Director, Technical Lead Forward Deployed Engineer

KPMG

$204K — $370K *
Enterprise Technology
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 10+ years of experience in developing secure software systems, focusing on data, machine learning, and AI applications
  • Bachelor's degree in a relevant engineering or science field
  • Deep hands-on expertise in modern AI technologies and methodologies
  • Experience leading high-performing technical teams with a passion for stakeholder impact
  • Strong problem-solving and communication skills to lead effectively in ambiguous environments
  • Portfolio or GitHub showcasing prior work on designed and shipped systems
  • U.S. work authorization required without need for sponsorship

Responsibilities

  • Collaborate with leadership to set strategic direction for the Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) team
  • Establish and enforce best practices in code quality, testing, and operational readiness
  • Provide hands-on mentorship to engineers while contributing to projects
  • Facilitate collaboration with clients and stakeholders to design AI systems with measurable outcomes
  • Drive project delivery in iterative cycles based on client feedback
  • Promote the use of development accelerators to enhance delivery speed and quality
  • Uphold KPMG's professional standards in all interactions

Benefits

  • Comprehensive medical and dental plans
  • Vision coverage
  • Disability and life insurance
  • 401(k) plans
  • Personal Time Off and holiday breaks
  • Support for mental health and personal well-being
Full Job Description
KPMG is currently seeking a Director, Technical Lead Forward Deployed Engineer to join our Advisory Services practice.

Responsibilities:

  • Work with leadership to provide strategic direction for the FDE team, including working with account or industry teams to scale FDE delivery, setting technical expectations and standards for FDE delivery pods, and expanding the assets and tools for the FDE teams
  • Champion production discipline for enterprise by establishing and enforcing best practices in context engineering, evaluation, and operational readiness; mandate rigorous testing, including golden sets, regression harnesses, and red-teaming, and set the standard for secure, observable, and auditable code
  • Provide hands-on leadership and mentorship to a team of engineers, coaching them through complex challenges while actively contributing to the build; foster a culture of high talent density where every member raises the bar and enable them to deliver quality at speed
  • Lead working sessions and facilitate collaboration across client stakeholders (from engineers to the C-suite) and cross-functional teams to design creative AI systems where success is measured by tangible, quantified outcomes and effective adoption, and build trust with clients by transparently communicating risks and progress
  • Drive delivery in a fast-paced, outcome-accountable environment, operating in two-to-six-week cycles with direct client feedback; lead working sessions, earn client trust, manage risks, surface constraints early, and ensure every deliverable is ready for scale or run in production
  • Spearhead the use of modern development accelerators (Claude Code, Lovable, Cursor, and more) where policy permits, to increase capacity of delivery, increase quality, and deliver faster
  • Act with integrity, professionalism, and personal responsibility to uphold KPMG's respectful and courteous work environment


Qualifications:

  • Minimum ten years of recent experience shipping end-to-end production secure software systems, with a focus on data, machine learning, and AI-native applications; solid experience with cloud platforms (Azure, GCP, or AWS)
  • Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in a science or engineering field
  • Deep, hands-on knowledge of modern AI technologies and methodologies with demonstrated experience leading teams in designing and implementing advanced AI systems; this includes AI systems judgment, context engineering, evaluation discipline, full-stack capabilities, and model strategy fluency
  • Proven ability to lead, manage, and mentor high-performing technical teams, with at least five years of experience in a hands-on leadership role; proven record of and passion for working directly with stakeholders to make an outsized impact
  • Excellent problem-solving, collaboration, and communication skills with the ability to thrive in ambiguous environments; this includes the presence to lead working sessions and drive decisions with impatient executives and skeptical engineers, a hands-on, accountable style that earns trust by "coaching while building"; capability to communicate clearly and effectively to diverse audiences (CIO, CISO, CFO, engineers)
  • Demonstrate prior experience with real work via a portfolio, a GitHub repository, or a structured walk-through of a system they have designed and shipped
  • Domestic and global travel may be required
  • Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future; KPMG LLP will not sponsor applicants for U.S. work visa status for this opportunity (no sponsorship is available for H-1B, L-1, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, F-1, J-1, OPT, CPT or any other employment-based visa)


KPMG LLP and its subsidiaries ("KPMG") complies with all local/state regulations regarding displaying salary ranges. If required, the ranges displayed below or via the URL below are specifically for those potential hires who will work in the location(s) listed. Any offered salary is determined based on relevant factors such as applicant's skills, job responsibilities, prior relevant experience, certain degrees and certifications and market considerations. In addition, KPMG is proud to offer a comprehensive, competitive benefits package, with options designed to help you make the best decisions for yourself, your family, and your lifestyle. Available benefits are based on eligibility. Our Total Rewards package includes a variety of medical and dental plans, vision coverage, disability and life insurance, 401(k) plans, and a robust suite of personal well-being benefits to support your mental health. Depending on job classification, standard work hours, and years of service, KPMG provides Personal Time Off per fiscal year. Additionally, each year KPMG publishes a calendar of holidays to be observed during the year and provides eligible employees two breaks each year where employees will not be required to use Personal Time Off; one is at year end and the other is around the July 4th holiday. Additional details about our benefits can be found towards the bottom of our KPMG US Careers site at Benefits & How We Work .

Follow this link to obtain salary ranges by city outside of CA:
https://kpmg.com/us/en/how-we-work/pay-transparency.html/?id=M179ADV_2_26 California Salary Range: $204725 - $370530

KPMG recruits on a rolling basis. Candidates are considered as they apply, until the opportunity is filled. Candidates are encouraged to apply expeditiously to any role(s) for which they are qualified that is also of interest to them.

Los Angeles County applicants: Material job duties for this position are listed above. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness, and safeguard business operations and company reputation. Pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act, Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

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