Forward Deployed Engineer (up to $220k)
Dex · United States
- Hybrid
- Full-time
- $220,000 / year
- United States
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Job highlights
- Write the playbook for a new AI runtime enablement.
- Own technical path from PoC to production.
- Integrate with Kubernetes, cloud, and observability.
- Collaborate with enterprise and AI startup engineers.
- Participate in customer escalations and on-call.
About the role
About the Role
This company builds a lightweight runtime that turns AI agents, workflows, and backend services into durable processes. The goal: let engineering teams focus on business logic, not failure mechanics. Their runtime is already in production at Fortune 500 enterprises, Tier 1 banks running critical financial workflows, and frontier AI startups building production-grade agents. The founders are creators of Apache Flink and leaders from Meta's messaging infrastructure, backed by leading investors. As the founding Forward Deployed Engineer, you won't just execute a playbook; you'll write it. This is a rare seat to define how the function works, from PoC playbooks and path-to-production patterns to reusable enablement assets and the critical feedback loop into product. You'll own the technical journey from initial PoV/PoC enablement through to production readiness and deployment, working hands-on with sophisticated customer engineers at major enterprises and AI startups.The Work
- Define the PoC playbook, path-to-production patterns, and reusable enablement assets for a new runtime.
- Own the technical path from PoC success to production readiness, including Kubernetes, cloud setup, observability, networking, and security integration.
- Work directly with customer engineers and OSS evaluators on integrations, reference implementations, and architecture guidance.
- Drive discovery workshops and POV planning, then feed friction and papercuts back into the engineering team, contributing to docs, examples, and SDKs.
- Take part in escalation and on-call rotations for critical customer issues, ensuring production stability.
What You Bring
- Full proficiency in Go or Rust, plus at least one of TypeScript, Java, or Python.
- Strong Kubernetes skills, deep observability instincts, and hands-on experience with AWS, GCP, or Azure.
- You've designed and operated real distributed backend systems in production, understanding failure modes from doing the work.
- A customer-success mindset: you go beyond immediate issues to understand context and activate internal champions.
- Comfortable being the technical face of the product in front of staff and principal engineers at Tier 1 banks and frontier AI teams.
- Eligible to work remotely from Europe.
Why Apply Through Dex
This is a founding role at a company solving a hard problem for major enterprises and frontier AI teams. Roles like this are rare and often oversubscribed. Apply through Dex to get properly briefed, skip the cold application process, and get matched to this role and others like it. If you're interested, sign up to Dex to apply - https://jobs.meetdex.ai/jobs/dd008655-3c8f-46c0-b72d-a8bc7ff62ad9 As part of the recruitment process at Dex, we process your personal data in accordance with our Privacy Notice for Job Applicants. This notice explains how and why your data is collected and used, and how you can contact us if you have any concerns.Key skills/competency
- Forward Deployed Engineer
- Go, Rust, TypeScript, Java, Python
- Kubernetes
- Cloud Platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure)
- Distributed Systems
- Observability
- Networking
- Security
- Customer Success
- AI Workflows
Skills & topics
- Forward Deployed Engineer
- Go
- Rust
- Kubernetes
- Cloud
- Distributed Systems
- Observability
- Customer Success
- AI
- Runtime
How to get hired
- Leverage Dex's AI: Sign up at Dex and detail your tech stack, seniority, and interests to manage applications effectively.
- Highlight relevant experience: Emphasize your proficiency in Go or Rust, Kubernetes, cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure), and distributed systems.
- Showcase customer-facing skills: Detail experience working directly with engineers, driving workshops, and providing architectural guidance.
- Demonstrate production understanding: Provide examples of designing and operating distributed backend systems and understanding failure modes.
- Confirm remote eligibility: Ensure you are eligible to work remotely from Europe as specified in the requirements.
Technical preparation
Master Go or Rust; choose TypeScript, Java, or Python.,Deepen Kubernetes and cloud platform expertise.,Practice debugging distributed backend systems.,Familiarize with observability and security concepts.
Behavioral questions
Describe a time you defined a new process.,How do you handle customer technical escalations?,Share an example of understanding failure modes.,How do you influence product development?
Frequently asked questions
- How does Dex help me apply for the Forward Deployed Engineer role at this company?
- Dex acts as an AI recruiter agent. By signing up on Dex and providing your technical stack, seniority, and interests, Dex will manage your application for this Forward Deployed Engineer position and surface similar opportunities, ensuring you are properly briefed and bypass the standard cold application process.
- What are the core technologies for the Forward Deployed Engineer role?
- The core technologies for this Forward Deployed Engineer position include proficiency in Go or Rust, alongside TypeScript, Java, or Python. Strong Kubernetes skills, deep observability knowledge, and hands-on experience with AWS, GCP, or Azure are also crucial.
- What kind of customer interactions can I expect as a Forward Deployed Engineer?
- As a Forward Deployed Engineer, you will be the technical face of the product, working hands-on with sophisticated customer engineers at major enterprises and AI startups. This includes driving discovery workshops, providing architectural guidance, and collaborating on integrations and reference implementations.
- Is this Forward Deployed Engineer role remote, and what are the location requirements?
- Yes, the role is eligible to work remotely from Europe. This means candidates must be based in Europe and have the eligibility to work there remotely to be considered for this position.
- What makes this Forward Deployed Engineer role unique compared to others?
- This is a founding role, offering a unique opportunity to define the Forward Deployed Engineer function from the ground up. You'll be instrumental in creating PoC playbooks, path-to-production patterns, and directly influencing product development, working with founders of Apache Flink and leaders from Meta.
- What experience is needed with distributed systems for this role?
- The role requires you to have designed and operated real distributed backend systems in production. A key aspect is understanding failure modes from practical experience, which is essential for supporting critical customer workflows.