Forward Deployed Engineer Jobs

About The Position

Requirements

• 12 or more years of experience in software engineering and AI/ML engineering, including significant experience leading senior engineering teams or functions.
• Bachelor's degree in computer science, Software Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• Proven track record of taking AI ideas from sketch to working software quickly in customer-facing engineering roles.
• Strong technical depth in generative AI patterns, including agents, multi-agent orchestration, RAG, and evaluation.
• Recognized expertise across AI, ML, and data science, including classical ML, deep learning, LLMs and foundation models, statistical and causal inference, and MLOps at scale; able to evaluate and challenge modeling decisions across engagements.
• Demonstrated daily use of AI coding agents, such as Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, or Databricks AI Assistant, as the primary mode of development, beyond vibe coding.
• Experience designing agentic delivery-automation workflows and delivery bot meshes and setting standards for their use across a team.
• Experience hiring, mentoring, and developing senior engineering talent and building an engineering function's structure, standards, culture, and ways of working.
• Track record of representing engineering functions to senior business stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

• Prior leadership experience at an AI-native company such as Anthropic, Palantir, OpenAI, or similar, in a role such as Head of Forward Deployed Engineering, Director of Solutions, or equivalent.
• Master's degree in computer science or a related field.
• Experience in regulated industries such as pharma, healthcare, or financial services.
• Experience setting AI engineering standards at organizational level.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Forward Deployed Engineering function, owning its strategy, structure, hiring, development, and standards, and establish an engagement pipeline that delivers at pace.
• Hire, mentor, and develop the FDE team, creating development paths from G8 through G5 with clear milestones and active coaching.
• Establish and document AI-native engineering practices, including agentic delivery-automation workflows, delivery bot meshes, prompt and pattern libraries, and handoff hygiene.
• Set standards for AI, ML, and data science rigor, including evaluation standards, experimental design, and model validation; serve as the final technical authority on modeling approaches for strategic engagements.
• Own relationships with Director- and Senior Director-level business-unit sponsors, identifying AI use cases and supporting engagement through the delivery cycle as a credible partner.
• Personally lead the most strategic FDE engagements and remain hands-on in engagements that establish precedents for the function.
• Make and defend portfolio-level kill-or-continue decisions across engagements with business-unit and Enterprise AI leadership, connecting engineering possibilities to business outcomes.
• Track AI/ML research developments and translate them into practical guidance for the team.
• Coordinate with Solutions Engineering and Operations Engineering on the delivery pipeline, and represent FDE in Enterprise AI leadership forums.
• Influence vendor strategy and tooling choices for AI-native engineering practice within Enterprise AI.
• Build governance into the FDE function from the prototype stage, including Code Orange, Responsible AI, and Accountability Report governance.
• Report to Enterprise AI leadership on function performance, including engagement pipeline, outcomes, team development, and capacity.