Forward Deployed Engineer

David Joseph & Company; New York (NY); On-site; USD 240,000 - 600,000; Full time

Job summary

David Joseph & Company, a bootstrapped AI consulting firm, embeds small teams of strategists and engineers into Fortune 500 operations to help them become AI-native and solve real enterprise problems. As a Forward Deployed Engineer, you will design, develop, and maintain modern web and agentic applications, own initiatives end-to-end, and present work directly to client stakeholders.

Located in New York City, this on-site, full-time role offers a base salary of $240,000–$600,000 plus uncapped

Qualifications

• 3-8+ years software engineering experience.
• Requires client-facing experience and ability to work autonomously in ambiguity.
• NYC on-site role with frequent client travel.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain modern web and agentic applications for Fortune 500 clients.
• Own technical initiatives end-to-end from architecture to production delivery.
• Present technical work and architecture to clients in a clear, consultative way.

Skills

Client-facing

Autonomy

Fast-paced

Job description

New York City, NY · On-site · Full-time
Compensation: $240,000–$600,000 (guaranteed base + uncapped quarterly variable) + competitive equity

About the Company

A fully bootstrapped AI consulting firm that embeds small teams of strategists and engineers directly into Fortune 500 operations to help them become AI-native. The company is a formal implementation partner to leading frontier AI labs, working alongside their applied‑AI teams on real enterprise problems. It has grown from a handful of people to roughly 40 in about a year, with rapid continued hiring planned.

Founded 2025 · ~40 people · Industry: AI Consulting

The Role

Work in a small pod that embeds with a client, learns the domain, and owns the problem end‑to‑end. As a Forward Deployed Engineer you act as a genuine client‑facing software engineer who designs, develops, and maintains modern web and agentic applications — and presents that work directly to client stakeholders.

What you’ll be doing

• Design, build, and maintain modern web and agentic applications directly for Fortune 500 clients
• Own technical initiatives end‑to‑end, from architecture through production delivery
• Operate with high autonomy in ambiguous, fast‑moving client environments
• Present technical work and architecture directly to clients in a clear, consultative way
• Travel to client sites roughly once a month to work in person with stakeholders

Tech stack: Modern web + agentic application development; agentic coding tools used in daily workflow.

Requirements

• 3-8+ years software engineering
• Client‑facing experience required
• High autonomy, ambiguous environments
• NYC 5 days in‑person + monthly client travel
• Guaranteed base + uncapped variable

Green Flags

• Genuine client‑facing or customer‑facing experience where the candidate owned the relationship and delivered real outcomes
• Founder, co‑founder, or CTO background at a startup, especially someone who built a solo AI or software development practice, even without major commercial traction
• Track record of shipping fast and independently, without waiting to be told what’s next
• Comfortable presenting technical architecture in a clear, consultative, non‑technical‑friendly way
• Background at teams inside larger companies known for strong engineering bars

Red Flags

• Career built entirely at large, brand‑name organizations with traditional, slower‑moving software stacks (large banks, telecom, defense contractors)
• Held a "Forward Deployed Engineer" title elsewhere without functioning as a genuine hands‑on engineer
• Master's degree in computer science with no compensating signal of shipped, independent work
• Comfortable working a standard 40‑hour week without urgency; not a fit for a role where deliverables sometimes require working through a weekend
• No demonstrated experience operating independently in ambiguous, fast‑changing environments

Why Join

• Formal partner to leading frontier AI labs — work alongside their applied‑AI teams on real Fortune 500 problems
• Small pods that own the domain end‑to‑end; among the steepest growth of your career
• Guaranteed base plus uncapped quarterly variable tied directly to shipped output

Details

• Location: New York City, NY
• Work policy: 5 days/week in person + ~monthly client‑site travel
• Compensation: $240,000–$600,000 (base + uncapped variable) + equity
• Visa sponsorship: H-1B
• Employment type: Full-time