Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE) - Director

Citigroup; New York (NY); On-site; USD 170,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Citigroup is seeking a Forward Deployed Engineering Director to lead a high-performance squad embedded within Citi’s Lines of Business. You’ll translate complex business challenges into production-ready AI agents while enforcing architectural standards and engineering excellence.

You will partner with LOB Managing Directors and CIOs across NYC/London, directing 3-5 AI agent projects, mentoring 8 senior engineers, and ensuring compliance with enterprise blueprints and guardrails.

Qualifications

• 15+ years in technology with 8+ years leading engineering squads in Tier-1 banking, tech, or fintech.
• Hands-on understanding of modern AI paradigms including LLMs, autonomous agents, embeddings, vector search, and MCP.
• Proven track record of managing high-bandwidth client relationships and delivering complex distributed software in regulated production environments.
• Demonstrated ability to attract, recruit, develop, and retain elite senior engineering talent.
• Strong working knowledge of financial products, capital markets, wealth management, or enterprise banking operations.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary delivery partner to LOB MDs, CIOs, and business heads across NYC and London hubs.
• Direct sprint planning, resource allocation, architecture, and rapid delivery for 3-5 AI agent projects.
• Ensure all agentic software adheres to enterprise blueprints, evaluation gates, and Lakera Guardrails.
• Mentor and coach an embedded squad of 8 senior Forward Deployed Engineers (AVP–SVP).
• Drive design and integrations between autonomous agents and core banking backends, databases, and third-party APIs.

Skills

AI leadership

Distributed systems

Talent development

Stakeholder management

Regulatory banking knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree preferred

Tools

LLMs

Embeddings

Vector search

Model Context Protocol (MCP)

Job description

The Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE) Director is a senior management level position responsible for leading and directing a high-performing Forward Deployed Engineering squad embedded directly within Citi's Lines of Business. The overall objective of this role is to serve as the primary delivery executive partnering with LOB Managing Directors and CIOs to translate complex business challenges into production-ready, enterprise-grade AI agents while enforcing architectural standards, evaluation gates, and engineering excellence.

Responsibilities:

• Serves as the primary delivery partner to Line of Business Managing Directors, CIOs, and business product heads across NYC and London hubs.
• Directs sprint planning, resource allocation, technical architecture, and rapid delivery for 3-5 concurrent AI agent projects within the pod.
• Ensures all agentic software built by the pod strictly adheres to enterprise architectural blueprints, Agentflow evaluation gates, and Lakera Guardrails.
• Manages, mentors, and coaches an embedded squad of 8 senior Forward Deployed Engineers (Assistant Vice President - Senior Vice President), fostering a high-velocity culture of technical rigor, customer empathy, and rapid prototyping.
• Drives the design and implementation of system integrations between autonomous agents and core banking backends, databases, and third-party APIs.
• Collaborates with the Principal AI Architect Director and TPM Senior Vice President to refine factory delivery playbooks and provide structured feedback to platform teams.
• Appropriately assess risk when business decisions are made, demonstrating particular consideration for the firm's reputation and safeguarding Citigroup, its clients and assets, by driving compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations, adhering to Policy, applying sound ethical judgment regarding personal behavior, conduct and business practices, and escalating, managing and reporting control issues with transparency, as well as effectively supervise the activity of others and create accountability with those who fail to maintain these standards.

Qualifications:

• 15+ years of relevant technology experience, with 8+ years leading engineering squads in Tier-1 banking, top-tier tech, or fintech environments.
• Hands-on technical understanding of modern AI paradigms, including Large Language Models (LLMs), autonomous agents, embeddings, vector search, and Model Context Protocol (MCP).
• Proven track record of managing high-bandwidth client relationships and delivering complex distributed software systems into regulated production environments.
• Demonstrated ability to attract, recruit, develop, and retain elite senior engineering talent.
• Strong working knowledge of financial products, capital markets, wealth management, or enterprise banking operations.

Education:

• Bachelor's/University degree or equivalent experience
• Master's degree preferred.

Job Family Group: Technology

Job Family: Applications Development

Time Type: Full time

Primary Location: New York New York United States

Primary Location Full Time Salary Range: $170,000.00 - $300,000.00

In addition to salary, Citi's offerings may also include, for eligible employees, discretionary and formulaic incentive and retention awards. Citi offers competitive employee benefits, including: medical, dental & vision coverage; 401(k); life, accident, and disability insurance; and wellness programs. Citi also offers paid time off packages, including planned time off (vacation), unplanned time off (sick leave), and paid holidays. For additional information regarding Citi employee benefits, please visit citibenefits.com. Available offerings may vary by jurisdiction, job level, and date of hire.

Most Relevant Skills: Please see the requirements listed above.

Anticipated Posting Close Date: Nov 30, 2026

Automated Processing and AI

We use automated processing, including artificial intelligence, for our legitimate business interests (or our reasonable and appropriate business purposes) to identify and align the candidate's skills and abilities with a specific job opening. Additionally, if you so choose, or consent, we can match your skills and abilities to other suitable roles at Citi.Importantly, all our hiring processes and decisions, including determining your suitability for a role, are conducted, checked, and decided by individuals. Our automated processing and AI do not in