Forward Deployed Engineer

JobsForward Deployed EngineerThe RoleAI is moving entire categories of previously unsolvable problems from meat space to cyberspace. Marketing challenges that used to live in the realm of human judgment—understanding what resonates, why campaigns work, how competitors position themselves—can now be addressed with software development practices.The traditional consulting model inserts four layers of suits between the engineer who builds the solution and the customer who needs it. Requirements get filtered through account managers, translated by project managers, interpreted by analysts, and finally handed to developers who've never seen the actual problem. The result: solutions that technically meet spec but miss the point entirely.Forward Deployed Engineers sit alongside customers. They see the problem firsthand. They build the solution directly. Better quality. Faster delivery. Lower cost. No telephone game.Growth at AlephicWe hire based on demonstrated capability, not years of experience. We've seen new graduates outperform industry veterans, and we've seen 20-year experts bring irreplaceable depth. What matters is whether you can do the work.If you're early in your career, you'll get scaffolding—smaller scope initially, mentorship, paired engagements with senior FDEs. If you're deep in your career, you'll get autonomy and the hardest problems we have. Both paths lead to the same place: expanding scope based on demonstrated impact.We don't do L1 through L5. We don't promote people on a schedule or change titles to signal progress. The greater your contributions, the greater your responsibility, autonomy, and compensation. Some people go deep on a single client, becoming indispensable to a Fortune 100's AI transformation. Others go wide, shaping methodology across engagements. Both are valued.Your growth here looks like: harder problems, bigger clients, more ambiguous challenges, increased ownership of outcomes. Not a new suffix on your LinkedIn title.What You'll DoBuild custom AI systems with Fortune 100 clients—content intelligence platforms, competitive analysis engines, automated content generation pipelinesSit with customers to understand their actual problems, not the sanitized version that survives six meetingsShip working software, not slide decks and implementation plansWork with our platform team's tools and components, contributing improvements back when you find gapsTransfer knowledge to client teams so they can extend what you've builtOperating EnvironmentWe work at the edge of possibility, where impossible problems become merely hard, hard problems become easy, and easy problems become trivial. This environment demands intellectual curiosity, comfort with uncertainty, and the drive to make things that work.Essential TraitsRequired for all Forward Deployed Engineers. You need all of these.CuriosityDriven to understand how systems work at a deep level. Excited by the unknown rather than intimidated by it.Systems ThinkingAbility to see both forest and trees. Can break down complex problems into components while understanding how they interact.Software FluencyUnderstands how software works and how it shapes what's possible, even if you're not writing code daily.AI EnthusiasmGenuinely excited about AI's transformative potential while maintaining pragmatic expectations about current capabilities.Domain ExpertiseYou need one or more of these areas of expertise.Software DevelopmentBuilds robust, maintainable solutions. Can transform concepts into working systems. Thinks about code as a craft.Builds robust, maintainable solutionsCan transform concepts into working systemsThinks about code as a craftMarketingUnderstands brand, audience, and message dynamics. Strategic about content and positioning.Understands brand, audience, and message dynamicsStrategic about content and positioningSees marketing as system, not just creative outputOperationsOrchestrates complex initiatives across teams and timelines. Ensures reliable execution at scale.Orchestrates complex initiatives across teams and timelinesMakes things run smoothlyEnsures reliable execution at scaleBusiness SystemsAnalyzes organizational dynamics and workflows. Identifies leverage points.Analyzes organizational dynamics and workflowsIdentifies leverage pointsDesigns processes that scaleAnalyticsDerives insights from complex data. Translates numbers into narratives.Derives insights from complex dataTranslates numbers into narrativesBuilds dashboards and models that drive decisionsWorking PrinciplesThese are the principles that guide our approach to work and collaboration.Don't Be Full of ShitWe cut through AI hype with practical solutions.We're honest about capabilities and limitationsWe deliver real value, not buzzwordsTalk With AI FirstAI is our first stop for ideas, questions, and exploration.Using AI is as natural as breathing oxygen—no explanation neededWe focus on outcomes, not the tools we used to get thereLearn Through TinkeringWe believe in hands-on exploration.We prototype rapidly and iterateWe share knowledge generouslyLead with OptimismWe see challenges as puzzles to solve.We believe in expanding possibilitiesWe maintain perspective while pushing boundariesAssume RationalityWe seek to understand before proposing solutions.We respect the context that shapes decisionsWe build on existing knowledgeWhat We OfferReal ImpactWork directly with some of the world's leading organizations on problems that matter.Intellectual GrowthTackle challenges at the frontier of what's possible with AI.Practical InnovationBridge the gap between AI theory and real-world implementation.Collaborative CultureJoin a high-trust environment where good ideas win regardless of source.How to ApplySend Us An Email That Addresses These PromptsYour story and what excites you about AlephicExamples of tackling complex, ambiguous problemsYour perspective on how AI is changing your domainInterested in this role?Send us a note about why you're interested and what you'd bring to the role.