AHEAD

Forward Deployed Engineer

AHEAD$160K — $190K *
US-AnywhereRemote in United States
Enterprise Technology
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or Data and Analytics.
  • Experience in technical roles such as Forward Deployed Engineer or similar, engaging with stakeholders directly.
  • Proven experience in designing or supporting production AI solutions and workflows.
  • Familiarity with evaluation methods like test sets and quality metrics to enhance solution performance.
  • Working knowledge of AI patterns, including retrieval-augmented generation and workflow orchestration.
  • Proficient in integrating enterprise applications via APIs and automation tools.
  • Understanding of enterprise observability, monitoring, and responsible AI governance.

Responsibilities

  • Design and ship AI agents and multi-step workflows using GPT platforms and automation tools.
  • Develop AI solution patterns like retrieval-augmented generation and workflow orchestration.
  • Create data connections from enterprise systems like Salesforce and ServiceNow.
  • Implement custom integrations when standard patterns are insufficient.
  • Ensure that solutions are secure and compliant with enterprise standards.
  • Generate reusable templates and solution patterns for consistent application.
  • Identify business friction points and prototype solutions that enhance workflows.

Benefits

  • Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
  • 401(k) retirement plan
  • Paid company holidays
  • Paid time off policy
  • Paid parental and caregiver leave
  • Additional benefits available on their website
Full Job Description
The Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) is a hands-on role embedded within AHEAD's internal AI transformation function. You will design, build, and run production AI applications on enterprise GPT platforms, including custom agents, workflows, connectors, and integrations. You will operate as the technical build resource within a cross-functional delivery team, partnering closely with business stakeholders, a transformation consultant, and an adoption lead to support one of AHEAD's key domains, such as Services, Go-to-Market, or Corporate & Technology. This person owns the full solution lifecycle from discovery and design through build, rollout, optimization, and ongoing support.

This role is well suited for someone who enjoys working directly with business teams, translating ambiguous needs into practical AI-enabled solutions, and building production AI patterns such as orchestration, model integration, evaluation, observability, and secure enterprise deployment. Success in the role requires comfort working inside a shared team model where solution design, user adoption, and business outcomes are delivered in close coordination rather than in isolation.

Duties/Responsibilities

Build on the Enterprise GPT Platforms

  • Design and ship agents and multi-step workflows using Glean, Claude, and other GPT platforms and applying platform tools such as Agent Builder, actions, MCP tools, and adjacent automations (e.g., n8n, Zapier, Make)


  • Apply AI solution patterns such as retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), workflow orchestration, agent-assisted processes, model integration, API-based automation, and human-in-the-loop review


Integrate & Orchestrate

  • Create connections to ingest data from enterprise systems like Salesforce, ServiceNow, SharePoint/Teams, email, and internal APIs


  • Extend platform capabilities through MCP-based integrations and context-aware workflows that improve the usefulness and reach of AI solutions


  • Implement custom services and integrations, including REST APIs and webhooks, when platform-native patterns or existing automations are not sufficient


  • Ensure solutions are secure, reliable, observable, and compliant with enterprise standards


  • Create reusable templates, components, and solution patterns that can be applied across teams and use cases


Identify & Solve Business Friction Points

  • Proactively surface pain points across business workflows and reimagine them leveraging the best available technology to create impact


  • Rapidly prototype, validate with real users, and harden MVPs into scalable, production solutions


  • Partner with stakeholders to prioritize high-impact use cases based on business value, feasibility, risk, and repeatability, with a focus on scalable solutions rather than one-offs


  • Measure and communicate the value of solutions delivered, including time saved, errors reduced, adoption, reliability, and operational performance


Own LLM Quality, Telemetry & Cost

  • Apply production LLM practices: prompt and agent design, guardrails, and evaluation


  • Use test sets, quality metrics, and offline or online evaluation methods to improve solution performance over time


  • Instrument usage, reliability, and token/credit consumption at the agent and team level


  • Use data to improve quality and reduce unnecessary spend (context scoping, summarization, caching, model choice)


Required Experience

  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, Data and Analytics


  • Experience in technical roles such as Forward Deployed Engineer, Solutions Engineer, Integration Engineer, Automation Engineer, or similar roles with direct stakeholder engagement


  • Experience designing or supporting AI-enabled solutions in production environments, prompting and system design, agent development, and workflow configuration


  • Familiarity with evaluation approaches such as test sets, quality metrics, and iterative improvement loops


  • Working knowledge of AI solution patterns such as retrieval-augmented generation, orchestration, model integration, vector-backed retrieval, and human-in-the-loop workflows


  • Ability to configure existing connectors to access required data


  • Experience integrating enterprise applications using APIs, webhooks, automation tools, or lightweight services


  • Familiarity with observability, monitoring, governance, guardrails, and responsible AI controls in enterprise environments


Preferred Experience

  • Familiarity with common business systems such as Salesforce, Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Teams, ServiceNow, ticketing or ITSM platforms, and CRM or ERP tools


  • Hands-on experience with Enterprise GPT platforms (e.g., Glean, Claude) and automation tools (e.g., n8n, Zapier, Make)


  • Familiarity with enterprise security concepts such as RBAC, least privilege, SSO, SAML, OAuth, OIDC, and auditability


  • Experience working in cross-functional delivery teams that pair solution building with business process transformation, user enablement, and change support


How You Work

  • Operate as a builder and long-term advisor, not just an implementer


  • Comfortable being embedded with business teams while upholding platform and security standards


  • Communicate clearly with executives and non-technical stakeholders about trade-offs, risks, and impact


  • Move fast on prototypes, but know when to slow down for risk, security, or cost


  • Stay current on the cutting edge of AI - new models, MCP developments, agentic frameworks, and emerging tooling - and bring relevant innovations back to AHEAD


  • Continuously scan the business for friction points and unmet needs; show up with ideas, not just execution


  • Work effectively as part of a small, embedded team where technical build, business problem framing, and adoption support are closely coordinated


$160,000 - $190,000 a year

The compensation range indicated in this posting reflects the On-Target Earnings ("OTE") for this role, which includes a base salary and any applicable target bonus amount. This OTE range may vary based on the candidate's relevant experience, qualifications, and geographic location.

USA Employment Benefits include:

- Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

- 401(k)

- Paid company holidays

- Paid time off

- Paid parental and caregiver leave

- Plus more! See benefits https://www.aheadbenefits.com/ for additional details.

Use of AI:

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, assessing responses, or to capture recordings and create transcriptions or summaries during interviews. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans.

If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please refer to the Candidate Privacy Notice or contact us at [email protected].

You may opt-out of the review or analysis of your application and resume by AI tools by using the General Application. Please include the role you wish to apply for in the Additional Information field. You may also choose to opt-out of recording and transcription at any time, including after joining an interview. Candidates will not be penalized for choosing to opt-out.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

About AHEAD

AHEAD is a leading provider of enterprise cloud solutions. The company offers a range of services, including cloud migration, managed services, and consulting. AHEAD works with clients across a range of industries, including healthcare, finance, and retail. The company is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, and has additional offices in Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, and Wisconsin. AHEAD was founded in 2007 and has grown rapidly since its inception. The company has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States by Inc. magazine.
Learn more about AHEAD
Size
1,000 employees
Industry

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