The Director of Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE) & Technical Support leads two of Runpod's most customer-critical functions. The FDE team sits at the intersection of Solutions Engineering and Forward Deployed Engineering, serving as trusted technical advisors who assess customer environments, architect solutions, and own technical outcomes from pre-sales through deployment. They work hands-on where needed, but their primary role is solution ownership and conduit to Product and Engineering. The Technical Support team delivers fast, expert help across all customer tiers, from self-serve developers to strategic enterprise accounts. This role reports to the COO.
Responsibilities:- Lead and scale both the FDE and Technical Support teams, defining engagement models, operating standards, headcount plans, and career development frameworks for each function
- Own the FDE engagement lifecycle: technical discovery, environment assessment, solution architecture, PoC validation, and deployment guidance. Engage Sales at the right moments and ensure FDE coverage goes to the customers where it drives the most value
- Set the standard for how FDEs operate: trusted advisors first, hands-on contributors where the situation calls for it, working through and alongside Product Engineering rather than as an independent delivery team
- Own the field feedback loop by synthesizing patterns from FDE engagements and support escalations into clear, prioritized product input that directly shapes Runpod's roadmap
- Run Technical Support across all tiers (Tier 1-3) with defined SLA/SLO frameworks, CSAT and TTR targets, escalation paths, and a developer-first knowledge base that scales self-service and reduces inbound volume
- Drive operational discipline across the stack: Zendesk for support operations, HubSpot for customer health, Linear for engineering escalations, and Notion for internal knowledge and FDE documentation
- Partner with Sales, Account Management, Product, and Engineering on pre-sales strategy, QBRs, escalations, and roadmap alignment. This role is a cross-functional connector, not a siloed function
Requirements:- 10+ years in technical customer-facing roles: solutions engineering, field engineering, or a hybrid FDE function, with at least 4 years leading a team in a high-growth cloud infrastructure, SaaS, or AI/ML company
- Deep technical fluency in GPU compute and AI/ML infrastructure; hands-on coding ability (Python, Docker/Kubernetes) is expected. This leader should be able to do the work, not just manage it
- Demonstrated experience building or leading a technical engagement function that spans pre- and post-sales, with clear ownership of solution architecture and customer technical outcomes
- Proven ability to build and run tiered support organizations: SLA/SLO frameworks, on-call structures, escalation paths, and the tooling and process to operate them at scale
- Strong systems-builder instinct, comfortable creating structure where little exists: playbooks, triage frameworks, onboarding programs, and knowledge base architecture
- Proficiency with Zendesk, HubSpot, Linear, and Notion; comfort using AI tools (Claude, Gemini, GPT) to accelerate documentation and triage at scale
- Exceptional communicator across audiences. Equally at home in a technical architecture discussion with a customer's ML team and translating field observations into product priorities for Engineering leadership
- Successful completion of a background check
What You'll Receive:- The competitive base pay for this position ranges from 200,000 - $300,000 usd. This salary range may be inclusive of several career levels at Runpod and will be narrowed during the interview process based on a number of factors, including the candidate's experience, qualifications, and location
- Meaningful equity in a fast-growing company- everyone on the team receives stock options - your impact drives our growth, and you share in the upside.
- Generous medical, dental & vision plans - we cover 100% for all employees and partial for dependents.
- Flexible PTO- take the time you need to recharge
- Most roles are remote work first with an inclusive, collaborative teams utilizing slack as the main form of internal communication
- Join a passionate team on the cutting edge of AI infrastructure - where culture, learning, and ownership are at the heart of how we scale.
- $1,200 Home Office & Equipment Stipend-We set you up for success from day one with gear and support to create your ideal workspace
