Forward Deployed Engineer IV, Applied AI, Google Cloud

Google · Austin, TX

On site
Full-time
$265,000 / year
Austin, TX

Job highlights

Lead AI initiatives from prototype to production.
Architect and deploy conversational AI solutions.
Build and optimize agentic workflows.
Collaborate with customer engineering teams.
Drive AI adoption for global businesses.

About the role

About the Job

As a Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) in Applied AI, you are the "Agent Engineer" and the primary delivery arm for our customers' most critical AI initiatives. You take initial conversational prototypes and transform them into production-ready solutions, owning the end-to-end engineering lifecycle, including the transition from "Art of the Possible" to real-world business value and scalable, secure AI systems. This is a high-travel, high-impact role focused on leading technical delivery for Conversational AI pilots and establishing the first Customer User Journeys (CUJs) for our largest customers at their sites. This role requires a deep understanding of software engineering, MLOps, and cloud infrastructure.

It's an exciting time to join Google Cloud’s Go-To-Market team, leading the AI revolution for businesses worldwide. You’ll excel by leveraging Google's brand credibility—a legacy built on inventing foundational technologies and proven at scale. We’ll provide you with the world's most advanced AI portfolio, including frontier Gemini models, and the complete Vertex AI platform, helping you to solve business problems. We’re a collaborative culture providing direct access to DeepMind's engineering and research minds, empowering you to solve customer challenges. Join us to be the catalyst for our mission, drive customer success, and define the new cloud era—the market is yours.

Responsibilities

Serve as the lead developer for complex Conversational AI and Customer Experience applications, transitioning from rapid prototypes to production-grade agentic workflows (e.g., multi-agent systems, Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers).
Architect and code conversational flows that are not just functional, but optimized for the connective tissue between Google’s Conversational AI products and customers’ live infrastructure, including APIs, legacy data silos, and security perimeters.
Build high-performance evaluation pipelines and observability frameworks to optimize complex agentic workloads, focusing on reasoning loops, tool selection, and reducing latency while maintaining production-grade security and networking.
Identify repeatable field patterns and technical friction points in Google’s AAI stack, converting them into reusable modules or product feature requests for Engineering teams.
Co-build with Customer Engineering teams to instill Google-grade development best practices, ensuring long-term project success and high end-user adoption.

Key skills/competency

Applied AI
Conversational AI
Agent Engineer
Production-Ready Solutions
End-to-End Engineering Lifecycle
MLOps
Cloud Infrastructure
Generative AI
Multi-Agent Systems
Customer Experience Applications

Skills & topics

Forward Deployed Engineer
Applied AI
Google Cloud
Conversational AI
Agent Engineer
Production AI
MLOps
Cloud Engineering
Generative AI
Software Engineering
SRE
DevOps
Terraform
Vertex AI
Gemini Models

How to get hired

Tailor your resume: Highlight your 8+ years of experience architecting scalable AI systems, deploying conversational agents, and using Terraform.
Showcase AI expertise: Emphasize your experience with multi-agent systems, debugging agent logic, and optimizing RAG for hallucination prevention.
Demonstrate cloud skills: Detail your experience with cloud platforms and deploying resources via tools like Terraform.
Prepare for technical interviews: Brush up on AI concepts, cloud architecture, MLOps, and real-time system troubleshooting.
Highlight customer-facing skills: Mention your experience in leading technical delivery and working directly with clients on-site.

Technical preparation

Master cloud AI services like Vertex AI.,Practice deploying conversational agents.,Code multi-agent systems with frameworks.,Automate infrastructure with Terraform.

Behavioral questions

Describe a complex AI project you led.,How do you handle production system failures?,How do you transition prototypes to production?,How do you collaborate with customer teams?

Frequently asked questions

What is a Forward Deployed Engineer at Google Cloud?: A Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) at Google Cloud, specifically in Applied AI, acts as an 'Agent Engineer.' They are responsible for transforming initial AI prototypes into production-ready solutions, managing the entire engineering lifecycle to deliver real-world business value with scalable and secure AI systems. This role focuses on leading technical delivery for Conversational AI pilots and establishing customer journeys for major clients.
What are the minimum qualifications for the Forward Deployed Engineer Applied AI role at Google?: The minimum qualifications include a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent practical experience in Software Engineering, SRE, or DevOps. You'll need 8 years of experience architecting scalable AI systems on cloud platforms, experience deploying conversational agents with code-based frameworks, and experience with tools like Terraform for automating resource setup. Building full-stack applications that interact with enterprise IT is also required.
What kind of AI technologies will I work with as a Forward Deployed Engineer at Google Cloud?: You will work with Google's advanced AI portfolio, including frontier Gemini models and the Vertex AI platform. The role involves deploying conversational agents, implementing multi-agent systems using frameworks like LangGraph or CrewAI, and working with complex patterns like ReAct and self-reflection. Optimizing Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and debugging agent logic are also key aspects.
Is this a remote or on-site role for the Forward Deployed Engineer position?: This is a high-travel role focused on leading technical delivery for Conversational AI pilots and establishing customer journeys at client sites. While specific work locations are listed (e.g., Atlanta, New York, San Francisco), the nature of the role implies significant on-site work with customers, though the day-to-day operational setup might offer some flexibility.
What is the salary range for a Forward Deployed Engineer IV, Applied AI at Google?: The US base salary range for this full-time position is $183,000 - $265,000 annually. This base salary does not include bonuses, equity, or benefits, which are also part of the overall compensation package. The exact salary within this range will depend on factors like work location, job-related skills, experience, and education.
What benefits does Google offer for this Forward Deployed Engineer role?: Eligible US-based employees receive a comprehensive benefits package. This includes health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, 401(k) with company match, generous paid time off (20 days vacation, 40-69 hours sick time), maternity leave (28-30 weeks), baby bonding leave (18 weeks), and 13 paid holidays per year.
How does Google handle applicants with arrest or conviction records for this role?: For applicants in San Francisco, qualified candidates with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance and the California Fair Chance Act. Google is committed to equal employment opportunity and considers qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.
What is the application deadline for the Forward Deployed Engineer position?: The application window will be open until at least April 17, 2026. However, the opportunity may remain online based on business needs, which could be before or after this specified date. It's advisable to apply as soon as possible if interested.

