Forward-Deployed Engineer - Enterprise (Founding Team)

Fractional AI • Raleigh, NC

7d • Hybrid

About The Position

Joining Fractional AI as a Forward-Deployed Software Engineer, you’ll play a leading role in building and shipping AI applications for our customers - from understanding customer needs to deploying solutions in their environments - all while shaping our engineering and broader Fractional culture for the next 100+ engineers.

“Forward-deployed” means we combine software engineering with customer-facing problem solving, owning delivery from early scoping through deployment and iteration. You’ll spend most of your time coding, but close enough to customers to shape the right solution end-to-end.

By the time you’ve completed your second project, you’ll have shipped LLM applications across more companies and use cases than the vast majority of AI engineers in the world.

Requirements

• You write exceptional code + deeply care about the craft of coding (5+ years of experience): you build elegant, production-ready code; you have strong proficiency across multiple programming languages
• You are excited about AI. Many strong candidates will be building AI systems for the first time in a production context, so curiosity and learning speed matter more to us than prior buzzword exposure.
• You love solving hard, new problems: you are comfortable self-teaching, asking “why?,” and experimenting to solve problems you haven’t seen before.
• You thrive in high-ownership environments: you take initiative, function well with limited structure, and enjoy shaping how work is done. Whether you come from prior start-up experience or a mature organization, you have owned internal systems, shipped production software, and/or made the transition from data/ML work into scalable engineering.
• You are comfortable talking with users: you deeply care about the user and skillfully navigate user conversations to ensure what we’re building meets their needs.
• You are a great teammate: you are comfortable helping others (and asking for help), you champion integrity in everything, and want to build a one-in-a-career culture of personal growth.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop custom AI solutions tailored to the unique needs of our customers, ensuring seamless integration and scalability.
• Partner with a high-caliber team across the full project lifestyle, from requirements gathering, to prototyping, system design, coding, testing, deployment, and support.
• Actively shape our engineering and broader company culture - from how we learn, to how we hire, to how we celebrate - you’ll shape how we make Fractional a place we all love working.

Benefits

• Competitive Compensation Package: Attractive salary aligned with your experience and skills.
• 401k with Matching: Invest in your future with our company-matched retirement plan.
• Unlimited PTO: Take the time you need to relax and rejuvenate.
• Exceptional Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage: Comprehensive health benefits to keep you and your family healthy.
• Health FSA: Manage out-of-pocket health expenses effectively.
• Commuter Benefits: Make your travel to work easier and more affordable.
• Life Insurance: Providing peace of mind for you and your loved ones.
• Team Events and Activities: Regular events to build camaraderie and a strong team spirit.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed