Director Forward Deployed Engineering

Weekday; Santa Clara (CA); Hybrid; USD 300,000 - 350,000; Full time

Job summary

NextBigWhat is seeking a Director of Forward Deployed Engineering in Santa Clara, CA. This hands-on leadership role drives strategic FDE initiatives across regions, partnering with Sales, Product, and Customer Success to deliver scalable solutions.

You will coach engineers, engage with enterprise customers, discuss architecture, and align technical delivery with business outcomes. This role requires strong communication and a track record of delivering complex, high-impact projects.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in engineering, solutions engineering, or technical delivery.
• 2+ years leading high-performing technical teams.
• Experience leading customer-facing technical teams with credibility.
• Hands-on leader who reviews designs and solves problems.
• Excellent communicator across technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experience with APIs, integrations, and modern SaaS platforms.

Responsibilities

• Lead and grow a team of Forward Deployed Engineers.
• Partner with Sales, Product, Engineering, Customer Success to design solutions.
• Translate customer needs into product roadmap insights.
• Provide hands-on technical leadership across APIs and architecture.
• Raise the bar for demonstrations, PoCs, workshops, and onsite engagements.
• Review designs and navigate high-stakes customer situations.
• Create repeatable playbooks, delivery standards, processes for scale.
• Build relationships with senior stakeholders and advise on engagements.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Customer-facing

API integration

SaaS platforms

Communication skills

Hands-on leadership

Job description

Location: Santa Clara, CA — Hybrid

Employment Type: Full-time

About the Company

We are a fast-growing B2B technology company building enterprise software used by leading organizations around the world. As technology evolves and AI becomes increasingly embedded in how teams work, we are investing in products and services that help enterprises adopt new capabilities, solve complex technical challenges, and achieve measurable business outcomes.

We operate with a strong bias toward action, high standards for quality, and a deep focus on customer success.

About the Role

We are scaling our Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE) function globally and are looking for a Director, Forward Deployed Engineering to define the strategy, operating model, and execution standards for the team.

This is a hands‑on leadership role at the intersection of engineering, product, and go-to-market. You will lead the global FDE function, directly manage engineers in the U.S., and work closely with regional leadership across EMEA and APAC.

The ideal candidate is equally comfortable coaching engineers, engaging directly with enterprise customers, discussing architecture, and partnering with commercial and product leaders to turn complex customer requirements into scalable solutions.

What You’ll Do

Lead, coach, and grow a team of Forward Deployed Engineers responsible for technical customer engagements across both pre‑sales and post‑sales.

Partner closely with Sales, Product, Engineering, and Customer Success to understand complex customer requirements and design effective solutions.

Translate customer‑specific needs and technical learnings into insights that influence the broader product roadmap.

Provide hands‑on technical leadership across APIs, integrations, platform capabilities, and solution architecture.

Raise the bar for technical demonstrations, proofs of concept, workshops, and onsite customer engagements.

Review technical designs, challenge assumptions, and step into complex or high‑stakes customer situations when needed.

Create repeatable playbooks, delivery standards, processes, and best practices that enable the FDE organization to operate effectively at scale.

Build strong relationships with senior technical and business stakeholders and act as a trusted advisor on strategic customer engagements.

Who You Are

You have 8+ years of experience across engineering, solutions engineering, technical consulting, or technical delivery.

You have 2+ years of experience leading high‑performing technical teams.

You have significant experience leading customer‑facing technical teams where credibility, technical depth, and strong execution are essential.

You are a hands‑on leader who enjoys working alongside the team, reviewing designs, solving difficult problems, and navigating ambiguity.

You are comfortable operating across both technical and commercial environments—from discussing architecture with engineers to aligning business outcomes with sales, product, and customer executives.

You are an excellent communicator and presenter who can adapt complex technical concepts for both technical and non‑technical audiences.

You have experience working with APIs, integrations, and modern SaaS platforms.

You can balance immediate customer requirements with the need to build scalable, repeatable solutions.

Nice to Have

Previous experience as a Forward Deployed Engineer, Solutions Engineer, or Technical Consultant.

Experience with developer tools, enterprise SaaS, HR technology, or other API‑first/integration‑heavy platforms.

Experience building or scaling a Forward Deployed Engineering or Solutions Engineering organization.

Experience operating in globally distributed or matrixed organizations.

You’ll Thrive in This Role If

You enjoy building teams, operating models, and standards from the ground up.

You are energized by ambiguity and fast‑moving environments.

You have a strong sense of ownership and hold yourself and your team to a high quality bar.

You combine strategic thinking with a willingness to get deeply involved in execution.

You enjoy working directly with customers on their most complex technical problems.

Benefits

Compensation

The role offers target total compensation of $300,000–$350,000, including base salary and a variable component tied to individual and company performance. The overall package also includes equity and a comprehensive benefits program.

We are an equal opportunity employer and consider qualified candidates without regard to race, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or other characteristics protected by applicable law.