Lead Forward Deployed Engineer

We're looking for a Lead Forward Deployed Engineer to run one of these engagements end to end. This isn't an architecture-from-a-distance role — you'll sit shoulder to shoulder with a pod of 2–4 engineers, write code yourself, make the calls that keep delivery moving, and act as the person who turns an ambiguous ask into a shipped product. You'll carry the outcome for the whole pod, not just your own commits, and you'll spend most of your week building rather than managing from a distance.

Responsibilities

Own delivery for one active client engagement at a time, from first conversation to production; Lead and grow a pod of 2–4 forward-deployed engineers; Translate ambiguous business needs into a scoped, testable delivery plan; Keep the client's trust by shipping — consistently, visibly, on time; Bring AI-assisted development practices into daily delivery work; Lead a pod of engineers through end-to-end delivery of a single project, from problem framing to production hand-off; Write production-ready code as a hands-on contributor, not just a reviewer; Make day-to-day technical decisions — frameworks, data models, deployment targets — and escalate architectural calls when needed; Run code reviews and pairing sessions that raise the team's technical bar; Use AI-assisted development tools (Copilot, Claude, ChatGPT, and similar) to accelerate delivery, and bring what works back to the wider engineering team; Partner directly with business leaders, domain experts, and client stakeholders to understand needs and shape scope; Represent the pod in status reviews, demos, and retrospectives; Identify risks, dependencies, and blockers early — and drive the team through them; Mentor engineers through pairing, feedback, and targeted coaching on craft and consulting skills; Document design decisions and reusable components to support future engagements; Stay current with emerging AI tools and development practices, and pilot their adoption within your project

Requirements

8+ years in software development, systems integration, or technical consulting, with recent hands-on delivery experience; 2+ years leading the technical side of a shared project — as a tech lead, team lead, or senior engineer; Advanced proficiency in at least one modern language (Python, TypeScript, JavaScript, Go, Java, or similar); Solid grounding in software architecture, API design, data modeling, and full-stack or backend delivery; Fluency in at least one major cloud platform (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and modern practices — CI/CD, containers, version control, testing; Hands-on experience applying AI tooling (Copilot, Claude, ChatGPT, vector search, prompt engineering, RAG) in real delivery work; Track record of shipping production software on tight timelines in a consultative or embedded setting; Experience mentoring engineers and running effective code reviews; Strong communication skills — able to translate technical tradeoffs for non-technical stakeholders

Nice to have

Experience delivering AI, automation, or data-intensive applications in an enterprise environment; Experience working within large, decentralized, or multi-site organizations; Prior experience as a forward-deployed engineer, solutions engineer, or delivery consultant; Cloud architecture or AI/ML certification (AWS, Azure, GCP, or equivalent)

Benefits

Real ownership: one engagement, full accountability, direct client contact — no layers of hand-off; A working lead role — you build alongside your team, not just manage it; Room to bring modern AI-assisted tooling into how the team actually works, not just talk about it; A small, senior team where your technical calls carry real weight; Flexible working setup and a clear path into engineering leadership