Role Description
Maneva is a leader in AI-powered computer vision and predictive systems for manufacturers, delivering integrated solutions that connect edge devices and factory systems with cloud software to optimize production quality and throughput. As a Forward Deployed Engineer, you will play a pivotal role in deploying advanced AI systems directly into customer environments, acting as the primary technical contact and trusted advisor for strategic manufacturing accounts.
Key responsibilities include:
- Own the end-to-end lifecycle of AI deployment for manufacturing clients, from scoping and integration to production hardening and handover.
- Embed with customer operations and IT teams, serving as the main technical advisor and point of contact.
- Integrate AI vision systems with OT/IT/cloud stacks, including OPC-UA/Modbus/PLCs, NVIDIA Jetson edge inference, ERP, and customer cloud platforms.
- Build and iterate data pipelines and customer-side data flywheels, covering edge-to-cloud capture, model deployment, monitoring, and feedback loops.
- Troubleshoot software, networking, and integration issues in live production environments.
- Document architectures and configurations, producing formal handover artifacts for long-term support.
- Train customer operators and engineers in both French and English to ensure successful adoption and operation of deployed systems.
- Participate in pre-sales scoping calls and contribute field learnings to the product and engineering roadmap, helping shape reusable deployment patterns and internal tooling.
- Support on-site data collection and annotation as needed.
Requirements
Required Qualifications:* 6+ years of experience combining production software engineering with industrial automation and/or applied AI * Proven experience shipping and supporting production software systems deployed into customer infrastructure * Production Python development experience with hands-on use of Linux, Docker, and Git in production environments * Cloud deployment and operations experience with at least one major platform (AWS, Azure, or GCP) * Hands-on experience with at least one of: OPC-UA/Modbus/PLC integration, NVIDIA Jetson (or equivalent) edge platforms, or GenICam/industrial vision systems * Networking fundamentals for industrial deployments, including TCP/IP, VLANs, and firewalls * Experience in a customer-facing engineering role as the primary technical contact for external stakeholders * Professional working proficiency in both French and English
Preferred Qualifications:* Professional experience working in industrial automation or manufacturing environments involving OT/IT integration
Benefits Why Join Us?
- Be part of a fast-growing team creating transformative solutions for manufacturing.
- Work on cutting-edge AI and MLOps tools with real-world impact.
- Enjoy a collaborative and supportive work environment.
- Opportunities for professional growth and career advancement.
About Forward Deployed Engineering
Forward Deployed Engineers are embedded directly with customers to build custom solutions, integrate products into existing infrastructure, and bridge the gap between product engineering and customer success. The role combines deep technical skills with the ability to operate in client environments and translate business requirements into working software.
Originally pioneered by Palantir, the FDE model has spread across AI, enterprise SaaS, and cloud infrastructure companies. FDEs write production code, architect integrations, train customer teams, and feed product insights back to the core engineering organization. At companies like OpenAI, Salesforce, and Databricks, FDE teams are treated as elite engineering units that can ship custom solutions in days rather than quarters.
Typical FDE stack: Python, TypeScript, SQL, REST/GraphQL APIs, cloud platforms (AWS/GCP/Azure), and increasingly LLM APIs and AI orchestration frameworks. Strong communication and the ability to context-switch between technical and business conversations are as important as coding ability.
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