okay not to know but most importantly you must commit to finding the answer. Thankfully that’s relatively easy when there are so many great colleagues to rely on. There’s much more freedom to suggest ideas, test them, iterate, and improve. That mindset has been really refreshing.
What would you say to someone from a non-SaaS background considering a role like this?
A lot of SaaS skills are surprisingly transferable across industries. What really matters is how you think. Prior to joining, I believed all startups were a success based on the problem being addressed. Now that I am in one, I realise that although the problem area is still crucial to success, what’s equally important is how you execute your business plan, how you communicate your innovation and how you attract and keep customers. It is the quality of the team and the cohesive group all driving towards the objectives of the company that make a start-up successful, not just an amazing idea on a whiteboard with a bit of funding.
I’d also add that having academic or critical-thinking background is a huge advantage in SaaS, especially when it comes to problem-solving and communicating complex ideas to different audiences. Thinking outside the box is essential here.
The Solutions Associate role is especially well-suited to people who enjoy solving problems, working with customers, and juggling multiple projects at once. If you prefer variety over a single narrow focus and you thrive in fast-paced environments, it’s a great fit.
If this sounds like the kind of environment you’d thrive in, we’re hiring for Solutions Associate roles (and plenty more) in New York and London. See all open positions on our careers page.
