AI Forward Engineering Lead - Client-Embedded

EY; Irvine (CA); Hybrid; USD 126,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and dental coverage

Pension and 401(k) plans

Paid time off

Job summary

EY is seeking a Lead Forward Deployed Engineer to own end-to-end AI-enabled system delivery within a client engagement in regulated industries. You will lead a small cell, merging deep technical work with direct client interaction to ensure production-ready outcomes.

The role demands hands-on coding, architecture judgment, and clear communication of tradeoffs to technical and executive audiences. EY supports hybrid work and a broad benefits package, with a focus on flexible, client-focused

Qualifications

• 8+ years delivering complex enterprise systems.
• Hands-on depth across integration-heavy architectures, cloud platforms, and distributed systems.
• Experience with modern AI-enabled application stacks.
• Proven ability to operate in forward-deployed, customer-facing, or solutions-architecture roles, owning outcomes end to end.
• Demonstrated ability to lead a small technical team while remaining an individual contributor.
• Strong stakeholder-management skills, including managing client expectations under pressure.
• Solid understanding of software delivery lifecycle, quality gates, and production readiness in enterprise settings.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end outcome delivery for the cell, including scoping, tradeoffs, technical direction, and production readiness.
• Embed directly with the client to define the real problem and translate ambiguous business needs into an executable technical solution under regulatory constraints.
• Serve as the primary technical interface and trusted advisor to client stakeholders, managing expectations and sustaining trust.
• Stay hands-on, designing and building critical parts of the solution and diving into client systems as needed.
• Deploy, adapt, and stabilize solutions in the client environment, owning release readiness and runtime accountability.
• Direct the work of the cell’s Implementation Engineer and Data Engineer, ensuring integrations and data readiness.
• Ensure every deployment meets safety, integrity, and cost constraints, partnering with control authorities.

Skills

Outcome ownership

Client presence

Hands-on engineering

Technical judgment

Tradeoff communication

Autonomy

Regulatory awareness

AI systems knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science

Master's degree in Computer Science or related field

Job description

EY is seeking a Lead Forward Deployed Engineer to own end-to-end AI-enabled system delivery within a client engagement in regulated industries. You will lead a small cell, merging deep technical work with direct client interaction to ensure production-ready outcomes.

The role demands hands-on coding, architecture judgment, and clear communication of tradeoffs to technical and executive audiences. EY supports hybrid work and a broad benefits package, with a focus on flexible, client-focused