Associate Forward Deployed Engineer

ChenMed

2d•$76,732 - $109,617•Onsite

About The Position

The Associate Forward Deployed Engineer is an AI-native builder embedded directly within one or more ChenMed Centers of Excellence (COEs), working side-by-side with business partners to identify and solve real operational problems using AI-assisted development tools. Rather than acting as an order-taker, the incumbent partners with COE domain experts - coaching them through the build process - to deliver working tools while leaving lasting technical capability behind. This is an entry-level, cohort-based role intended for builders who demonstrate strong technical instincts, business curiosity, and the interpersonal skill to earn trust with non-technical partners.

Requirements

Basic-level business acuity; developing understanding of ChenMed's care model, value-based care economics, and health system operations.
Demonstrated portfolio evidence of building - shipped projects, deployed tools, or other demonstrated technical output - required; academic credentials alone are not sufficient.
Prior hands-on experience building functional software, scripts, or automation tools using AI-assisted development tools (e.g., Claude Code, Cursor, or similar) required.
Basic understanding of prompting discipline and techniques for verifying AI-generated output before use.
Developing business savviness - genuine curiosity about the assigned COE's domain and willingness to learn its operational and clinical context.
Developing people skills - ability to build rapport and earn early trust with non-technical business partners.
Ability to coach a non-technical domain expert through a build process rather than building independently on their behalf.
Ability to recognize when an AI recommendation touches infrastructure, data, or permissions and knows to stop and escalate rather than proceed.
Ability to work productively under close guidance and mentorship from senior Forward Deployed Engineer staff or program leadership.
Ability to document technical work clearly for non-technical audiences.
Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment.
Well-respected and viewed as a motivated, coachable contributor.
Expert skill in Microsoft Office Suite products including Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook; competent in other systems required for the position.
Ability and willingness to travel locally, regionally and/or nationally up to 25% of the time to support embedded COE engagements; flexible to work evenings, weekends and/or holidays as needed.
Spoken and written fluency in English.
This job requires use and exercise of independent judgment.
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Information Technology, or a related field OR additional experience above the minimum will be considered in lieu of the required education on a year-for-year basis.
A minimum of 0-2 years' experience building software, scripts, or technical tools, including internship, cohort, or academic project experience, required.
Demonstrated portfolio of shipped projects, deployed tools, or comparable technical output required.
Hands-on experience with at least one AI-assisted development tool (e.g., Claude Code, Cursor, or similar) required.

Responsibilities

Embeds directly within one or more assigned Centers of Excellence (COEs) to understand day-to-day operations firsthand and identify high-value problems suited to AI-assisted tooling.
Partners with COE domain experts - who may have no engineering background - as a technical coach, guiding them through the build process rather than building solutions independently on their behalf, sometimes iterating at the problem to land on solutions.
Designs, builds, and iterates on functional automation tools, dashboards, and lightweight applications using AI-assisted development platforms (e.g., Claude, Claude Code).
Applies prompting discipline and AI-output verification practices to confirm that AI-generated code, configurations, and recommendations are accurate, secure, and appropriate before implementation.
Recognizes when an AI tool's recommendation touches infrastructure, data storage, system permissions, or PHI-adjacent systems, and escalates to IT for review before execution, per ChenMed's AI governance framework.
Documents completed tools clearly for non-technical audiences and registers them with the Center of Excellence (CoE) App Registry.
Coaches a named COE champion to independently operate, troubleshoot, and extend delivered tools so capability remains with the business after rotation.
Completes a rotation readiness check before transitioning off an engagement, confirming COE champion capability, documentation completeness, and a defined escalation path.
Completes structured, cohort-based onboarding covering the ChenMed care model and value-based care economics, ChenMed's operational structure (centers, COEs, care teams), systems thinking and database fundamentals, prompting discipline, and governance protocols.
Builds under the active guidance of Forward Deployed Engineer program leadership and senior FDE staff, escalating ambiguous technical or governance questions rather than resolving them independently.
Operates within ChenMed's tiered AI governance framework (Personal/Team/Enterprise/Production), ensuring tools are built and deployed at the appropriate governance level.
Rotates across COEs based on strategic priority and business need, as directed by Forward Deployed Engineer program leadership.
Shares knowledge, patterns, and lessons learned with peers and COE champions.
Performs other duties as assigned and modified at manager’s discretion.