Forward Deployed Engineer

Gradial

$130K — $210K *
Enterprise Technology
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 1+ years of software engineering or technical implementation experience, ideally customer-facing.
  • Proficiency in programming languages like TypeScript with strong API and systems integration knowledge.
  • Ability to quickly grasp unfamiliar enterprise software architectures and build integration paths.
  • Excellent communication skills for translating technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
  • High ownership mindset with capability to operate independently and navigate ambiguity.
  • Willingness to occasionally travel.

Responsibilities

  • Lead technical discovery and implementation for new enterprise customers, converting business processes into AI solutions.
  • Build, deploy, and optimize features for Gradial's LLM-driven platform integration with customer systems.
  • Develop reusable tools and configuration layers for scalable onboarding of enterprise clients.
  • Collaborate with customer stakeholders to define requirements and iterate solutions in real time.
  • Work alongside Gradial's product and engineering teams to inform core product roadmap using field insights.
  • Contribute to internal documentation and playbooks for faster future deployments.
  • Own the performance and maintainability of developed solutions, ensuring a top-tier user experience.

Benefits

  • Competitive salary and meaningful equity
  • Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage
  • Fast-paced environment with flexibility and ownership
  • Opportunity to make a real impact with minimal bureaucracy
  • A front-row seat in building category-defining AI infrastructure.
Full Job Description
The Role

We're hiring a Forward Deployed Engineer to lead implementations of our AI platform directly with customers. This role is ideal for a technically fluent builder who thrives at the intersection of engineering and problem solving; someone who wants to be hands-on with code while shaping how some of the world's most recognizable brands modernize their content operations.

As an FDE, you'll own full-stack development for enterprise deployments, working side-by-side with customers to map complex workflows into scalable generative systems. You'll move between discovery, prototyping, implementation, and post-launch optimization - translating real-world pain points into elegant technical solutions.

What You'll Own
  • Lead technical discovery and implementation for new enterprise customers, translating nuanced business processes into robust AI-native solutions.
  • Build, deploy and optimize features that integrate customer systems with Gradial's LLM driven platform.
  • Develop reusable tools, adapters and configuration layers to support scalable enterprise onboarding.
  • Collaborate with customer stakeholders (mainly within marketing, operations and engineering) to define requirements, surface edge cases and iterate in real time.
  • Work closely with Gradial's product and engineer teams to incorporate learnings from the field into our core roadmap.
  • Contribute to internal technical documentation and implementation playbooks that accelerate future deployments.
  • Own performance, reliability and maintainability for the solutions you ship, from backend architecture to customer UX.

What We're Looking For
  • 1+ years of software engineering or technical implementation experience, ideally in customer-facing contexts.
  • Proficiency in programming languages such as TypeScript or similar, with a strong understanding of APIs and systems integration.
  • Ability to rapidly understand unfamiliar enterprise software architectures (CMS, DAM, workflow tools) and build integration paths.
  • Excellent communication skills. Confident translating for both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
  • High ownership mindset with comfort operating independently, navigating ambiguity.
  • Willingness to travel occasionally (

Nice to Have
  • Experience working with enterprise customers; particularly in content, marketing or digital operations.
  • Familiarity with LLMs, generative AI pipelines and agent-style automation frameworks.

Compensation

The salary range for this position is $130,000 - $210,000 annually. Final compensation will be determined based on factors such as experience, skills, and qualifications. In addition to base salary, this role may be eligible for performance-based bonuses and equity awards. Gradial offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental & vision insurance, 401K retirement plan, paid time off, paid sick leave and other employee wellness programs.

What we offer
  • Competitive salary and meaningful equity
  • Comprehensive health, dental and vision coverage
  • Fast-paced environment with flexibility and ownership
  • Real impact, zero bureaucracy
  • A front-row seat to building category-defining AI infrastructure
You'll thrive here if you...
  • Learn quickly, actively seek out new challenges, and regularly reconsider "how it's always been done."
  • Have an innate drive for being 1% better than the day before, building towards greatness.
  • Embrace AI as a core tool for problem-solving, innovation, and scale.
  • Show customer-obsession (internal or external), high ownership/accountability, and bias for action.
  • Communicate clearly, directly, with curiosity, and assuming good intentions.
  • Thrive in fast-paced, hyper-growth environments where building better > maintaining status quo.

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