Founding AI Engineer

Xcede; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Xcede is seeking a Founding Forward Deployed Engineer to lead complex customer deployments and own technical outcomes from initial problem definition through production.

You’ll work directly with customers, solve ambiguous technical challenges, build reusable solutions, and help establish the operating model for a growing deployment organization. This role is hybrid with in-office work three days per week in San Francisco or New York City.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of engineering or technical delivery experience.
• Experience taking projects from 0→1 and prototype to production.
• Strong software engineering skills across frontend and backend.
• Experience leading complex technical projects under pressure.
• Strong judgment, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to operate independently in fast-changing environments.
• Experience working directly with customers or cross-functional stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical customer engagements from discovery through production.
• Build scalable deployment solutions while balancing customization with reuse.
• Move quickly and make sound technical decisions in ambiguous, high-pressure environments.
• Develop tools, playbooks, and processes that improve deployment efficiency.
• Coach teammates and help build a high-performing engineering team.
• Surface customer and product insights to Product, Engineering, and Research.
• Help establish safe, effective practices for deploying AI in real-world environments.

Skills

Full-stack development

Technical project leadership

Customer collaboration

Communication

Independent work

Problem solving

Strategic thinking

Job description

We’re looking for a Founding Forward Deployed Engineer to lead complex customer deployments and own technical outcomes from initial problem definition through production.

You’ll work directly with customers, solve ambiguous technical challenges, build reusable solutions, and help establish the operating model for a growing deployment organization. You’ll also partner with Product, Engineering, and Research teams to turn field experience into better products and scalable deployment practices.

Location: San Francisco or New York City

Work model: Hybrid, 3 days/week in office

Travel: Up to 50%

Responsibilities

• Lead technical customer engagements from discovery through production.
• Build scalable deployment solutions while balancing customization with reuse.
• Move quickly and make sound technical decisions in ambiguous, high-pressure environments.
• Develop tools, playbooks, and processes that improve deployment efficiency.
• Coach teammates and help build a high-performing engineering team.
• Surface customer and product insights to Product, Engineering, and Research.
• Help establish safe, effective practices for deploying AI in real-world environments.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of engineering or technical delivery experience.
• Experience taking projects from 0→1 and prototype to production.
• Strong software engineering skills across frontend and backend.
• Experience leading complex technical projects under pressure.
• Strong judgment, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to operate independently in fast-changing environments.
• Experience working directly with customers or cross-functional stakeholders.
• A track record of turning complex problems into simple, scalable solutions.