Forward Deployed Engineer

Polaron Ltd.; London; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Polaron Ltd., a leader in AI and materials science, is seeking a Forward Deployed Engineer. This role involves delivering technical demos, ensuring customer satisfaction during onboarding, and collaborating across teams to enhance our innovative materials platform. Ideal candidates will possess a technical master’s degree and at least 2 years of relevant experience, demonstrating strong problem-solving and communication skills in a customer-facing context.

Benefits

25 holidays a year + 2 festive leave days

Equity in a fast-growing company

Gym membership

Flexible working policies

Free barista coffee

Qualifications

• Minimum 2+ years professional experience in a customer-facing technical role.
• Self-motivated and able to work independently or in a team.

Responsibilities

• Deliver polished technical demos and support sales teams in proposals.
• Lead customer onboarding and provide post-sale support.
• Represent the company at industry events and collect customer feedback.

Skills

Communication

Problem-solving

Collaboration

Attention to detail

Education

Masters degree in Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, or Materials Science

Job description

About Polaron

Polaron is a spin-out from Imperial College London, founded by Dr Isaac Squires, Dr Steve Kench, and Dr Sam Cooper. The founders were united by their desire to harness engineering, artificial intelligence, and materials science to build the materials of the future.

Our mission is to become the world leaders at the interface between AI and materials. Through relentless dedication to innovation and pragmatism, we aim to support the next generation of advanced materials critical to building a more sustainable future.

Polaron is scaling rapidly, engaging in increasingly technical customer collaborations.

The Forward Deployed Engineer plays a pivotal role across the customer lifecycle, ensuring seamless technical implementation, outstanding customer experiences, and valuable feedback loops to inform product development. As an FDE, you will combine expertise in materials science, engineering, and our product to deliver high quality outputs to customers. This role combines hands-on technical work, customer engagement, and cross-functional collaboration.

You’ll drive customer onboarding, lead pilot implementations, customise solutions, and shape the evolution of our materials AI platform.

We’re looking for exceptional people who can contribute to a fantastic company culture and help us grow Polaron, so if you feel like you could excel in this role, please get in touch!

Responsibilities

• Pre-Sale Develop: and deliver polished technical demos showcasing platform capabilities. Assist sales teams by scoping opportunities and preparing proposals. Perform bespoke analysis as part of closing contracts.
• Post-Sale Deliver: high-quality onboarding to ensure seamless adoption. Support on delivering pilot programmes, including project management and technical delivery. Support with customer retention - feedback sessions, gathering insights, bespoke development, and direct support.
• Collaboration & Representation: Act as the bridge between customers and internal teams, influencing product roadmaps. Represent Polaron at industry events and creating thought leadership content, strengthening our position as a leader in materials innovation.

Qualifications

• Masters degree minimum in a technical field including Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, or Materials Science.
• 2+ years professional experience.
• Proven experience in a customer facing technical role.
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to interact with clients and internal stakeholders effectively.
• Exceptional problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
• Self-motivated and able to work independently as well as within a team environment.

Bonus Points

• Masters or PhD in a Battery related field.
• Startup/entreprenurial mindset.
• Natural leader- happy to help us develop/refine processes as the company grows.

Salary £50,000-65,000

Interview structure:

1. Initial Video Call (20 mins):Discuss your experience and interest in the role with two members of the team.
2. Situational interview (1hr):In this interview we will emulate realistic problems faced day to day in the FDE role and asses your reasoning skills. Also a chance to learn more about Polaron and the team.
3. Paid Trial Day:If selected as one of our top candidates, this is a chance to spend the day in our office collaborating with the team. Your visit will culminate in a demo session.

We're a largely office based company, with typically 4 days a week in office and 1 day WFH.

However, we operate flexible working policies, so depending on a candidates individual needs we can discuss an arrangement that works for you.

Our Benefits

• 25 holidays a year + 2 “festive leave” days
• Equity in a fast growing company
• Gym membership
• East London office @ Shoreditch Exchange Hoxton https://www.withoneder.com/shoreditch-exchange/
• Free barista coffee!