Demystifying Tech Roles: Account Cloud Engineer

Unlocking the Role of an Account Cloud Engineer at Oracle

What does it take to bridge technical expertise with real-world customer impact? In this episode, we dive deep into the role of the Account Cloud Engineer (ACE) at Oracle—a unique position that sits at the intersection of technology and customer engagement. Often misunderstood as solely technical, ACEs play a vital role in presales, partnering with sales teams to guide customers through Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) solutions. From shaping architectural designs to providing ongoing support, ACEs are key to delivering value-driven cloud transformations.

Listeners will discover:

How ACEs collaborate with sales to co-design custom cloud solutions for clients

The importance of soft skills—like communication, collaboration, and curiosity—alongside technical acumen

What a typical day looks like for an ACE, including demos, workshops, customer calls, and problem-solving

How cloud certifications, mini-courses, and real-world experience can jump-start your cloud career

Why asking the right questions helps uncover and solve customers’ real challenges

We also spotlight the Generation Oracle (GenO) program—a global initiative dedicated to launching tech careers for people from all backgrounds. Whether you’re a student, educator, or career switcher, GenO offers structured training and direct pathways into dynamic roles such as ACE, sales, consulting, and more.

Ready to jumpstart your cloud journey? Explore Oracle Academy’s free cloud curriculum and certifications, and check out Academy Bytes for bite-sized learning. Whether you’re pursuing a career in cloud or curious about the world of presales, this episode is the perfect place to begin.

Resources Mentioned:

Oracle Academy : Free cloud curriculum and resources for educators and students

Oracle University : Training and certification

Generation Oracle Careers : Entry paths into Oracle

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Episode Transcript: 

 

00:00:00:00 - 00:00:35:10
Unknown
Welcome to the Oracle Academy Tech Chat. This podcast provides educators and students in-depth discussions with thought leaders around computer science, cloud technologies, and software design to help students on their journey to becoming industry ready technology leaders of the future. Let's get started. Welcome to the Oracle Academy Tech Chat, where we discuss how Oracle Academy prepares the next generation workforce.

00:00:35:11 - 00:01:04:04
Unknown
I'm your host, Rick Blake, our being the Oracle Academy program manager for the Benelux and the region. So what we're going to discuss today, in this episode, we're exploring what it is really like to work in cloud tech, especially in the AI's role at Oracle. Lily will share her journey into tech, what the job involves day to day, and some honest advice for students and educators thinking about careers in this space.

00:01:04:06 - 00:01:26:20
Unknown
Lily Griffin works in Oracle for three years, currently program manager for Oracle Academy for the UK and the Nordics. Previous to this, Lily worked as an account Cloud engineer for Oracle in the UK. Today we will discuss what an Account Cloud Engineer is and Lily's experience in the role. Lily, are you ready? I'm ready. Very good. Let's start.

00:01:26:20 - 00:01:53:15
Unknown
Lily, a warm welcome to this podcast. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to learn from you. From your knowledge and your experiences. So to kick it off, Lily, if I look at the top 50 global technical roles, I can see that data and cloud are strongly represented in the top ten jobs. Even in various roles. Can you please explain what an account cloud engineer and as we call it, is?

00:01:53:16 - 00:02:25:09
Unknown
Yeah, of course they as mentioned, Ace stands for Account Cloud engineer. And at Oracle it's a pre-sales role. So that means that you're involved before a sale happens. You're working with customers to help them understand Oracle's cloud offering, guiding them through, solutions, architecture and product features. I guess what's great is that you're involved, that your involvement doesn't end once the deal is signed.

00:02:25:11 - 00:02:51:01
Unknown
You're sort of. You continued to be the customer's technical point of contact for Oracle Cloud infrastructure, and it becomes very consistent relationship so they know who to reach out to if they have any questions. Need guidance or want to explore any other capabilities. I think that ongoing support helps build trust and makes the role feel really rewarding.

00:02:51:03 - 00:03:15:14
Unknown
It's a technical role, but it's also very people focused. So you might be talking about networking in one call and chat bots in the next. So you need to really comfortable switching gears and sort of having a wide range of conversations. I'd also say you don't work alone either. So as an ace, you're paired with one or more one or more sales reps.

