Senior Associate - Forward Deployed Engineer

New York Life; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 143,000; Full time

Job summary

New York Life is seeking a Forward Deployed Engineer to work closely with business teams, analysts, and engineers. The role emphasizes AI-assisted development, rapid prototyping, and delivering production-ready software aligned with business value.

You will leverage APIs, cloud platforms, and data products while collaborating across domains to accelerate enterprise capabilities and deliver measurable outcomes.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressively responsible software engineering experience.
• Experience building and integrating production applications using APIs, cloud services, data platforms, and modern software architecture patterns.
• Practical experience using AI-assisted software development tools.
• Strong problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Build and iterate working software from validated prototypes and architecture patterns.
• Use AI-assisted engineering tools for code generation, testing, and planning.
• Translate specifications into technical designs, APIs, and production-ready code.
• Collaborate with analysts, product owners, and engineers to refine requirements.
• Deliver production-ready software with tests, observability, and deployment readiness.
• Contribute reusable patterns and components across teams.

Skills

5+ years software eng

APIs & cloud

AI-assisted development

System integration

Strong communication

Job description

Location Designation: Hybrid - 3 days per week

Technology, Data, AI and Ventures:

Within the Tech, Data, AI, Ventures (TDAV) organization, our work is guided by a shared vision: deploying the power of technology, data, AI and ventures to accelerate sustainable competitive advantage for New York Life's businesses. We build solutions that power how we serve policy owners, agents, advisors and employees while delivering measurable business outcomes.

Across technology, data, AI, cyber, product, digital experience, architecture and infrastructure, TDAV combines the scale and investment of an industry leader, access to leading-edge technologies and the opportunity to help shape how a world-class financial services company competes in the AI era - all backed by the stability and purpose of a mutual company built to last.

Job Title Forward Deployed Engineer

Job Level PF3 - OK

Candidate TBD

Reporting To Rohit Katti, Executive Technology Leader

Location New York, NY

Work Arrangement Hybrid, 3 days per week in New York City

Cost Center Finance – Tech: 501115

Investment Order (IO) Strategic Big Bets, ORD 246701

Job Requisition ID To be assigned

Business Overview

New York Life is advancing strategic transformations designed to reimagine critical enterprise capabilities through business process redesign, modern technology, data, analytics, automation, and AI. Delivery is organized around small, outcome-focused teams that bring together Product Owners, forward deployed talent, domain and data specialists, control partners, and strategic engineering partners.

The delivery model is intentionally designed for an AI-enabled software development lifecycle. Teams use rapid prototyping, precise specifications, AI-assisted analysis and engineering, continuous user feedback, and strong production disciplines to shorten the path from business problem to measurable value.

Role Overview

The Forward Deployed Engineer is an engineer embedded close to the business and outcome team, responsible for rapidly converting validated product intent, prototypes, and implementation specifications into working, production-ready technology. The role combines software engineering, systems thinking, AI-assisted development, integration, and direct collaboration with users and domain teams.

Forward Deployed Engineers do not wait for traditional handoffs or fully decomposed tickets. They work from a prototype, PRD or implementation specification, enterprise architecture patterns, and direct feedback from the team to build, test, integrate and refine solutions quickly. AI-assisted engineering is a core competency and is used throughout the software development lifecycle.

How the Role Fits in the Outcome Team

Product Owner: What should we prioritize and why? Owns business value, prioritization, tradeoffs, and acceptance.

Forward Deployed Analyst: What exactly does the solution need to do? Owns implementation‑grade clarity, specifications, workflows, rules, data needs, exceptions, and acceptance criteria.

Forward Deployed Engineer: How do we engineer it correctly? Owns technical realization, system design, integration, quality, and production readiness.

AI is not a separate role in the pod. It is expected to accelerate discovery, specification, engineering, testing, and delivery across the team.

