Forward-Deployed AI Engineering Lead

WeHireYou; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Labelbox is seeking a Forward Deployed Engineering Manager to lead the FDE team that designs data pipelines and customer-facing instructions for AI training, ensuring technical quality and scalable delivery. You will coach engineers, manage staffing cadence, and drive reusable templates and playbooks to accelerate impact across customers.

The role blends people leadership, deep technical acumen, and delivery discipline, with close collaboration to align with customer objectives and project

Qualifications

• Strong forward-deployed / FDE background, or significant experience managing technical or delivery people.
• Willingness to be a hands-on, player-coach manager with technical depth.
• Demonstrated ability to scope work, design pipelines, and coach teams.
• Ability to collaborate across SLs, GMs, and cross-functional stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead the FDE team end-to-end: hire, coach, manage performance, and develop careers.
• Own staffing cadence and match FDEs to projects by skill and development need.
• Set and uphold the craft bar: scoping, pipeline design, and quality instrumentation.
• Protect FDE focus: keep engineers on scoping and customer data needs.
• Own onboarding and the bar for staffable FDEs, including core exercises.
• Drive reuse: build templates, tooling, and playbooks to scale pipelines.
• Coordinate with FDRs on research, efficacy, and customer needs.
• Partner with SPL Manager, Deployment Leads, and GMs on staffing and delivery.
• Step in on escalations and maintain live view of team capacity.

Skills

Forward-deployed / FDE background

People management

Technical leadership

Delivery excellence

Job description

Labelbox is seeking a Forward Deployed Engineering Manager to lead the FDE team that designs data pipelines and customer-facing instructions for AI training, ensuring technical quality and scalable delivery. You will coach engineers, manage staffing cadence, and drive reusable templates and playbooks to accelerate impact across customers.

The role blends people leadership, deep technical acumen, and delivery discipline, with close collaboration to align with customer objectives and project