Forward Deployed Engineer

Octopus Holdings Limited; Hong Kong; On-site; HKD 500,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Octopus Holdings Limited, Hong Kong-based leader in payment solutions, seeks an experienced software engineer to design and deliver AI-driven automation and data-intensive workflows. You will translate business needs into robust, scalable solutions across APIs, data pipelines, and automation layers.

A strong background in software engineering and cloud practices is essential for success. Join a fast-paced FinTech environment that values security, governance, and rapid prototyping.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in CS, software engineering, AI, data science or related field.
• 7+ years in software engineering or related hands-on roles.
• 3+ years delivering AI, data, automation or enterprise software solutions.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with teams to understand objectives, data flows, and system constraints; identify AI and automation opportunities.
• Develop prototypes to validate assumptions and inform scalable solutions.
• Design, develop, test, and deploy production-grade apps, APIs, data pipelines, and automation.
• Ensure security, data privacy, and governance in solutions.
• Lead deployment, monitoring, and post-launch improvements.

Skills

AI & Automation

Cloud Certifications

CI/CD

Software Engineering

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering

Job description

Born from Hong Kong's demand for fast, convenient, and reliable payment solutions, Octopus introduced the world's first contactless multi-modal transit payment system in 1997. Since then, this homegrown FinTech company has pioneered innovative payment solutions for urban living across four continents. Our Vision To become the most preferred payment and lifestyle companion that connects customers and business partners through our best-in‑class products and services. Our Mission Making everyday life easier. Our Values Customer Centricity, Simplicity & Trustworthiness. Dedicated to addressing customer needs and adapting to evolving market trends, Octopus has broadened its services beyond transportation to encompass retail, e-commerce, cross-border transactions, and travel abroad. Today, we serve approximately 98% of Hong Kong’s population, processing around 15 million transactions at more than HK$300 million on average daily. At the heart of our success are our colleagues. We value mutual respect, foster collaboration, and encourage innovation and partnership. Join us and shape the future of payment solutions. Your impact starts here!

Job Responsibilities

• Collaborate with business and operational teams to understand objectives, user journeys, pain points, data flows, and system constraints; identify high-impact AI and automation opportunities.
• Convert ambiguous requests into clear, prioritized problem statements with measurable success criteria, assessing feasibility, risks, value, and complexity.
• Develop rapid prototypes and proof-of-concepts to validate assumptions, workflows, and integrations, using iterative feedback to inform scalable solutions.
• Document decisions, trade-offs, risks, dependencies, and lessons learned to enable reuse and continuous improvement of prototypes.
• Design, develop, test, and deploy production-grade applications, APIs, data pipelines, and automation workflows, integrating AI capabilities while ensuring modularity and scalability.
• Apply sound software engineering practices—version control, automated testing, CI/CD, and documentation to create reliable, maintainable, and reusable components.
• Engineer and evaluate Generative AI solutions, establishing evaluation methods for accuracy, relevance, safety, and cost, with guardrails and human-in-the-loop controls.
• Collaborate with domain teams to develop secure solutions for payment operations, risk management, and compliance, ensuring proper data safeguards and audit trails.
• Integrate cybersecurity, data privacy, responsible AI, and regulatory requirements through architecture reviews and security controls, mitigating AI-specific risks.
• Prepare solutions for controlled deployment with release plans, monitoring, and support, ensuring operational resilience and continuity.
• Conduct troubleshooting, incident investigation, and post-implementation improvements, transitioning solutions to support teams while maintaining accountability.
• Communicate technical trade-offs clearly to stakeholders, lead demonstrations and training, and foster user adoption and responsible experimentation.
• Gather feedback and operational data post-launch to prioritize enhancements, provide technical guidance, and promote knowledge sharing.
• Own solution workstreams from discovery to deployment, breaking initiatives into manageable steps, mentoring teams, and capturing reusable patterns.
• Contribute lessons learned to enterprise standards and help teams develop the capability to operate, maintain, and extend solutions independently.

Job Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or above in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Information Systems, Computer Engineering or a related discipline.
• Relevant certifications in cloud, AI, data, cybersecurity, software engineering or solution architecture will be an advantage.7+ years of experience in software engineering, solution engineering, systems implementation, technical consulting or a comparable hands-on role.
• 3+ years of hands-on experience delivering AI, data, automation or advanced software solutions in an enterprise environment.
• Proven experience taking solutions from business discovery and prototype through production deployment, adoption and support.
• Experience working directly with business users or customers to solve complex, ambiguous and time-sensitive problems.
• Experience leading technical workstreams or small cross-functional delivery teams.
• Experience in payments, banking, financial services, fintech, transportation, retail technology or another regulated and service-critical environment will be an advantage.

Visit our web site:http://www.octopus.com.hk/

The personal data collected will be used for recruitment purposes only. If you are not contacted by us within six weeks, you may consider your application unsuccessful. Personal data with an unsuccessful applicant will be destroyed 12 months after rejection of the application. During this retention period, you have the right to request for correction or destruction of your personal data at any time. Any request for the correction or destruction of personal data should be addressed in writing to our Human Resources & Administration Department.

Octopus is an equal opportunity employer and all employment decisions and Human Resources policies are administered; especially those relating to recruitment & selection, compensation & benefits, promotion & transfer, training & development and termination & redundancy; without discrimination on the basis of age, race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, pregnancy, physical and mental disability and family status but on genuine occupational qualification, job performance, employees’ ability and internal/ external relativities.