00:03:15:16 - 00:03:41:03
Unknown
And the ones sort of driving the sales process of building relationships and creating opportunities. You're their technical counterpart, so you're helping shape the solution and making sure it fits into the customer's needs. When it works well, it's a real partnership. And while it's definitely a technical role, it's important to mention soft skills as they are just as important.

00:03:41:05 - 00:04:09:05
Unknown
So communication, problem solving, collaboration. And those are kind of the key ones. And you're not just exploiting tech, you're helping helping people make decisions on standing value and feeling confident in the solution that you're offering. Good at Lily. Interesting. That sounds indeed like balancing both technical and soft skills. How do you find this job as an ace and what is it?

00:04:09:05 - 00:04:33:03
Unknown
Was it a rule you saw yourself doing? Well, if you'd asked me ten years ago what I'd be doing now, I definitely wouldn't have said cloud engineer or program manager for Oracle Academy. For that matter. But, I didn't originally plan to go to university. And at the last minute, I signed up for a business management undergraduate course at my local college.

00:04:33:05 - 00:04:59:01
Unknown
So in the UK, that's typically for students aged 16 to 18 straight after secondary school. However, my particular college did, did degree level, courses, and I lived at home and I spent three years learning the ins and outs of business. And when I graduated, I'll be honest, I still didn't know what I wanted to do.

00:04:59:03 - 00:05:20:22
Unknown
And I was really lucky to go traveling after university. And I came back a lot earlier than I expected due to Covid. So when I got back, I still had no idea what direction I want to take. And honestly, I don't think we talk about that enough. I feel like the pressure to have it all figured out.

00:05:21:00 - 00:05:43:10
Unknown
And there's often that expectation that you should know exactly what you want to do. And I felt that's, like, rarely the case. Oh, maybe that was just for me, I don't know. But eventually, my business spring kicked in and I started doing some research about what industries were growing and what careers were in demand at that time.

00:05:43:12 - 00:06:06:05
Unknown
And the answer felt quite clear to me. It was technology. So I felt like you could see that it was booming for a while, but I didn't have the soft skills to break in. During lockdown, I started sort of teaching myself Python. A little bit of all, doing some online courses, reading textbooks and eventually deciding to take a on a conversion.

00:06:06:05 - 00:06:30:05
Unknown
Masters in Data Science. That one year completely changed my career path and led me to my first job as a data analyst. So straight out of university. And then a year later, I joined Oracle through the Generation Oracle program, which led me to the Ace role. Thank you, Lily, for sharing your experiences in an open and transparent way.

00:06:30:07 - 00:06:54:14
Unknown
I think this is really relevant for students, young adults on their way to their first entry level job. S on paper, starting a career looks like it's a straight line. In practice, it could look like a road full of twists and turns, isn't it? So, Lily, I understand this Generation Oracle program was relevant for you. Could you brief explain what Generation Oracle is?

00:06:54:16 - 00:07:22:06
Unknown
Yes. So generation Oracle or Gen two, as we often call it, is a global career program run ins of many countries. So it offers roles, across a wide range of disciplines, including sales, customer success, cloud engineering and consulting. And what's great is that it open. It's open to anyone looking to start or switch a career in tech.

00:07:22:10 - 00:07:53:17
Unknown
So for God, less of your age or background, the program gives you structured training over a couple of years, and by the end you sort of move into that role or something similar within Oracle. For me, it was an incredible opportunity and it really gave me the foundation I needed to become a fully fledged ace. I will say as well, if you're curious to hear any more about the Jono experience, then do keep an eye out because I've heard there's a dedicated Jedi podcast coming soon.

00:07:53:19 - 00:08:16:01
Unknown
But you'll be able to hear from others who have gone through the same program. That sounds good. Lily will stay tuned for the general podcast a bit from another angle. Now, if I may. The Daisy, which is the Digital Economy and Society Index published by the European Commission, presents on entry level IT jobs and the digital skills gap.

