Sr Dir Forward Deployed Engineering

UKG•Lowell, MA

12h

About The Position

At UKG, the work you do matters. The code you ship, the decisions you make, and the care you show a customer all add up to real impact. Today, tens of millions of workers start and end their days with our workforce operating platform. Helping people get paid, grow in their careers, and shape the future of their industries. That’s what we do. We never stop learning. We never stop challenging the norm. We push for better, and we celebrate the wins along the way. Here, you’ll get flexibility that’s real, benefits you can count on, and a team that succeeds together. Because at UKG, your work matters—and so do you. Sr. Director, Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE) Role Overview We are seeking a Senior Director of Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE) to lead and scale a strategic sub-function responsible for delivering high-impact, enterprise-grade technical engagements across our largest HCM, Payroll, and Workforce Management (WFM) customers. This leader will oversee multiple teams of Forward Deployed Engineering leaders and senior engineers, establishing FDE as a critical capability at the intersection of Product, Engineering, Sales, and Customer Success. The Senior Director will define the vision, operating model, and long-term strategy for Forward Deployed Engineering, ensuring alignment with company-wide objectives while driving measurable impact on enterprise growth, customer outcomes, and product innovation. This is a highly strategic leadership role requiring a balance of executive influence, deep technical expertise, and organizational scale. What You Will Do Sub-Functional Leadership & Strategy • Define and execute the multi-year strategy for the Forward Deployed Engineering function • Establish FDE as a scalable, repeatable capability supporting enterprise growth and retention • Align FDE strategy with broader Engineering, Product, and Go-To-Market priorities • Own and evolve operating models, engagement frameworks, and governance standards • Develop and manage budgets, headcount planning, and investment strategy for the function Organizational Leadership & Scale • Lead, develop, and mentor a team of Directors, Managers, and senior technical leaders • Build and scale multiple FDE teams supporting diverse enterprise segments and use cases • Drive leadership development, succession planning, and organizational design • Establish consistent performance management, delivery standards, and career frameworks • Foster a culture of technical excellence, accountability, and innovation across teams Executive Customer & Revenue Leadership • Serve as an executive technical sponsor for the most strategic enterprise accounts • Build and maintain relationships with CIOs, CTOs, and senior business executives • Influence and support high-value enterprise deals, renewals, and expansions • Own executive-level escalations and ensure successful resolution of critical customer challenges • Drive measurable impact on ARR, NRR, and enterprise time-to-value Technical & Architectural Leadership • Define enterprise architecture standards for complex integrations across HRIS, Payroll, WFM, ERP, IAM, and related systems • Ensure scalability, security, and governance across all customer implementations • Establish reusable frameworks, accelerators, and reference architectures • Guide teams on resolving highly complex architectural challenges and edge cases • Partner with Product and Core Engineering leadership to influence roadmap and platform evolution Cross-Functional Influence • Partner with executive leaders across Sales, Customer Success, Product, and Engineering • Shape enterprise go-to-market strategies and technical positioning • Drive feedback loops from field engagements into product and platform improvements • Influence company-wide priorities related to enterprise delivery, integrations, and customer experience Why This Role Matters Enterprise HCM, Payroll, and Workforce Management environments are highly complex, integration-heavy, and mission-critical. This leader will: • Establish Forward Deployed Engineering as a differentiated enterprise capability • Drive competitive advantage through superior enterprise delivery and architecture • Influence product innovation through direct field insight • Enable scalable growth across the enterprise segment This is a foundational leadership role shaping the future of enterprise delivery at UKG.

Requirements

12+ years of experience in enterprise software engineering, architecture, or related fields
8+ years of leadership experience, including leading leaders (Directors/Managers)
Proven experience scaling technical organizations or sub-functions
Deep expertise in HCM, Payroll, WFM, HRIS, or adjacent enterprise SaaS ecosystems
Strong systems integration experience (APIs, IAM, data pipelines, cloud architectures)
Demonstrated ability to influence executive stakeholders internally and externally
Experience owning or significantly influencing revenue outcomes and business strategy
Strong executive communication and stakeholder management skills

Nice To Haves

Experience building or scaling forward deployed, field engineering, or solutions architecture organizations
Background in enterprise SaaS product companies
Experience in compliance-sensitive environments (SOX, GDPR, SOC 2)
Proven track record of building reusable technical IP and scalable delivery models
Experience working with global enterprise customers

Responsibilities

Define and execute the multi-year strategy for the Forward Deployed Engineering function
Establish FDE as a scalable, repeatable capability supporting enterprise growth and retention
Align FDE strategy with broader Engineering, Product, and Go-To-Market priorities
Own and evolve operating models, engagement frameworks, and governance standards
Develop and manage budgets, headcount planning, and investment strategy for the function
Lead, develop, and mentor a team of Directors, Managers, and senior technical leaders
Build and scale multiple FDE teams supporting diverse enterprise segments and use cases
Drive leadership development, succession planning, and organizational design
Establish consistent performance management, delivery standards, and career frameworks
Foster a culture of technical excellence, accountability, and innovation across teams
Serve as an executive technical sponsor for the most strategic enterprise accounts
Build and maintain relationships with CIOs, CTOs, and senior business executives
Influence and support high-value enterprise deals, renewals, and expansions
Own executive-level escalations and ensure successful resolution of critical customer challenges
Drive measurable impact on ARR, NRR, and enterprise time-to-value
Define enterprise architecture standards for complex integrations across HRIS, Payroll, WFM, ERP, IAM, and related systems
Ensure scalability, security, and governance across all customer implementations
Establish reusable frameworks, accelerators, and reference architectures
Guide teams on resolving highly complex architectural challenges and edge cases
Partner with Product and Core Engineering leadership to influence roadmap and platform evolution
Partner with executive leaders across Sales, Customer Success, Product, and Engineering
Shape enterprise go-to-market strategies and technical positioning
Drive feedback loops from field engagements into product and platform improvements
Influence company-wide priorities related to enterprise delivery, integrations, and customer experience