Forward Deployed Engineer

RRC; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

RRC - Ruiz Recruiting & Consulting is seeking a Forward Deployed Engineer to partner with top enterprise customers and design, implement, and scale custom AI Operator solutions. You will own end-to-end builds, from data integration to production-grade workflows and human-in-the-loop systems.

Ideal candidates have 4+ years in software/AI/data engineering, strong JavaScript, Python, SQL skills, and proven client-facing communication. US-based roles preferred, with enterprise‑scale impact.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of software dev, AI systems design, or data/solutions engineering.
• Strong JavaScript, Python, SQL skills and systems integration.
• Experience building prod-grade apps unifying data, AI features, and frontends.
• Hands-on experience integrating commercial AI APIs into enterprise systems.
• Excellent client-facing communication with technical and executive stakeholders.
• US-based: located in the United States.

Responsibilities

• Architect custom AI operator workflows aligned with customer infra.
• Build and configure platform primitives for production workflows.
• Deploy end-to-end data pipelines, LLM interfaces, and operator portals.
• Develop AI-powered automation sequences with human-in-the-loop gates.
• Collaborate with customer teams and executives to ensure adoption and outcomes.
• Partner with Deployment Strategists, Product, and Sales across lifecycle.
• Create reusable accelerators and deployment patterns to scale.

Skills

Engineering Depth

JavaScript

Python

SQL

AI Integration

System Integration

Client Communication

US-Based

Tools

Anthropic API

OpenAI API

Gemini API

Job description

RRC - Ruiz Recruiting & Consulting is a specialized recruitment firm trusted by startups and enterprise-level companies nationwide. We're working with a leading venture‑backed startup pioneering the next generation of AI‑driven workflow for enterprise operations.

As a Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE), you will partner directly with our most strategic enterprise customers to design, implement, and scale custom AI Operator solutions that solve complex, real‑world business challenges. Sitting at the intersection of product, engineering, and customer operations, you will translate intricate business requirements into robust technical architectures.

You will own the technical build end‑to‑end: integrating AI systems with enterprise data sources, configuring our dynamic orchestration decision graphs, and shipping production‑grade solutions that seamlessly coordinate data, rules, AI, and human‑in‑the‑loop workflows.

What You Will Do (The Impact)

• Architect Custom Solutions: Lead design decisions to build secure, scalable, and compliant workflows on our platform, aligning directly with customer infrastructures and engineering best practices.
• Build & Configure: Program, configure, and extend core platform primitives to construct live, production‑grade workflows that route tasks across static rules, AI models, humans, and third‑party APIs.
• Deploy End‑to‑End: Ship fully integrated solutions encompassing data pipelines, LLM interfaces, customized operator portals, and immutable system event‑logging for absolute traceability.
• Develop Agentic Features: Stand up custom, AI‑powered automation sequences designed to resolve high‑consequence operational work, integrating human‑in‑the‑loop gates wherever risk or complexity demands it.
• Embed with Customers: Work hand‑in‑hand with customer teams—from frontline operational specialists to C‑suite executives—to deeply understand their systems, ensure smooth adoption, and prove measurable business outcomes.
• Collaborate Cross‑Functionally: Partner closely with internal Deployment Strategists, Product teams, and Sales to guide customers seamlessly from initial pre‑sales scoping to live production.
• Scale the Platform: Package custom customer implementations into reusable accelerators, frameworks, and deployment patterns to accelerate future deliveries and directly influence our core product roadmap.

What You Bring (Basic Qualifications)

• Proven Engineering Depth: 4+ years of professional software development, AI systems design, or data/solutions engineering experience.
• Tech Proficiency: Strong skills with Javascript, Python, solid SQL capabilities, and comfort across systems integration.
• Production Delivery: Professional/Non‑Professional experience designing, building, and deploying production‑grade applications that unify data pipelines, AI/ML features, and user‑facing frontend interfaces.
• Hands‑on AI Integration: Direct experience integrating commercial AI APIs (such as Anthropic, OpenAI, or Gemini) into functional enterprise systems.
• Strong Client‑Facing Communication: Exceptional communication skills with the ability to build trust with technical peers, operational leaders, and executive stakeholders alike.
• US‑Based: Located in the United States

Bonus Points (Preferred Qualifications)

• Enterprise AI Deployments: Experience implementing and scaling complex data or AI/ML products within major, named enterprise accounts.
• Orchestration & State Systems: Familiarity with distributed workflow/orchestration engines, rules‑driven execution systems, event‑driven architectures, or multi‑agent frameworks.
• Enterprise Integration Patterns: Experience constructing enterprise integrations involving secure authentication/authorization patterns, webhooks, data synchronization, and auditing.
• Operational Domain Experience: Industry experience working with high‑volume operational environments, such as customer service, supply chain, or complex business‑process operations.
• Agile Background: Prior experience as an early‑stage startup employee, founder, or tech consultant.

RRC is an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment including the decision to hire, promote, discipline, or discharge, will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.