00:08:16:05 - 00:08:48:15
Unknown
A couple of interesting things, like around 40% of adults in the European Union lack basic digital skills. Many entry level IT roles now require more than just basic skills, as candidates need to know coding, cloud and analytics tools. This means also a lot of self-study being important to enter the IT job market. Lily, what advice would you give to someone aspiring to become an account Cloud Engineer?

00:08:48:19 - 00:09:18:06
Unknown
Other particular attributes, qualification or experience that you think can really help someone succeed on this path? I'll start by saying this is just based on my own experience. It's not the only path for the only right answer, but from what I've learned in the role, having well-rounded soft skills is absolutely key. Being a strong communicator and a great collaborator makes sort of a huge difference.

00:09:18:08 - 00:09:43:20
Unknown
You'll be working with a lot of different people every day. That's customers, sales reps, your wider team. And if communication isn't as your strong suit, it can be tricky. If you need to expand your skills, why not try sharing or asking for feedback from friends or work colleagues and try to be like an active listener, or find a mentor who can help you grow in that space.

00:09:43:22 - 00:10:21:05
Unknown
I would say one skill I find especially useful is being an expert questioner, for which I think I'm still still building on. But when you speak to customers, you might not always know exactly like where their pain points are or how to articulate those challenges. So asking the right questions helps you sort of uncover what's really going on, and can sort of let you offer the best possible solution for them in terms of qualifications, I'd say that they can definitely help, but they're not always essential.

00:10:21:10 - 00:10:51:14
Unknown
Depending on your pathway into the role, a relevant degree or apprenticeship can give you a solid foundation. For example, in cloud infrastructure. But cloud is a huge space, and you might actually find yourself drawn into a specific area like network, compute, storage or disaster recovery. So doing maybe mini courses would be maybe a good recommendation and can sort of be a great way to explore those areas further.

00:10:51:16 - 00:11:16:03
Unknown
Something else I think is important to mention is, like most large vendors also offer professional certifications, so that will help you focus on that specific cloud platforms. For example, Oracle University has professional certifications that you can take. And as you might already know, Oracle Academy is a brilliant way to kickstart your learning, especially with the cloud curriculum.

00:11:16:05 - 00:11:39:18
Unknown
And the Academy bites. Lastly, I will say, it helps to have a basic understanding of sales because you're not you may not be the sales person, but you are in the pre-sales world. So knowing how sales reps build opportunities and manage pipeline gives you an edge really, and can help you support them better. Understand the bigger picture.

00:11:39:20 - 00:12:04:09
Unknown
There's always this difference between theory and practice, as in books give the framework, but reality fills in the details. For most students, it is difficult to envision a day in a life. As an IT consultant, you have been a student and an ace. Can you please describe how does a day in the life of an ace look like?

00:12:04:11 - 00:12:31:00
Unknown
Yeah. So a day in a life of an ace could be pretty varied, as I've mentioned. And that's both exciting and at times a bit overwhelming. You're speaking to customers regularly, whether that's a zoom email or phone, and not everyone you talk to is super technical. So one of those key skills is being able to explain complex ideas in a way that makes sense to different people, or day to day basis.

00:12:31:00 - 00:12:58:06
Unknown
You're going to be working closely with your sales reps and then the ones driving the deals. So you need to be there to help support each other and you're going to come in from a technical side. You bounce ideas around, solve problems together, and actually help customers figure out what cloud solution works best for them. Some days you might be giving a demo, walking someone through Oracle Analytics or running a workshop on cloud security.

00:12:58:08 - 00:13:31:17
Unknown
Other days you might be prepping for meetings, catching up with your manager, or researching something new because a customer's ask the question and you didn't know the answer to it. And, that's totally normal too. For me, the best part was the people. I love building relationships with customers and seeing how I'll work makes a difference. I also got to go to conferences, help out on the stands, and do like live demos, which was nerve wracking at first, but such a confidence based, I will say on a day to day.

00:13:31:18 - 00:13:53:03
Unknown
The trickiest part was for me, the variety. OCI offers a lot and you're not expected to know everything, but you do need to be flexible. I sometimes have multiple customer calls in a day, each on completely different topics. And it was. It was quite a challenge, really. But it kept things interesting and helped me grow really quickly.

