Senior Forward Deployed Engineer

Retell AI; Hong Kong; On-site; HKD 980,000 - 1,686,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity Provided

Job summary

Retell AI in Hong Kong is seeking a Senior Forward Deployed Engineer to work directly with enterprise customers across APAC, building, deploying, and scaling voice AI systems.

You’ll own projects end-to-end, develop integrations using Python and JavaScript, and partner with Sales, Product, and Engineering to solve customer problems.

The role requires 2+ years in a customer-facing technical role, fluent Mandarin and English, and willingness to travel across APAC.

Qualifications

• 2+ years in a customer-facing technical role (FDE, SE, or similar).
• Strong communication skills and ability to explain technical concepts clearly.
• Experience with AI/LLM systems or complex technical products.
• Able to collaborate with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Own customer projects end-to-end, from requirements through production.
• Build and deploy voice AI and LLM-powered applications.
• Develop integrations and production systems using Python and JavaScript.
• Work directly with customers to understand requirements and design technical solutions.
• Run technical demos and help customers maximize Retell's value.
• Partner with Sales, Product, and Engineering to solve customer problems.
• Identify product gaps and improve the platform with Engineering.
• Help build Retell's presence across APAC.
• Travel across APAC as needed.

Skills

Python

JavaScript

AI/LLM experience

Strong communication

Job description

Senior Forward Deployed Engineer (Hong Kong)

Location

Hong Kong

Employment Type

Full time

Location Type

On-site

Department

Applied AI

Compensation

• Estimated base salary $125K – $215K Offers Equity

ABOUT RETELL AI

Retell AI is using first-principles thinking to reimagine the call center with cutting-edge voice AI. Thousands of companies now use Retell's AI voice agents to handle sales, support, and logistics calls that once required large teams of human agents. Backed by Y Combinator, Alt Capital, and other leading investors, we've scaled to $80M in ARR with a team of 50, up from $5M at the start of 2025, and are now valued at over $1.5B.

Our vision for 2026 is to build a modern CX platform where entire contact centers are powered by AI. Instead of basic automation that needs constant human tuning, we're creating intelligent AI that act as frontline agents, QA analysts, and managers, continuously executing, monitoring, and improving every customer interaction.

We're growing fast and looking for ambitious builders who want to tackle hard technical problems, move quickly, and have a real impact on one of the fastest-growing voice AI companies in the world.

Let's build the future together.

Recent recognition:

• No. 1 Best Places to Work in the Bay Area, San Francisco Business Times 2026
• Top 50 AI Apps, a16z (2025)
• #3 Fastest-Growing Software Company, G2 Best Software Awards 2026
• Best Agentic AI Software, G2 Best Software Awards 2026
• #4 Fastest-Growing Software Vendor, Brex Benchmark 2025
• Enterprise Tech 30 Class of 2026, Nasdaq & Wing VC
• Top-Ranked Startup, Lean AI Leaderboard
• Backed by Y Combinator

About Retell AI

Retell AI is transforming customer experience with voice AI for enterprises like CVS/Aetna, American Airlines, Lenovo, and Grab.

As a Senior Forward Deployed Engineer, you'll work directly with enterprise customers across APAC to build, deploy, and scale voice AI systems. You'll sit at the intersection of customers and engineering, solving complex technical problems, shipping production systems, and helping shape the product.

What You'll Do

• Own customer projects end-to-end, from initial requirements through production
• Build and deploy voice AI and LLM-powered applications
• Develop integrations and production systems using Python and JavaScript
• Work directly with customers to understand requirements and design technical solutions
• Run technical demos and help customers get the most out of Retell
• Partner closely with Sales, Product, and Engineering to solve customer problems
• Identify product gaps and work with Engineering to improve the platform
• Help build Retell's presence across APAC
• Travel across APAC as needed

What We're Looking For

• 2+ years in a customer-facing technical role (FDE, Solutions Engineer, Technical PM, CSE/Support Engineer, or similar)
• Strong communication skills and ability to explain technical concepts clearly
• Strong software engineering skills, especially Python or JavaScript
• Experience working with AI/LLM systems or complex technical products
• Comfortable working directly with both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Able to move quickly and operate well in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment
• Fluent in both Mandarin and English
• Open to traveling across APAC as needed
• Based in Singapore or Hong Kong

JOB DETAILS

• Cash: $125-215k USD salary/year
• Equity: Equity Provided
• Location: Singapore or Hong Kong

COMPENSATION PHILOSOPHY

• Best Offer Upfront: Choose from three cash-equity balance options; no negotiation needed.
• Top 1% Talent: Above-market pay (top 5 percentile) to attract exceptional builders.
• High Ownership: Small teams, >$1M revenue/employee, and significant equity.
• Performance-Based: Offers tied to interview performance, not experience or past salaries.

INTERVIEW PROCESS

1. Recruiter Intro Call (15min): Learn about us and share your background.
2. Technical Interview (45 min): Live coding interview with our engineer team
3. Product and Stakeholder Alignment (45min): Project and product interview with our deployment team
4. Onsite/Virtual Interviews (2–3 hrs):
   1. Communication: Persuade and align stakeholders.
   2. Architecture Case: Design a production-ready system.
   3. Problem-Solving: Build a full-stack solution under constraints in any basic environment setup like python, java, node.js, etc.