Forward Deployed Engineering Manager, AWS Forward Deployed Engineering
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
Amazon Web Services (AWS) seeks an Forward Deployed Engineering Manager to lead a pod of FDEs embedded in strategic enterprise customers. You will own delivery outcomes, ensure production AI systems meet customer expectations, and guide engineering quality and team growth.
You’ll manage 5–15 engineers across one or more concurrent engagements, defining execution cadences, mentoring junior engineers, and partnering with AWS stakeholders to scale adoption and maintain high standards.
Qualifications
- 3+ years of engineering team management experience.
- 7+ years of Software Engineer, Software Developer, or related occupational experience.
- Bachelor's degree or foreign equivalent in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field.
- 3+ years of experience working in an Agile, startup, or rapidly scaling environment.
- Experience communicating technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences, including senior leadership.
- Experience with agentic and spec-driven development (developing AI agents a plus).
- Experience building or deploying AI/ML applications in production environments at scale.
Responsibilities
- Lead FDE pod delivery across one or more customer engagements; staff and structure the team for optimal coverage; define execution cadences and ensure engineering quality; travel 30–50%.
- Provide technical oversight for customer AI programs; review architecture decisions; align with customer needs and AWS best practices; resolve blockers and escalate strategically when needed.
- Ensure operational standards, evaluation frameworks, and production readiness criteria are met for AI systems; drive improvements within scope.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
A Forward Deployed Engineering Manager (FDE Manager) leads a pod of FDEs embedded within strategic enterprise customers, owning delivery execution, engineering quality, and team development for their scope. FDE Managers own pod-level outcomes — they ensure their team delivers production AI systems that meet customer expectations, develop their engineers' careers, and contribute to the broader FDE practice's engineering standards.
FDE Managers operate at pod/multi-pod scope. They lead 5–15 engineers, own technical delivery across one or more concurrent customer engagements, and define what "great" looks like for their team. They represent the FDE team to customer engineering leaders and AWS stakeholders, balancing delivery execution with people development.
- Own delivery across one or more customer engagements. Staff and structure the team for optimal customer coverage. Define execution cadences and ensure consistent engineering quality across active programs. Requires 30–50% travel.
- Provide technical oversight for customer AI programs within your scope. Review architecture decisions and ensure alignment with customer needs and AWS best practices. Resolve technical blockers and escal strategic when needed.
- Ensure operational standards, evaluation frameworks, and production readiness criteria are met for AI systems your team builds. Drive improvements that raise the operational bar within your scope.
- Hire, develop, and retain FDE talent. Coach junior FDEs toward independence and career growth. Drive performance management and create development plans. Contribute to hiring bar and calibration standards.
- Identify opportunities to expand AI adoption within your customer engagements. Ensure learnings are codified into reusable patterns and fed back into the broader FDE practice.
Amazon values diverse experiences. Even if you do not meet all of the preferred qualifications and skills listed in the job description, we encourage candidates to apply. If your career is just starting, hasn’t followed a traditional path, or includes alternative experiences, don’t let it stop you from applying.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform. We pioneered cloud computing and never stopped innovating — that’s why customers from the most successful startups to Global 500 companies trust our robust suite of products and services to power their businesses.
We value work-life harmony. Achieving success at work should never come at the expense of sacrifices at home, which is why we strive for flexibility as part of our working culture. When we feel supported in the workplace and at home, there’s nothing we can’t achieve in the cloud.
AWS values curiosity and connection. Our employee-led and company-sponsored affinity groups promote inclusion and empower our people to take pride in what makes us unique. Our inclusion events foster stronger, more collaborative teams. Our continual innovation is fueled by the bold ideas, fresh perspectives, and passionate voices our teams bring to everything we do.
We’re continuously raising our performance bar as we strive to become Earth’s Best Employer. That’s why you’ll find endless knowledge-sharing, mentorship and other career-advancing resources here to help you develop into a better-rounded professional.
The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.
Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.
Los Angeles County applicants: Job duties for this position include: work safely and cooperatively with other employees, supervisors, and staff; adhere to standards of excellence despite stressful conditions; communicate effectively and respectfully with employees, supervisors, and staff to ensure exceptional customer service; and follow all federal, state, and local laws and Company policies. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness and professionalism, and safeguard business operations and the Company’s reputation. Pursuant to the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.
- 3+ years of engineering team management experience
- 7+ years of Software Engineer, Software Developer, or related occupational experience
- Bachelor's degree or foreign equivalent in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field
- 3+ years of experience working in an Agile, startup, or rapidly scaling environment
- Experience communicating technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences, including senior leadership
- Experience with agentic and spec-driven development (developing AI agents a plus)
- Experience building or deploying AI/ML applications in production environments at scale
- Experience working with teams that build and scale end-to-end production systems
- Experience working in customer production environments
- Experience managing teams in customer-facing or consulting-adjacent engineering roles
- Background leading engineering teams in a startup, high-growth, or rapidly scaling environment
- Prior experience with React, TypeScript, Python, and/or Go
- Experience managing delivery across multiple concurrent customer programs
- 3+ years of leadership development and talent management experience
USA, CA, Mountain View - 212,700.00 - 287,700.00 USD annually
USA, CA, San Francisco - 212,700.00 - 287,700.00 USD annually
USA, MA, Boston - 184,900.00 - 250,200.00 USD annually
USA, NY, New York - 203,400.00 - 275,200.00 USD annually
USA, VA, Arlington - 184,900.00 - 250,200.00 USD annually
USA, VA, Herndon - 184,900.00 - 250,200.00 USD annually
USA, WA, Bellevue - 184,900.00 - 250,200.00 USD annually
USA, WA, Seattle - 184,900.00 - 250,200.00 USD annually
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