Senior Forward Deployed Engineer

Retell AI; Redwood City (CA); Hybrid; USD 215,000 - 290,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

100% coverage for medical, dental, and vision insurance

$70/day DoorDash credit

$200/month wellness reimbursement

$300/month commuter reimbursement

$75/month phone bill reimbursement

$50/month internet reimbursement

Job summary

A voice automation startup in Redwood City is seeking a Senior Forward Deployed Engineer to deliver innovative voice AI solutions to enterprise clients. The role involves leading projects, engaging with stakeholders, and building full-stack integrations. Ideal candidates have 2+ years in customer-facing technical roles, strong communication skills, and proficiency in Python and JavaScript. This position offers competitive pay and comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• 2+ years in customer-facing technical roles.
• Exceptional communication skills for non-technical audiences.
• Experience delivering systems in fast-paced environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end delivery of projects using voice AI solutions.
• Build full-stack integrations with enterprise tools.
• Engage clients to gather requirements and prototype demos.

Skills

Customer-facing technical roles

Communication skills

Production-grade coding

Risk management

Understanding LLM systems

Tools

Python

JavaScript

Job description

ABOUT RETELL AI

Retell AI is using the first principles to reimagine the call center with cutting edge voice AI.

We believe voice is still the most natural way humans communicate, yet it has been trapped in outdated call centers for decades. Our mission is to bring intelligence, empathy, and speed to every phone conversation between businesses and their customers.

Since launching 18 months ago, thousands of companies now utilize Retell’s AI voice agents to handle sales, support, and logistics calls that once required large teams of human agents. Backed by Y Combinator, Altman Capital, and other leading investors, we have scaled to $30M ARR with a team of 20 people, up from $5M at the start of 2025.

Now, we’re scaling fast, and we’re looking for bold, ambitious people to help us build the gold standard for voice automation. If you want to work on deeply technical challenges, move fast, and make an outsized impact at one of the fastest-growing Voice AI startups in the world, you’ll love it here.

Let’s build the future of voice automation together.

• We’re a top 50 AI app in a16z list: https://tinyurl.com/5853dt2x
• We’re also one of the top ranking startups on: https://leanaileaderboard.com/

CULTURE

• Build the Dream Team: We hire high performers who work onsite in the San Francisco Bay Area, move fast, and collaborate deeply. Feedback is open, direct, and constant.
• Customer obsession. We start with the customer and work backwards. Every job and task matters only if it ultimately benefits the customer.
• Insist on the Highest Standards: We ship products you’re proud to show everyone — even if it means spending more time perfecting them.

We like to keep it real, we move fast, build fast, and change fast. That’s part of the fun for us, but we know it’s not for everyone.

ABOUT THE ROLE

As a Senior Forward Deployed Engineer, you’ll deliver Retell’s voice AI solutions to enterprise clients, embedding with their teams to build production-ready systems. You’ll bridge technical and non-technical stakeholders with exceptional communication, driving adoption and shaping our platform through customer insights.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead end-to-end delivery of projects using Retell's voice agent platform - from prototyping to production, communicating progress and risks clearly.
• Become go-to experts on building voice AI solutions, especially LLM prompting tips & tricks.
• Build full-stack integrations (Python, JavaScript) with enterprise tools (e.g. CRMs, ERPs, scheduling tools)
• Partner with sales to engage clients to gather requirements, prototype demos, and present system designs.
• Scope projects, resolve blockers, and align teams with concise updates.
• Codify reusable patterns into tools or platform components.
• Translate field feedback into actionable product and GTM recommendations.

YOU MIGHT THRIVE IF

• Have 2+ years in customer-facing technical roles (e.g., Solutions Engineer, Technical PM, Customer Success/Support engineer, Ex-founder).
• Excel at communication & explaining complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Have delivered systems in fast-paced, ambiguous settings.
• Write production-grade code (Python, JavaScript, or similar).
• Understand LLM-powered systems and their impact on user experience.
• Proactively manage risks and maintain momentum under pressure.

JOB DETAILS

• Cash: 215k - 290k
• Equity: 0.15 - 0.35%
• Location: Redwood City, CA, US
• US Visas: Retell AI is open to sponsoring work authorization for qualified candidates, including H1B/H-1B, TN, L-1, E-3, F-1 (OPT/CPT), and O-1 visas.

OTHER BENEFITS

• 100% coverage for medical, dental, and vision insurance
• $70/day DoorDash credit for unlimited breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks
• $200/month wellness reimbursement (gym, fitness classes, etc.)
• $300/month commuter reimbursement (gas, Caltrain, etc.)
• $75/month phone bill reimbursement
• $50/month internet reimbursement

COMPENSATION PHILOSOPHY

• Best Offer Upfront: Choose from three cash-equity balance options; no negotiation needed.
• Top 1% Talent: Above-market pay (top 5 percentile) to attract exceptional builders.
• High Ownership: Small teams, >$1M revenue/employee, and significant equity.
• Performance-Based: Offers tied to interview performance, not experience or past salaries.

Interview Process

1. Recruiter Intro Call (15min): Learn about us and share your background.
2. Online Assessment (30 min): Take-home assessment to showcase how you work in a client-facing FDE role.
3. Technical Phone Interview (45 min): Live coding on CoderPad, explaining your approach.
4. Customer-Focused Interview (45 min): Virtual discussion on solving a customer scenario.
5. Onsite/Virtual Interviews (2–3 hrs) Hosted in our office if located in the Bay Area or virtual, with three rounds:
   1. Communication: Persuade and align stakeholders.
   2. Architecture Case: Design a production-ready system.
   3. Problem-Solving: Build a full-stack solution under constraints in any basic environment setup like python, java, node.js, etc.

Learn More

Retell AI - API That Turns Your LLM Into A Human-Like Voice Agent

Retell AI Basics: Everything You Need to Start Building Voice Agents

Join Retell AI to shape the future of voice automation with your technical expertise and communication skills.