About the role

About the Job

Responsibilities

Serve as the lead developer for complex Conversational AI and Customer Experience applications, transitioning from rapid prototypes to production-grade agentic workflows (e.g., multi-agent systems, Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers).
Architect and code conversational flows that are not just functional, but optimized for the connective tissue between Google’s Conversational AI products and customers’ live infrastructure, including APIs, legacy data silos, and security perimeters.
Build high-performance evaluation pipelines and observability frameworks to optimize complex agentic workloads, focusing on reasoning loops, tool selection, and reducing latency while maintaining production-grade security and networking.
Identify repeatable field patterns and technical friction points in Google’s AAI stack, converting them into reusable modules or product feature requests for Engineering teams.
Co-build with Customer Engineering teams to instill Google-grade development best practices, ensuring long-term project success and high end-user adoption.

Key skills/competency

Applied AI
Conversational AI
Agent Engineer
Production-Ready Solutions
End-to-End Engineering Lifecycle
MLOps
Cloud Infrastructure
Generative AI
Multi-Agent Systems
Customer Experience Applications

How to get hired

Tailor your resume: Highlight your 8+ years of experience architecting scalable AI systems, deploying conversational agents, and using Terraform.
Showcase AI expertise: Emphasize your experience with multi-agent systems, debugging agent logic, and optimizing RAG for hallucination prevention.
Demonstrate cloud skills: Detail your experience with cloud platforms and deploying resources via tools like Terraform.
Prepare for technical interviews: Brush up on AI concepts, cloud architecture, MLOps, and real-time system troubleshooting.
Highlight customer-facing skills: Mention your experience in leading technical delivery and working directly with clients on-site.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Forward Deployed Engineer at Google Cloud?

A Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) at Google Cloud, specifically in Applied AI, acts as an 'Agent Engineer.' They are responsible for transforming initial AI prototypes into production-ready solutions, managing the entire engineering lifecycle to deliver real-world business value with scalable and secure AI systems. This role focuses on leading technical delivery for Conversational AI pilots and establishing customer journeys for major clients.

What are the minimum qualifications for the Forward Deployed Engineer Applied AI role at Google?

The minimum qualifications include a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent practical experience in Software Engineering, SRE, or DevOps. You'll need 8 years of experience architecting scalable AI systems on cloud platforms, experience deploying conversational agents with code-based frameworks, and experience with tools like Terraform for automating resource setup. Building full-stack applications that interact with enterprise IT is also required.

What kind of AI technologies will I work with as a Forward Deployed Engineer at Google Cloud?

You will work with Google's advanced AI portfolio, including frontier Gemini models and the Vertex AI platform. The role involves deploying conversational agents, implementing multi-agent systems using frameworks like LangGraph or CrewAI, and working with complex patterns like ReAct and self-reflection. Optimizing Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and debugging agent logic are also key aspects.

Is this a remote or on-site role for the Forward Deployed Engineer position?

This is a high-travel role focused on leading technical delivery for Conversational AI pilots and establishing customer journeys at client sites. While specific work locations are listed (e.g., Atlanta, New York, San Francisco), the nature of the role implies significant on-site work with customers, though the day-to-day operational setup might offer some flexibility.

What is the salary range for a Forward Deployed Engineer IV, Applied AI at Google?

The US base salary range for this full-time position is $183,000 - $265,000 annually. This base salary does not include bonuses, equity, or benefits, which are also part of the overall compensation package. The exact salary within this range will depend on factors like work location, job-related skills, experience, and education.

What benefits does Google offer for this Forward Deployed Engineer role?

Eligible US-based employees receive a comprehensive benefits package. This includes health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, 401(k) with company match, generous paid time off (20 days vacation, 40-69 hours sick time), maternity leave (28-30 weeks), baby bonding leave (18 weeks), and 13 paid holidays per year.

How does Google handle applicants with arrest or conviction records for this role?

For applicants in San Francisco, qualified candidates with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance and the California Fair Chance Act. Google is committed to equal employment opportunity and considers qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

What is the application deadline for the Forward Deployed Engineer position?

The application window will be open until at least April 17, 2026. However, the opportunity may remain online based on business needs, which could be before or after this specified date. It's advisable to apply as soon as possible if interested.