What You’ll Do

• Build and iterate working software directly from validated prototypes, PRDs, specifications, and architecture patterns.
• Use AI-assisted engineering tools extensively for code generation, refactoring, testing, documentation, debugging, and implementation planning while maintaining engineering accountability for the output.
• Translate functional specifications into technical designs, components, APIs, integration, data access patterns, and production-ready code.
• Partner closely with Forward Deployed Analysts to resolve ambiguity and refine specifications as technical learning emerges.
• Work directly with Product Owners, users, Domain SMEs, Data SMEs, architects, and strategic partner engineers in rapid feedback cycles.
• Integrate applications and agents with enterprise APIs, data products, platforms, identity, security, and control capabilities.
• Implement agentic and AI-enabled features using approved enterprise patterns, including tool integration, human checkpoints, observability, evaluation, and traceability.
• Develop automated tests and participate in validation, deployment, production readiness, and post‑release improvement.
• Apply strong engineering judgment to distinguish prototype shortcuts from production requirements and close the gap deliberately.
• Contribute reusable code, patterns, components, and engineering practices that can be adopted across outcome teams.

What You’ll Bring

Required Experience & Skills

• 5+ years of progressively responsible software engineering, application development, platform engineering, data engineering, or related technical experience.
• Strong hands‑on software engineering capability in one or more modern programming languages and frameworks.
• Experience building and integrating production applications using APIs, cloud services, data platforms, and modern software architecture patterns.
• Demonstrated ability to work from business intent and specifications rather than only from pre‑defined technical tasks.
• Experience with automated testing, CI/CD, observability, security, and production support practices.
• Practical experience using AI‑assisted software development tools and willingness to build with AI as a standard engineering practice.
• Strong problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills with the ability to work directly with business and technical stakeholders.

Preferred Experience

• Experience building generative AI or agentic applications, including tool use, retrieval, orchestration, evaluation, or human‑in‑the‑loop patterns.
• Experience in financial services, insurance, finance, investments, or another regulated enterprise environment.
• Experience with forward‑deployed, consulting, startup, or product engineering environments requiring high autonomy and rapid iteration.
• Experience with cloud‑native architecture, APIs, data platforms, and enterprise integration.

Why This Role

The Forward Deployed Engineer turns product intent and implementation‑grade specifications into working technology. The role is designed for a smaller, higher‑leverage engineering model in which engineers use AI extensively, work directly with the business and analysts, and retain responsibility for system design, integration, quality, and production readiness.

Company Overview

At New York Life, our 180‑year legacy of purpose and integrity fuels our future. As we evolve into a more technology, data, and AI‑enabled organization, we remain grounded in the values that drive lasting impact.

Our diverse business portfolio creates opportunities to make a difference across industries and communities, inviting bold thinking, collaborative problem‑solving, and purpose‑driven innovation. As a Fortune 1place to grow your skills, contribute to meaningful work, and deliver solutions that matter.

Pay Transparency

Salary Range: $100,000-$143,000

Overtime eligible: Exempt

Discretionary bonus eligible: Yes

Sales bonus eligible: No

Actual base salary will be determined based on several factors but not limited to individual’s experience, skills, qualifications, and job location. Additionally, employees are eligible for an annual discretionary bonus. In addition to base salary, employees may also be eligible to participate in an incentive program.

Company Overview

At New York Life, our 180-year legacy of purpose and integrity fuels our future. As we evolve into a more technology-, data-, and AI-enabled organization, we remain grounded in the values that drive lasting impact.

Our diverse business portfolio creates opportunities to make a difference across industries and communities—inviting bold thinking, collaborative problem‑solving, and purpose‑driven innovation. Here, you’ll find the rare balance of long-standing stability and forward momentum, supported by an inclusive team that honors tradition while embracing progress.

As a Fortune 100 mutual company, we offer a place to grow your skills, contribute to meaningful work, and deliver solutions that matter. Your ideas drive what’s next, and your growth powers it.

Our Benefits

We provide a full package of benefits for employees – and have unique offerings for a modern workforce, including leave programs, adoption assistance, and student loan repayment programs. Based on feedback from our employees, we continue to refine and add benefits to our offering, so that you can flourish both inside and outside of work. Click here to discover more about our comprehensive benefit options or visit our NYL Benefits Site.

Our Commitment to Inclusion

At New York Life, fostering an inclusive workplace is fundamental to who we are and how we serve our communities. We have a longstanding commitment to creating an environment where individuals can contribute their best and succeed together. This foundation is rooted in our core values of humanity and integrity, ensuring that every employee feels valued and supported. By embracing a broad range of perspectives and experiences, we achieve greater success and fulfill our promise of providing financial security and peace of mind to families across all communities. Click here to learn more about New York Life’s leadership in this space.

Job Requisition ID: 94980