Director- Forward Deployed Engineering (Remote)

Lenovo; Morrisville (NC); Hybrid; USD 280,000 - 330,000; Full time

Job summary

Lenovo is seeking a hands-on, senior engineering leader to run a team of Forward Deployed Engineers (FDEs) across Lenovo Solutions & Services Group in the United States. You will translate business needs into practical AI solutions, guide delivery across domains, and shape scalable practices with strong executive communication.

You will lead technical depth while partnering with business stakeholders to ensure measurable outcomes and adoption across functions.

Qualifications

• 15+ years in software engineering, solutions engineering, applied AI, or a related technical leadership role.
• Strong technical depth and hands-on ability when needed.
• Experience leading teams that build and deploy AI, automation, or intelligent workflow solutions.
• Experience with Microsoft AI platforms (Copilot Studio, Azure OpenAI, M365, Power Platform).
• Clear communicator and people leader who can explain decisions to leadership.
• Proven ability to define operating models, delivery playbooks, and standards for a growing engineering function.
• Strong engineering judgment with hands-on depth to review approaches.
• Background in technical consulting, solutions architecture, or field engineering leadership.
• Experience with change enablement or user adoption alongside delivery.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of FDEs embedded in business functions, partnering with Domain Leaders to map workflows and identify AI opportunities.
• Set standards for translating business problems into scoped use cases.
• Guide FDEs in designing AI solutions using Microsoft AI platforms, RAG pipelines, and automation tooling.
• Coach the team to prototype quickly and iterate within short sprints with engineering discipline.
• Define reusable methods, playbooks, and delivery standards scalable across squads.
• Ensure adoption by coordinating with change resources and business owners.
• Provide executive updates on progress, risks, and business impact.
• Shape the long-term FDE practice and engagement models.

Skills

Technical leadership

Hands-on engineering

AI solutions

Team management

Communication

Tools

Copilot Studio

Azure OpenAI

Power Platform

M365

Job description

* United States of America - North Carolina - Morrisville

Why Work at Lenovo

We are Lenovo. We do what we say. We own what we do. We WOW our customers.

Lenovo is a US$83 billion revenue global technology powerhouse, ranked #153 in the Fortune Global 500, and serving millions of customers every day in 180 markets. Focused on a bold vision to deliver Smarter Technology for All, Lenovo has built on its success as the world’s largest PC company with a full-stack portfolio of AI-enabled, AI-ready, and AI-optimized devices (PCs, workstations, smartphones, tablets), infrastructure (server, storage, edge, high performance computing and software defined infrastructure), software, solutions, and services. Lenovo’s continued investment in world-changing innovation is building a more equitable, trustworthy, and smarter future for everyone, everywhere. Lenovo is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange under Lenovo Group Limited (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY).

This transformation together with Lenovo’s world-changing innovation is building a more inclusive, trustworthy, and smarter future for everyone, everywhere. To find out more visit www.lenovo.com , and read about the latest news via our StoryHub .

Description and Requirements

Description and Requirements

Lenovo Solutions & Services Group is running a company-wide AI transformation program, embedding engineering talent directly inside business functions. Forward Deployed Engineers (FDEs) are the builders at the center of that model.

As an FDE Director, you will lead a team of Forward Deployed Engineers embedded across business functions, ensuring they identify high-value AI opportunities, translate business needs into practical solutions, and deliver measurable impact through short sprint cycles. You will partner closely with Domain Leaders, senior stakeholders, and platform teams to guide execution, remove blockers, and ensure every engagement moves from discovery to adoption with clear business outcomes.

The right candidate is a hands-on technical leader who can manage and develop a high-performing FDE team while also defining and shaping the FDE practice for Lenovo Solutions & Services Group. This role requires strong engineering judgment, business partnership, people leadership, and the ability to establish repeatable practices that help FDEs deliver scalable AI solutions across functions.

What You Will Do

Discover and Define

• Lead a team of FDEs embedded in business functions, helping them work with Domain Leaders and subject matter experts to map workflows, surface pain points, and identify high-value AI opportunities.
• Set standards for how FDEs translate business problems into scoped, deliverable use cases, balancing ambition with what is practical to build, deploy, and adopt.

Lead Delivery and Practice Development

• Guide FDEs in designing and building AI solutions using the right tools for the problem, including Microsoft AI and productivity platforms, RAG pipelines, agent workflows, automation tooling, and custom development where needed.
• Coach the team to prototype quickly, test with real users, and iterate within short sprint cycles while maintaining strong engineering discipline.
• Define reusable FDE methods, playbooks, delivery standards, and quality expectations that can scale across squads and business functions.

Drive Adoption and Impact

• Hold the team accountable for adoption as well as technical delivery, ensuring FDEs work with change resources and business owners so solutions are used in day-to-day operations.
• Review feedback after deployment, identify patterns across engagements, and use lessons learned to improve the FDE operating model over time.
• Shape the long-term FDE practice, including engagement models, role expectations, reusable assets, and mechanisms for measuring business impact.

Communicate and Collaborate

• Serve as the senior bridge between business stakeholders, FDEs, data teams, and platform partners, ensuring priorities, constraints, and technical decisions are clearly understood.
• Provide clear executive-level updates on team progress, delivery risks, adoption outcomes, and tradeoffs to technical and senior non-technical audiences.

What We’re Looking For

Required

• 15 or more years in software engineering, solutions engineering, applied AI, or a closely related technical leadership role, including experience managing technical teams.
• Strong technical depth and willingness to be hands-on when needed, including reviewing designs, troubleshooting complex issues, validating prototypes, and helping the team make sound engineering decisions.
• Experience leading teams that build and deploy AI, automation, or intelligent workflow solutions in real business settings.

Preferred

• Experience with Microsoft AI platforms: Copilot Studio, Azure OpenAI, M365, Power Platform.
• Clear communicator and people leader; able to explain technical decisions in plain language, coach FDEs through complex delivery situations, and build trust with business and leadership audiences.
• Proven ability to define operating models, delivery playbooks, technical standards, and talent development practices for a growing engineering function.
• Strong engineering judgment with enough hands-on depth to review solution approaches, challenge assumptions, and guide teams when off-the-shelf tooling is not sufficient.
• Background in technical consulting, solutions architecture, customer-facing engineering, or leadership of field engineering teams.
• Experience with change enablement, user adoption, or process redesign alongside technical delivery.

What Success Looks Like

• FDE teams consistently deliver working solutions into users’ hands at the end of each sprint, not decks or isolated proofs of concept.
• Measurable business outcomes: time saved, processes improved, decisions made faster.
• A strong FDE team with clear expectations, coaching, delivery discipline, and a shared understanding of what excellent field deployment looks like.
• A repeatable FDE practice that can scale across functions, improve with each engagement, and become a durable capability for Lenovo Solutions & Services Group.

We offer flexibility in where you work! This role is eligible for remote work. If you live within commuting distance of our Chicago, IL or Raleigh, NC offices, you'll enjoy a hybrid schedule with three days in the office and two days working from home each week. If you're located outside of these areas, you'll have the opportunity to work remotely, based on business needs.

In CA, CO, CT, DC, HI IL, MD, MA, MN, NV, NJ, NY, OR, RI, WA the base salary range budgeted for this position is $280,000 – $330,000 (annually). Individuals may also be considered for bonuses and/or commissions. Lenovo’s various benefits can be found at www.lenovobenefits.com

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any federal, state, or local protected class.

Additional Locations: United States of America - North Carolina - Morrisville

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