Senior Forward-Deployed AI Engineering Leader

Amazon Web Services (AWS); Herndon (VA); On-site; USD 220,000 - 342,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) matching

Paid time off

Parental leave

Job summary

Amazon Web Services, Inc. seeks a Senior Forward Deployed Engineering Manager (Senior FDE Manager) to lead 15–30+ engineers across multiple customer programs. You will set engineering direction, build scalable teams, and drive operational excellence across the FDE portfolio.

The role requires shaping delivery models, standards, and talent strategy while partnering with AWS leadership to deliver measurable business impact at scale.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of non-internship professional software development experience.
• 5+ years of engineering organization management experience (managing managers or large teams).
• 8+ years of leading design or architecture of new and existing systems.
• Experience defining technical strategy and delivery standards for an engineering organization.
• Experience managing teams across multiple concurrent programs or product lines.
• Experience managing engineering teams in customer-facing or forward-deployed environments at scale.
• Experience building or leading organizations delivering production AI or ML platforms.
• Track record of developing engineering managers and senior technical leaders.
• Experience representing engineering to executive leadership (VP/C-suite level).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; comfort working in customer-facing environments.
• Experience influencing product roadmaps through engineering and customer insights.
• Bachelor's degree in computer science or equivalent; advanced degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the FDE delivery organization across multiple customer engagements and pods.
• Define engagement models, staffing strategies, and delivery cadences; ensure quality.
• Define operational standards and production readiness criteria for AI systems.
• Build and scale the FDE team; coach and develop FDE Managers.
• Identify opportunities to expand AI adoption and influence AWS roadmaps.

Skills

Software development

Engineering management

System design leadership

Technical strategy

Program leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in computer science or equivalent

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Amazon Web Services, Inc. seeks a Senior Forward Deployed Engineering Manager (Senior FDE Manager) to lead 15–30+ engineers across multiple customer programs. You will set engineering direction, build scalable teams, and drive operational excellence across the FDE portfolio.

The role requires shaping delivery models, standards, and talent strategy while partnering with AWS leadership to deliver measurable business impact at scale.