Software Engineer (Forward-Deployed) - Series C AI Start-up (Unicorn status)

Orbis Group; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 190,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation package

High ownership on ambitious projects

Opportunity for impactful work

Job summary

A fast-growing AI technology firm in Austin is seeking a Software Engineer (Forward-Deployed) to design and support complex AI systems in real-world environments. The ideal candidate has over 5 years of experience in software engineering or DevOps, is proficient in Python and React, and has strong skills in Docker and Kubernetes. This role offers competitive compensation and involvement in high-impact projects.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of software engineering or DevOps experience in production environments.
• Fluent in Python and comfortable across frontend (React/TypeScript) and backend systems.
• Deep experience with Docker, Kubernetes, and ideally Helm.

Responsibilities

• Build, deploy, and maintain production AI systems using Python, React, and modern DevOps tooling.
• Containerize and orchestrate services with Docker, Kubernetes, and Helm.
• Design deployment playbooks and monitoring strategies for rollouts.

Skills

Software engineering

DevOps

Python

Frontend (React/TypeScript)

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

Software Engineer (Forward-Deployed) - Series C AI Start-up (Unicorn status)

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This range is provided by Orbis Group. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

$190,000.00/yr - $220,000.00/yr

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About the Company

This unicorn AI company recently raised $100M to build the infrastructure for trustworthy, explainable AI - systems that can reason through their own steps, verify information, and fact-check themselves before acting.

They’re solving one of the hardest problems in AI: how to move from demos to secure, production-grade deployments that organizations can actually trust.

The team is deeply technical, combining expertise in data pipelines, model orchestration, and large-scale reasoning systems across hybrid environments (cloud, on-prem, and air-gapped).

The Role

They’re hiring a Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) to work directly with customers - designing, deploying, and supporting complex AI systems in real-world environments.

You’ll move fast from prototype to production, building pipelines, containerizing services, and creating the interfaces that make these systems usable in the field.

This role blends hands-on engineering, DevOps, and customer engagement. You’ll act as the bridge between product and deployment, ensuring every solution is reliable, observable, and ready for mission‑critical use.

What You’ll Do

• Build, deploy, and maintain production AI systems using Python, React, and modern DevOps tooling
• Containerize and orchestrate services with Docker, Kubernetes, and Helm across cloud and hybrid environments
• Fine‑tune and integrate LLMs, retrieval pipelines, and data flows into customer infrastructure
• Design deployment playbooks, monitoring, and rollback strategies for secure, repeatable rollouts
• Embed with customer teams to scope, deliver, and operationalize new capabilities
• Capture deployment learnings into reusable frameworks and internal tooling

You Might Be a Fit If You…

• Have 5+ years of software engineering or DevOps experience in production environments
• Are fluent in Python and comfortable across frontend (React/TypeScript) and backend systems
• Have deep experience with Docker, Kubernetes, and ideally Helm (branching/forking charts, managing rollouts)
• Understand cloud infrastructure (AWS required; multi‑cloud a plus) and CI/CD workflows
• Communicate clearly with both engineers and executives; enjoy embedding with customers
• Thrive in fast‑moving, ambiguous settings where you own delivery end‑to‑end
• Are open to periodic travel (approx. 25–45%) for on‑site deployments

Why Join

• Join a unicorn shaping how enterprises adopt and trust AI
• High ownership on technically ambitious, customer‑facing projects
• Competitive comp package (base, bonus, equity)
• Work with exceptional engineers solving real deployment challenges - not just demos
• See your work move from prototype → production → real‑world impact

If this sounds like you, apply now!