Forward Deployed Engineer, Microsoft AI

Ingram Micro Inc.; Irvine (CA); Hybrid; USD 133,000 - 227,000; Full time

Job summary

Ingram Micro Inc. seeks a Forward-Deployed Engineer for Microsoft AI to design, build, test and deploy production AI agents within customer environments. You will work with Microsoft Copilot, Foundry, and related cloud services, applying security and performance standards.

The role emphasizes end-to-end delivery from discovery to handoff, collaboration with partners, and sharing reusable components across engagements. Hybrid work in Irvine, CA is offered.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 8+ years in software engineering, solutions architecture, or technical consulting, including 5+ years building enterprise cloud or AI solutions.
• Customer-facing delivery experience, with a record of shipping production software.
• Experience working with global or regional teams; travel to customer sites as required.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain technical designs to business and technical stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Engineer production agents with customers using the practice's shared templates, components, and tooling, following standard build patterns so every solution is built the same way.
• Build agents on the Microsoft frontier stack and select appropriate models from the Microsoft Foundry model catalog for each workload.
• Prototype, validate architectures, and test approaches in real customer environments, and harden agents for production.
• Apply security, data-boundary, and performance standards to every solution, including managed agent identity and guardrails.
• Implement grounding and retrieval with Foundry IQ, integrate tools through Toolboxes, Model Context Protocol, and connectors, and build memory, tool use, and multi-step workflows.

Skills

Customer-facing delivery

Communication skills

Travel willingness

Cloud/AI solutions

Education

Bachelor's degree in computer science or related field

Job description

## Forward Deployed Engineer, Microsoft AIApply: Hybrid: Irvine, CA, United States of America: Full time: Posted Today: R-117801**Accelerate your career. Join the organization that's driving the world's technology and shape the future.**Ingram Micro is a leading technology company for the global information technology ecosystem. With the ability to reach nearly 90% of the global population, we play a vital role in the worldwide IT sales channel, bringing products and services from technology manufacturers and cloud providers to business-to-business technology experts. Our market reach, diverse solutions and services portfolio, and digital platform Ingram Micro XvantageTM set us apart. Learn more at www.ingrammicro.comCome join our team where you’ll make technology happen in surprising ways. Let’s shape tomorrow - it’ll be a fun journey! **ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY**Ingram Micro is the largest IT distributor in the world and one of the largest Microsoft distribution partners globally. Its Forward-Deployed Engineering practice works embedded with customers to turn priority AI use cases into production solutions, then packages what works so partners can deliver it across markets. The Forward-Deployed Principal Services Engineer designs, builds, tests, and deploys AI agents and applications using Microsoft 365 Copilot, Copilot Studio, Azure AI Foundry, and related Microsoft cloud services. Working within the reference architectures, engineering standards, and reusable components set by the practice, the role ships production software rather than proofs of concept and works end to end from discovery through deployment and handoff. It serves as the in-house expert on the Microsoft agent stack for the engagements it leads. The role works closely with the Senior Principal Services Architect, the Microsoft Practice Leads, and system integrator partners, and with business, technical, and regional stakeholders to turn prioritized use cases into secure, production-ready solutions. As the practice grows, the role offers a path to senior principal responsibilities, including setting the standards the practice builds on. **YOUR ROLE*** Engineer production agents with customers using the practice's shared templates, components, and tooling, following standard build patterns so every solution is built the same way* Build agents on the Microsoft frontier stack and select appropriate models from the Microsoft Foundry model catalog for each workload* Prototype, validate architectures, and test approaches in real customer environments, and harden agents for production* Apply security, data-boundary, and performance standards to every solution, including managed agent identity and guardrails* Implement grounding and retrieval with Foundry IQ, integrate tools through Toolboxes, Model Context Protocol, and connectors, and build memory, tool use, and multi-step workflows* Deploy the same solution across customers through standard pipelines, and publish and govern agents in Microsoft 365 Copilot, Teams, and Agent 365* Lead time-bound customer engagements, typically measured in weeks, with defined handoff and enablement milestones* Work directly with customers and partners to understand their business priorities, use cases, and gaps, and translate them into solution designs* Contribute reusable agents, workflows, and components to the practice library, built once and reused across customers* Contribute to packaging mature agents into marketplace-ready offers and to enablement content for system integrator partners* Co-deliver with system integrator partners and support them until they can deliver independently* Share field feedback with the Senior Principal Services Architect to refine reference architectures and standards* Coach and review the work of other engineers and partner delivery teams **REQUIREMENTS*** Bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field, or equivalent experience* 8+ years in software engineering, solutions architecture, or technical consulting, including 5+ years building enterprise cloud or AI solutions* Customer-facing delivery experience, with a record of shipping production software* Experience working with global or regional teams; travel to customer sites as required* Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain technical designs to business and technical stakeholdersThe typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $133,400.00 - $226,800.00 per year.The ranges above reflect the potential annual base pay across the U.S. for all roles; the applicable base pay range will depend on the candidate’s primary work location, pay grade, and variable compensation plan. Individual base pay within each range depends on various factors, in addition to primary work location, such as complexity and responsibility of role, job duties/requirements, and relevant experience and skills. Base pay ranges are reviewed and typically updated each year. Offers are made within the base pay range applicable at the time of hire. New hires starting base pay generally falls in the bottom half (between the minimum and midpoint) of a pay range.At Ingram Micro certain roles are eligible for additional rewards, including merit increases, annual bonus or sales incentives and long-term incentives. These awards are allocated based on position level and individual performance. U.S.-based employees have access to healthcare benefits, paid time off, parental leave, a 401(k) plan and company match, short-term and long-term disability coverage, basic life insurance, and wellbeing benefits, among others.This is not a complete listing of the job duties. It’s a representation of the things you will be doing, and you may not perform all these duties.Please be prepared to pass a drug test and successfully pass a pre-employment (post offer) background check.Ingram Micro Inc. is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any other protected category under applicable law.