Software Engineer, Forward Deployed
FDE Times
San Francisco Bay AreaFresher1h agovia LinkedIn
About the Role
As a Software Engineer, Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE), you will work directly with clients and internal delivery teams to build and deploy AI-powered solutions. You will own projects end-to-end, from scoping problems and prototyping AI workflows to deploying scalable systems. This role requires you to interface with technical and non-technical stakeholders. It is a hybrid role encompassing AI engineering, software building, and technical consulting, designed for hands-on work with models and close proximity to their impact.
Key Responsibilities
- Collaborate with delivery leaders to scope technical solutions for operational problems.
- Identify workflow optimizations through deep engagement with customer problems and build them into stable, scalable solutions.
- Design and implement AI-powered workflows using LLMs, embedding models, retrieval systems, and automation tools.
- Translate real-world constraints (e.g., inconsistent data, latency requirements) into engineering solutions.
- Iterate quickly based on real-time feedback from operators and clients.
- Build reusable tooling and infrastructure to accelerate future deployments.
Requirements & Tech Stack
- Hands-on experience in software engineering or ML engineering through professional roles, internships, or coursework/research projects.
- Strong Python skills.
- Familiarity with libraries like PyTorch, Hugging Face, LangChain, or OpenAI APIs.
- Solid understanding of data pipelines, APIs, and production deployment (e.g., Docker, FastAPI, GCP/AWS).
- Experience building usable systems from messy data and ambiguous requirements.
- Strong communication skills to explain technical decisions to various stakeholders.
- Entrepreneurial mindset and comfort working in fast-moving, unstructured environments.
- Willingness to be on-call for customers when situations arise.
- Willingness to travel for on-site client engagements as needed.
- Availability to work from the office a few days per week, depending on team needs.
Compensation
- Annual salary range: $93,000 - $217,000 USD.
- Bonuses and equity are included in all full-time offers.
- Final compensation determined by factors including location, job-related experience, skills, knowledge, internal pay equity, and overall market conditions.