Senior Manager, Sustaining and Forward Deployed Engineering

Abacus Insights

108d

About The Position

The Senior Manager of Sustaining and Forward Deployed Engineering will lead a multifaceted team responsible for the entire post-launch product lifecycle. This pivotal role combines the traditional responsibilities of sustaining engineering—ensuring the quality, reliability, and continuous improvement of existing products—with the dynamic, customer-facing nature of forward deployed engineering. The ideal candidate will be a strategic leader adept at managing both the internal engineering processes required to support mature products and a specialized team that works directly with customers to solve their most complex technical challenges in real-world environments.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related technical field; a Master's degree is preferred
• A minimum of 8-10 years of experience in an engineering role, with at least 3-5 years in a management position leading technical teams
• Proven experience in sustaining engineering, product support, or a related field, with a strong understanding of product development lifecycles
• Experience in a customer-facing technical role such as solutions engineering, technical account management, or forward deployed engineering is highly desirable
• Demonstrated ability to lead and motivate a team of engineers, with a passion for mentorship and career development
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills, with a data-driven approach to decision-making
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively interact with both internal stakeholders and external customers at all levels
• A deep understanding of software development, system integration, and deployment in customer environments
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment and make sound decisions under pressure

Responsibilities

• Build, lead and mentor a high-performing team of sustaining engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement
• Lead geographically distributed teams across the US, India, and Nepal, fostering an inclusive, respectful, and collaborative environment
• Oversee all sustaining engineering activities, including root cause analysis of field issues, bug fixes, and the implementation of design enhancements
• Manage the product lifecycle from post-launch to end-of-life, ensuring product reliability, quality, and compliance with regulatory standards
• Drive initiatives for cost reduction, yield improvement, and product variability reduction
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including product development, operations, quality assurance, and customer support to resolve product production issues and streamline processes
• Administer the engineering change process and ensure any solutions deployed in the field find their way back to the product when warranted
• Develop and manage the departmental budget and resource planning for sustaining engineering projects
• Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing team of Forward Deployed Engineers (FDEs) who are embedded with strategic customers
• Set the technical vision and strategy for customer engagements, guiding the team in designing and delivering innovative and impactful solutions
• Oversee the entire lifecycle of customer-facing projects, from initial scoping and technical discovery to deployment and post-deployment support
• Act as a key technical advisor for strategic clients, understanding their business objectives and ensuring the successful implementation of our products
• Foster a customer-first mindset within the FDE team, emphasizing practical problem-solving and rapid iteration
• Translate insights and feedback from customer engagements into actionable product improvements by collaborating with core product and engineering teams
• Ensure the FDE team develops reusable tools, playbooks, and best practices to accelerate future deployments

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees