Principal Backend Engineer, Forward Deployed

invisible.co•Austin, TX

31d•$225,000 - $370,000•Hybrid

About The Position

As a Principal Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) at Invisible, you'll lead high-impact, AI-powered solutions that reshape how our clients operate their most critical workflows. You won't just build and deploy - you'll drive the strategy, architecture, and execution of end-to-end systems, working directly with client. This is a hybrid role: equal parts AI engineer, software builder, and technical consultant. It's perfect for someone who wants to be hands-on with models and close to the impact they generate.

Requirements

12+ years of software engineering experience, including significant time spent building data, ML, or backend systems
Python & ML/LLM Frameworks: Deep proficiency in Python with hands-on experience using Hugging Face, LangChain, OpenAI, Pinecone, and related ecosystems
Deployment & Infrastructure: Skilled in full-stack and API-based deployment patterns, including Docker, FastAPI, Kubernetes, and cloud environments (GCP, AWS)
Platform Orchestration: Experienced with workflow orchestration libraries, pub/sub systems (Kafka), and schema governance
Data Management: Expertise in data governance and operations, including Unity Catalog and policy management, cluster/job orchestration, data contracts and quality enforcement, Delta/ETL pipelines, and replay processes
Strong product and system design instincts - you understand business needs and how to translate them into technical architecture
Experience building usable systems from messy data and ambiguous requirements
Excellent communication and client-facing skills; you've led conversations with technical and non-technical stakeholders alike
Proven experience owning projects from scoping through deployment in ambiguous, high-stakes environments
Be willing to be on-call for our customers when situations arise
Ability to travel roughly 25-50% of the time, sometimes short-notice trips-primarily across North America with occasional international roll-outs-to work directly on-site with clients
Strong engineering background demonstrated by a Bachelor's degree in Data Science, Computer Science and related fields OR equivalent professional experience

Responsibilities

Partner with delivery and executive stakeholders to scope, design, and lead implementation of AI-driven solutions
Identify transformational opportunities in messy, ambiguous workflows and turn them into repeatable systems
Lead architecture design and trade-off discussions across performance, scalability, cost, and reliability
Own projects from first discovery call through full deployment - including client-facing delivery, internal coordination, and post-launch iteration
Build shared infrastructure, reusable components, and internal playbooks to level-up the team
Coach and mentor mid-level engineers and help shape the culture of forward-deployed AI engineering at Invisible

Benefits

Invisible is committed to fair and competitive pay, ensuring that compensation reflects both market conditions and the value each team member brings. Our salary structure accounts for regional differences in cost of living while maintaining internal equity.
Offers will also include bonus + equity + benefits
Additional details on total compensation and benefits will be discussed during the hiring process

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