00:13:53:05 - 00:14:19:16
Unknown
This is a relevant, dynamic and also fun job. That is clear. What did you learn as an account cloud engineer? When I first started out as an ace. I'll be honest, I was lacking confidence. And I think the idea of presenting to customers did feel quite intimidating. I was worried. They theorized for me, that I'd come across as inexperienced or that my.

00:14:19:16 - 00:14:48:14
Unknown
No, to sort of get the better of me. But I was was lucky. I had a brilliant manager and a supportive team who sort of encouraged me, to push myself. I never really will forget that moment when I was assigned to my first consuming customer. And that's someone that's already using Oracle Cloud and I had to prepare a demo, in apex, walking through some new features.

00:14:48:16 - 00:15:12:21
Unknown
And I've been practicing it for weeks. And I knew the content inside out, but the nerves were still there. And on the day of the meeting, we started with some, like, conversation. Asked about the weekend, eased into things, and then it was my turn and I had to get a demo. And you know what? It went really well.

00:15:12:23 - 00:15:41:02
Unknown
The internet didn't crash. I didn't figure out my lines. No one died, which at the time felt like a very real possibility. And over time, I sort of built a great relationship with that customer. What I learned from experience was customers are human, too, and they're just like you. They have lives, personalities, and they really appreciate authenticity.

00:15:41:04 - 00:16:10:08
Unknown
The more I spoke with different customers, the less scary it became. So this is just one story of many, but it really captures how much confidence I gained in the ace role. Learning to trust myself, even when I felt unsure. And it also reminded me of how important it is to have people around you that support you, who you can ask for help and who can help you grow not just professionally, but personally too.

00:16:10:10 - 00:16:35:16
Unknown
Thank you, Lily, for your again, open, honest and transparent response. Again, very relevant, I think, for students and young adults moving to the labor markets. Lily, we're heading towards the finish line of this podcast. I would like to close with this very last relevant question. If you could give one advice to faculty or students, what would it be?

00:16:35:18 - 00:17:05:05
Unknown
Okay, big question to end, but, I'd say take on as many opportunities as you can, whether they're in technology like Oracle Academy, or something completely unrelated, you never know where they'll lead. Some of the biggest turning points in my career came from saying yes to things that I wasn't sure I was ready for. I wouldn't be where I am now without taking a few risks and trying something new.

00:17:05:07 - 00:17:30:05
Unknown
And even if it doesn't work out exactly how you imagined. You will learn something valuable along the way. Thank you, Lily, so much for giving the listeners the opportunity to learn more about the Asal and how to get into it. If I quickly wrap up and summarize the main points of this episode, I would say that the Account Cloud engineer at Oracle is a pre sales role.

00:17:30:07 - 00:17:56:13
Unknown
You're working with customers to help them understand Oracle's cloud offerings, guiding them through solutions, architecture, and product features. The career path to it varies. In this episode, we learned that it could be straight and paper twisted in practice. So as a student, it's not needed to have your career spelled out up front. Develop yourself along the way with trainings and courses and an open mind.

00:17:56:15 - 00:18:29:09
Unknown
This is also confirmed by the latest Future of Jobs Report 2025. In this world Economic Forum publication that specifically discusses entry level ID roles. It is mentioned that continuous re and upscaling to words, advanced digital and IEE driven competencies is relevant. Last but not least, wrapping up experience the fun of an ace job role being top notch, innovative and future driven.

00:18:29:11 - 00:18:57:22
Unknown
Finalizing. To our listeners, I encourage you to visit our website, academy.oracle.com to learn more about Oracle Academy for educational institutes on all levels worldwide. I also encourage you to subscribe to our podcast. Feel free to share this with your educational friends as well. Also, please follow Oracle Academy on Instagram and Facebook just to keep up with all our activities together with our new members.

00:18:58:00 - 00:19:11:11
Unknown
Thank you so much. That wraps up this episode. Thanks for listening and stay tuned for the next Oracle Academy Tech Chat podcast.