Forward Deployed Application Engineering (Chief) Expert

SAP•Stanford, CA

1d•$274,300 - $609,200•Hybrid

About The Position

In this role, you design, build, and deploy AI-native data and application solutions embedded directly within customer environments and fast-moving delivery teams. You act as the chief technical authority and strategic leader, combining cloud-native software engineering with production-grade AI capabilities. You define the architecture, technical direction, and delivery standards for complex, innovative, and business-critical applications that address real-world business problems with speed and directly support SAP’s strategic objectives and long-term competitiveness. You operate at the intersection of strategy and execution, ensuring that multiple high impact initiatives deliver scalable, secure, and reliable outcomes. Recognized internally and externally as a leading expert, you influence SAP’s broader technology direction and enable responsible adoption of advanced AI driven application architectures.

Requirements

Demonstrate a proactive approach to leveraging AI in everyday workflows, ensuring high-quality outputs through thoughtful context design and system integration.
Deepest level of professional expertise in AI native application or software engineering, with broad experience across enterprise architectures and platforms.
Proven track record of leading complex, high impact programs and influencing technical direction beyond individual projects.
Proven ability to work in an Agentic AI context, shaping and applying AI agents that act autonomously within defined boundaries, collaborate with human stakeholders, and deliver measurable business outcomes in customer centric environments.
Advanced knowledge of large-scale AI enabled systems, leveraging large language models, RAG architectures, vector databases, and agentic systems including ML driven architectures.
Proficient in AI/ML Python libraries and frameworks, data pipelines, MLOps, and agent-driven engineering practices.
Ability to advise and influence senior and executive stakeholders on strategic technical decisions and trade-offs.
Recognition as a trusted authority or thought leader in application engineering, internally and externally.
Strong leadership, communication, and mentoring capabilities in highly complex and ambiguous environments.

Responsibilities

Define and own the architecture and technical strategy for complex, AI-native enterprise applications with significant business impact.
Govern and drive the delivery of outcomes across multiple high-impact, high-risk programs, ensuring alignment with SAP’s strategic, customer, and financial objectives.
Embed directly into customer projects and fast moving cross functional teams to rapidly understand business processes, technical landscapes, and operational challenges.
Act as the final escalation point for complex technical and delivery challenges, resolving risks and trade-offs at enterprise scale.
Champion advanced and breakthrough AI-assisted engineering approaches that create competitive advantage and shape SAP’s long-term technology roadmap.
Represent SAP as a trusted technical authority with senior customers, partners, and internal stakeholders.
Provide technical vision, standards, and guidance that enable consistency, quality, and scalability across application engineering initiatives.
Mentor and enable senior engineers and experts, fostering excellence, innovation, and knowledge sharing across the community.