Forward Deployed Engineer

Xcede; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 170,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Xcede is seeking a Founding Forward Deployed Engineer to lead complex customer deployments and own technical outcomes from initial problem definition through production. You’ll work directly with customers, solve ambiguous technical challenges, build reusable solutions, and help establish the operating model for a growing deployment organization. Location: San Francisco or New York City.

Hybrid work model with 3 days in the office. Travel up to 50%. Relocation assistance available.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of engineering or technical delivery experience.
• Experience taking projects from 0→1 to production.
• Strong software engineering across frontend and backend.
• Experience leading complex technical projects under pressure.
• Excellent communication and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to operate independently in fast-changing environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical customer engagements from discovery through production.
• Build scalable deployment solutions with reusable components.
• Move quickly in ambiguous, high-pressure environments.
• Develop tools, playbooks, and processes to improve deployment efficiency.
• Coach teammates and help build a high-performing engineering team.
• Surface customer and product insights to Product, Engineering, and Research.
• Establish safe, effective practices for deploying AI in real-world environments.

Skills

Frontend

Backend

Customer engagements

Project leadership

Independent work

Problem solving

Cross-functional teamwork

Job description

We’re looking for a Founding Forward Deployed Engineer to lead complex customer deployments and own technical outcomes from initial problem definition through production.

You’ll work directly with customers, solve ambiguous technical challenges, build reusable solutions, and help establish the operating model for a growing deployment organization. You’ll also partner with Product, Engineering, and Research teams to turn field experience into better products and scalable deployment practices.

Location: San Francisco or New York City

Work model: Hybrid, 3 days/week in office

Travel: Up to 50%

Relocation assistance available

Responsibilities

• Lead technical customer engagements from discovery through production.


• Build scalable deployment solutions while balancing customization with reuse.


• Move quickly and make sound technical decisions in ambiguous, high-pressure environments.


• Develop tools, playbooks, and processes that improve deployment efficiency.


• Coach teammates and help build a high-performing engineering team.


• Surface customer and product insights to Product, Engineering, and Research.


• Help establish safe, effective practices for deploying AI in real-world environments.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of engineering or technical delivery experience.


• Experience taking projects from 0→1 and prototype to production.


• Strong software engineering skills across frontend and backend.


• Experience leading complex technical projects under pressure.


• Strong judgment, communication, and problem-solving skills.


• Ability to operate independently in fast-changing environments.


• Experience working directly with customers or cross-functional stakeholders.


• A track record of turning complex problems into simple, scalable solutions.