Forward Deployed Engineer - Agentic AI & Data
Role Description
Role: Forward Deployed Engineer - Agentic AI & Data (Senior Engineer) Location: Any US Location - must be willing to travel to client sites as needed
The Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) is a hands-on, client-facing role responsible for designing, building, and deploying AI solutions directly within customer environments. You’ll work closely with clients to: * Translate business problems into working AI systems * Build Agentic AI, RAG, and LLM-based solutions * Move rapidly from prototype production
This role requires strong engineering depth + real-time problem solving + ability to operate in ambiguity. What You’ll Do * Build & deploy AI systems (LLMs, RAG, agents) in real client setups * Develop agentic workflows (tools, APIs, multi-agent logic) * Integrate with enterprise systems (CRM, ERP, APIs, data platforms) * Debug & troubleshoot live issues (hallucination, latency, failures) * Optimize performance & cost (caching, model routing, batching) * Add guardrails (prompt safety, validation, privacy controls) * Work directly with clients in fast, iterative delivery cycles
Qualifications: * Strong Python + API development (FastAPI/Flask) * Experience in working with one or more Agentic AI such LangChain / LlamaIndex / AutoGen / similar * Exposure to one or more Gen AI Platforms: Anthropic, Google or Open AI, including hands on experience with one of the following key platforms/products; Claude API, Claude for Enterprise, Claude Code, Gemini API, Vertex AI Agent Builder, Google Workspace integration, Assistants API, Responses API, OpenAI Agents SDK. * Exposure to RAG, MCP servers, tool-use APIs, * Work directly with customers, Explain solutions clearly and handle ambiguous requirements
Salary Range: $115,000 - $167,000 a year
#LI-AD1 Location Chicago, IL Job Function TECHNOLOGY Role Senior Engineer Job Id 415348 Desired Skills Artificial Intelligence Salary Range $115,000-$167,000 a year Desired Candidate Profile
Qualifications : BACHELOR OF COMPUTER SCIENCE
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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