About the RoleAs Director of Forward Deployed AI Engineering, you lead the most innovative team in the TENEX FDE organization - a dual-function group of customer-embedded engineers and AI & Data Scientists working to solve hard problems and build solutions that scale. You will define how the team engages with customers, how solutions are built and productized, and how AI-native tooling accelerates the work.
Job Responsibilities- Lead and scale the Forward Deployed AI Engineering team across its two functions: customer-embedded engineering and AI & Data Science
- Own the team's mandate: embed in strategic customer accounts to discover problems, build high-grade solutions, and produce cross-customer intelligence that elevates the entire platform
- Define the engagement model for FDE work - how engineers are assigned to accounts, how engagements are scoped, and how solutions are documented and productized
- Oversee the AI & Data Science function - ensuring cross-customer telemetry, threat intelligence, and detection optimization work is translated into tools that the SE&A team can operate
- Partner with Sales to identify strategic accounts that are candidates for FDE engagement
- Partner with the SE&A and Rapid Deployment teams to ensure FDE-built solutions flow back into the broader delivery model
- Serve as an executive-level presence with strategic customers - participating in account reviews and helping define the roadmap for embedded engagements
- Evaluate new AI technologies, data science tooling, and engineering approaches that can improve team output and customer outcomes
- Hire, develop, and retain engineers across both the FDE and AI & DS functions
- Report to VP of Forward Deployed Engineering on team health, account coverage, and solution impact
Required Skills & QualificationsTechnical & Industry Expertise- 8+ years in technical leadership with experience in embedded engineering, professional services, or customer-facing technical roles
- Deep understanding of AI/ML, data science, and cybersecurity domains
- Experience building teams that work in a customer-embedded or problem-first engineering model
- Strong ability to define engagement models, scoping frameworks, and delivery methodologies
- Proven track record partnering with Sales on strategic account identification and expansion
- Executive-level communication and customer relationship management skills
- Experience managing cross-functional collaboration across engineering, security, and data science
Soft Skills- Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting skills with a bias toward action
- Excellent customer-facing communication and collaboration abilities
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-performance startup environment
- Passion for cybersecurity, automation, and continuous improvement
Education & Certifications- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience)
- Relevant certifications such as CISSP, CISM, GIAC certifications, Google Cloud Professional, Microsoft SC-200/AZ-500, or AWS Certified Solutions Architect are a plus
Why Join Us?- Opportunity to work with cutting-edge AI-driven cybersecurity technologies and next-generation security platforms
- Collaborate with a talented and innovative team focused on continuously improving security operations
- Competitive salary and benefits package
- A culture of growth and development, with opportunities to expand your expertise in AI, cybersecurity, and engineering
- Be part of building something new - TENEX's Forward Deployed Engineering organization is a greenfield opportunity to define how enterprise security is delivered at scale
