Principal Forward Deployed Engineer - Gen AI

About the role

This role embeds on-site with a client to build and ship a GenAI/agentic solution end-to-end, from proof of concept through production go-live. It is a senior, client-facing position that combines hands-on delivery with acting as the main technical point of contact.

Key responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end build of the GenAI/agentic solution once the architecture is scoped, from implementation through production
• Integrate the solution into the client's live environment, including authentication, data access, existing systems and legacy interfaces
• Adapt the build on-site as real usage reveals edge cases the original design did not anticipate
• Debug and resolve production issues directly within the client's infrastructure
• Set up monitoring and handoff documentation for the client's own team
• Serve as the primary technical point of contact for the client during delivery
• Head the delivery pod for GenAI/agentic engagements when appropriate
• Flex into presales support when pursuit volume exceeds Hub capacity
• Feed build learnings back into the practice's estimation and pattern library
• Manage client expectations under shifting scope or timeline pressure

Required profile

• 10-15+ years shipping production software, with hands-on GenAI/LLM/agentic build experience
• Full-stack range across the GenAI application layer: orchestration, retrieval, integration, deployment
• Comfortable debugging across the stack: infrastructure, application code and model behavior
• Experience integrating with enterprise systems (SSO, legacy APIs, data governance constraints)
• Senior technical presence in the room with a client's engineering team, and strong client-facing communication explaining technical trade-offs under time pressure
• Track record of turning ambiguous, partially specified designs into working production systems
• Resilient under on-site, client-facing delivery with visible deadlines
• Prior forward-deployed, startup or embedded-consulting experience is a strong plus

Required skills

• Major GenAI/agentic platforms such as Microsoft Azure AI Foundry, AWS Bedrock/Strands Agents and Google Vertex AI
• Open-source alternatives such as LangChain and LlamaIndex are a good-to-have when the client has no platform preference