Current SWE looking for S&T Path

Yet another one of these posts... I know. It seems to be the trend now. I feel like a decade ago everyone was leaving finance to go to tech, but it seems to be the other way around. Anyways, here's my story...

• SWE at major FANG and also Financial Services and Hedge Fund (three different locations). Total SWE exp is around 7 years with 10 total working years under my belt (early thirties)

• Recent hedge fund just cut most of the back office in layoffs

• I want to get into S&T but I have no FO experience.

• I just landed two job offers

  • One is for an IT consulting firm as a Sales Engineer (Front Office/Client Facing) selling to hedge funds, PE, and asset managers

  • Other is for another BO SWE role at a prestigious boutique IB in NYC.

I have been an SWE for 10 years (I'm in my early 30's) and while it's been lucrative, I feel I am wasting my talents which are being very charismatic, selling, and client engagement.

No matter which role I take, I plan on getting my SIE (already scheduled) and eventually my 63. I would even get my 7 if I take the BO SWE role at the IB, but not sure how sponsorship works for BO losers like me.

Things I've done on the side:

• Doing/publishing my own equity research on investment opportunities

• Building trading algorithms and stock price predictors and EOD automated pricing reports in Python

My back and forth is if I should go with the front facing role as a Sales Engineer and build a network in the HF, PE, and AM space, get my SIE + 63... and parlay that into S&T... or take the BO SWE role at the boutique IB and look for an internal move.

One role has me doing direct sales with clients within the industry while the other role has me in the door but in the BO which I kind of want to get out of. The goal is to get into S&T eventually, so I don't mind putting in time in the BO but those moves seem rare. The Sales Engineer role gets me creds on my sales and client facing skills with key HF and PE firms, but it feels a bit too outside of the arena.

The one thing about the BO boutique IB role is I can probably move to a quant desk and then keep climbing the ladder there, but I don't want to be too ... hopeful. I am early 30s btw.

Thoughts?

TLDR: BO SWE role at boutique IB or front facing client sales selling technical solutions to HF PE and AMs.