Forward Deployed Engineer

Vantaca; Wilmington (NC); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision from day one

Unlimited PTO

401K with company match

Remote flexible - office optional

Parental leave

Job summary

HOAi, now part of Vantaca, seeks a Forward Deployed Engineer to design, build, and deploy AI agent solutions that replace manual processes at scale. You’ll own end-to-end implementations, from architecture to automation, and act as a trusted advisor to clients.

You’ll collaborate with engineering and product teams to ensure seamless integration into existing ecosystems, delivering high‑quality outcomes for residents and boards.

Qualifications

• 2+ years in customer success, SaaS implementation, or AI-driven process optimization.
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, or related field.
• Excellent communication and customer-facing skills, including explaining complex tech to non‑tech users.
• Strong problem-solving mindset with the ability to thrive in ambiguity, move fast and own outcomes.
• Ability to quickly understand complex systems and client software/databases.

Responsibilities

• Own deployment of agentic workflows, including configuration, integration, and launch for maximum automation.
• Engage with clients to translate complex operations into scalable agent solutions.
• Analyze and refine AI automation performance for optimization opportunities.
• Debug APIs, data pipelines, and AI model integrations in real time.
• Train customers on best practices for HOAi’s automation platform.
• Collaborate with product/engineering to translate field learnings into improvements.
• Develop playbooks and repeatable deployment patterns to scale onboarding.
• Monitor customer automation success and identify expansion opportunities.

Skills

SaaS implementation

Workflow automation

Customer success

AI-driven optimization

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in CS or engineering

Tools

OpenAI

Anthropic

Cursor

Windsurf

Gemini

Job description

Description

HOAi is a fast-growing startup revolutionizing the community association management industry. Our AI workforce platform integrates machine learning technology to streamline labor-heavy processes, eliminating inefficiencies and driving scalability. With rapid growth in the AI space, we are pushing boundaries to redefine industry standards.

HOAi is the leading AI solution for the community association management industry, enabling organizations to deploy AI Agents that function like experienced managers. These AI Agents go beyond traditional AI by proactively executing complex, multi-step processes with human-like reasoning-working autonomously, 24/7, across your entire operation. This transformation optimizes labor costs, enables growth without additional hires, and ensures faster, higher-quality service for residents and board members.

HOAi was acquired by Vantaca in the fall of 2024. Vantaca just achieved unicorn status with a $1.25B valuation, so it's safe to say we're past the "scrappy startup phase." We're not just building a successful company - we're building the category-defining platform that will transform how an entire industry operates.

Here’s the reality of our trajectory:

• Growing 100% year-over-year
• Our AI product (HOAi) went from $0 to millions in months
• Backed by Cove Hill Partners and JMI Private Equity
• 6M+ doors on our platform, displacing legacy systems

Overview

As a Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE), you’ll work directly with customers to design, build, and deploy AI agent solutions that replace manual processes at scale. You will own mission-critical implementations, from architecture to automation, ensuring that our AI agents operate effectively in highly complex customer environments. This role is ideal for engineers who are great at problem-solving, moving fast, and working directly with customers to deliver outcomes that matter. You will collaborate across our engineering and product teams—acting as the connective tissue between client problems and platform solutions. You'll serve as a trusted technical advisor to clients, ensuring that AI solutions integrate seamlessly into their existing ecosystems, and as a key problem-solving resource to engineering teams.

Core Values

• Always Growing:Likes change and enjoys finding new ways to improve their knowledge and the product. Always ready to learn quickly, helping themselves and the team grow.
• Win as a Team:Builds trust and works together by making sure everyone communicates well. Actively involved in daily work, working closely with the team, listening to their ideas, and celebrating successes together.
• Accountability Starts with Me:Notices problems and takes personal action to solve them.
• Unwavering Commitment to Customer Experience:Regularly talks to customers, taking personal responsibility to understand what they need, address concerns, and make their experience better with improved Vantaca processes.
• Innovate Boldly:We challenge the status quo and push boundaries to create meaningful change. We act with urgency and purpose, knowing that innovation drives our success.

Responsibilities

• Own deployment of agentic workflows, including configuration, integration, and launch to ensure customers maximize automation capabilities
• Engage directly with clients to understand complex operational workflows and translate them into scalable solutions for agents to accomplish
• Analyze and refine AI automation performance, identifying opportunities for process optimization
• Solve critical technical challenges in real time, including debugging APIs, data pipelines, and AI model integrations
• Train and guide customers on best practices for using HOAi's AI automation platform
• Collaborate closely with product and engineering teams to translate field learnings into product improvements
• Develop playbooks and repeatable deployment patterns that allow HOAi to scale client onboarding and expansion
• Proactively monitor customer automation success, identifying opportunities for expansion and improvement
• Act as a strategic advisor, helping clients transition from manual workflows to fully automated operations
• Stay ahead of AI developments, helping clients and internal teams navigate evolving agentic capabilities

Requirements

• 2+ years of experience in in customer success, SaaS implementation, workflow automation, or AI-driven process optimization, ideally in fast-paced, customer-facing environments (startups, consulting, leading tech companies)
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, or related field from a top-tier institution or experience at a leading tech company/startup required
• Excellent communication and customer-facing skills, including the ability to explain complex technical concepts simply to less tech‑inclined customers
• Strong problem-solving mindset, with an ability to thrive in ambiguity, move fast and take ownership of outcomes
• Ability to quickly understand complex systems, including client-specific software and databases
• Experience deploying AI solutions or integrating AI tools (OpenAI, Anthropic, Cursor, Windsurf, Gemini) is a plus
• Demonstrated interest in real estate or financial technology is a plus

Why You Should Join Our Team

• Our eNPS is +68! (Google it, that is great).
• Benefits: Medical, Dental, and Vision kick in day one.
• Unlimited PTO (with a requirement for employees to take a minimum of one continuous week per year).
• 401K with Company Match.
• Remote Flexible - come to the office when needed.
• Great parental leave benefits.
• Named on Inc 5000 list of America’s Fastest Growing Private Companies.
• Named on Inc 5000 Vet 100 Private Companies list multiple years in a row.
• Winner of Coastal Entrepreneur Award, Technology Category.
• Active employee-led Culture Committee.
• Ongoing industry and professional development trainings available to all employees.
• Multiple leaders on the executive committee recognized as 40 under 40 recipients for contributions to business and community.
• We're playing offense to win! Our product market fit and our world-class employees make us the leader in our space. We're building something cool and people like it here.

We receive many resumes for our open positions and each one is reviewed by a human being on our recruiting team. We will compare your background with the qualifications and requirements for the position.

If you are selected for an interview you will receive an e-mail from someone on our recruiting team with an @vantaca.com email address. It may take some time for us to review all of the applications so give us some time to respond. We appreciate your interest in this role.