Forward Deployed Engineer Lead / Architect

Ztek Consulting, Inc.; Minneapolis (MN); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Ztek Consulting, Inc. is seeking a Forward Deployed Engineer Lead / Architect in Minneapolis, MN. This hybrid role requires senior-level full-stack expertise and hands-on leadership to design and deploy AI-enabled enterprise applications for clients.

You will lead delivery pods, architect scalable solutions, and collaborate with clients to translate business needs into robust AI-enabled software, while guiding teams through modern tooling and frameworks.

Qualifications

• 8–10 years of software engineering experience.
• Strong API, microservices, cloud-native architecture, and DevOps/CI-CD expertise.
• Experience with Azure, Azure OpenAI, AI Foundry, LLM integrations, and AI-assisted tools.
• Knowledge of AI agents, agentic workflows, LangGraph, LangChain, or similar frameworks.
• Proven leadership experience managing engineering teams or delivery pods.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and delivery of AI-enabled enterprise applications.
• Bridge client needs with technical delivery through architecture and hands-on coding.
• Mentor engineers, coordinate delivery pods, and manage stakeholder expectations.

Skills

API & Microservices

Cloud-native architecture

Azure & OpenAI

LangChain / LangGraph

AI agents / workflows

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Job description

Job Title: Forward Deployed Engineer Lead / Architect

Location: Minneapolis, MN (Hybrid)

Duration: 15+ Months

Job Description:

Client is seeking experienced Forward Deployed Engineer Leads/Architects to build and deploy AI-enabled enterprise applications. This is a highly visible opportunity for senior engineers who combine strong full-stack development expertise with modern AI technologies and customer-facing leadership skills.

Required Skills

• 8–10 years of software engineering experience
• Strong experience with APIs, microservices, cloud-native architecture, and DevOps/CI-CD
• Experience with Azure, Azure OpenAI, AI Foundry, LLM integrations, and AI-assisted development tools
• Knowledge of AI agents, agentic workflows, LangGraph, LangChain, or similar frameworks
• Proven leadership experience managing engineering teams or delivery pods
• Strong stakeholder management, communication, and consulting skills

Preferred

• Experience delivering AI-enabled applications in production
• Healthcare, PBM, Insurance, or other regulated industry experience
• Experience leading AI-native or Agentic AI initiatives