Forward Deployed Engineer (Principal)

Ladders; United States; Remote; USD 132,000 - 212,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary bonuses

Equity grants

Medical, dental, vision plans

401(K) with company matching

Employee stock purchase program

Paid holidays, sick leave, vacation

Job summary

Ladders is seeking a Forward Deployed Engineer (Principal) to join our team. You bridge deep technical architecture with customer engagement, translating enterprise needs into scalable, cloud-native solutions.

You will collaborate with engineering teams and customer architects to design, validate, and improve production systems, including real-time AI inference and data pipelines, while guiding legacy-to-cloud migrations.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of software engineering experience.
• 5+ years in infrastructure, distributed systems, AI platforms, or Kubernetes at scale.
• Production experience with Go, Python or Java.
• Ability to credibly interact with C-suite stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary technical authority between engineering teams and enterprise architects.
• Architect and validate production-grade Kubernetes and VMware topologies.
• Design production systems for real-time AI inferencing and data pipelines.
• Lead migration strategies from legacy systems to cloud-native solutions.
• Engineer high-value prototypes and contribute code to core repositories.
• Translate customer pain points into product strategy with management.
• Establish best practices and mentor team members to improve performance.

Skills

Go

Python

Java

Kubernetes

GitOps

Architectural leadership

Tools

Kubernetes

VMware

Git

Job description

For our client, we are seeking a Forward Deployed Engineer (Principal) to join the team of a leader in the Telecommunications & Hardware space. This principal-level role sits at the intersection of deep technical architecture and customer engagement, helping enterprise stakeholders translate complex needs into scalable solutions. You will partner closely with engineering teams and customer architects to design, validate, and improve production systems in demanding environments. The role also focuses on bridging legacy infrastructure with cloud-native modernization while influencing product direction through real-world implementation insights.

Location: Remote - US based candidates only, no visa sponsorship available

Compensation: $132,200 – $211,500 annually

Responsibilities

• Act as the primary technical authority between engineering teams and enterprise customer architects
• Architect and validate production-grade Kubernetes and VMware topologies
• Design production systems for real-time AI inferencing and data pipelines
• Lead migration strategies for transitioning complex legacy systems to cloud-native solutions
• Engineer high-value prototypes and contribute code into core repositories
• Synthesize customer pain points into product strategies with management
• Establish best practices and mentor team members to improve performance

Qualifications

• 10+ years of software engineering experience
• 5+ years in infrastructure, distributed systems, AI platforms, or Kubernetes at scale
• Proven credibility with C-suite stakeholders
• Expertise in Kubernetes mechanics and GitOps architecture
• Extensive experience with high-throughput AI inferencing and virtualized GPU environments
• Track record of successful legacy-to-cloud-native migrations
• Hands-on coding proficiency in Go, Python, or Java

Benefits

• Discretionary annual bonuses
• Competitive new hire equity grants and annual equity awards
• Collaborative environment with opportunities for impactful contributions
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans
• 401(K) with company matching
• Employee stock purchase program
• Paid holidays, sick leave, and vacation time

Our client is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet every qualification—your background could be exactly what this team needs.