Job Title: Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) – OpenAI
Company: OpenAI
Department: Solutions Engineering / Customer-Facing AI Deployment
Role Overview
OpenAI is seeking a Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) to work directly with strategic enterprise customers to scope, design, and deploy AI solutions using OpenAI’s cutting-edge models.
This is a hands-on, full-stack engineering role that spans the entire customer lifecycle: pre-sales discovery, technical scoping, SOW creation, prototyping, production deployment, and post-sales optimisation.
You will act as a trusted technical advisor, building enterprise-grade AI solutions while helping customers understand the possibilities of OpenAI technology.
Key Responsibilities
🔹 Pre-Sales & Technical Scoping
- Partner with Account Executives to identify high-value AI opportunities
- Lead technical discovery sessions to capture business requirements
- Design solution architectures leveraging OpenAI APIs (GPT, Codex, embeddings)
- Create Statements of Work (SOWs), delivery timelines, and technical plans
- Build proof-of-concepts and demos for customer evaluation
- Advise on enterprise AI readiness and integration strategies
🔹 Full-Stack AI Solution Delivery (Post-Sales)
- Develop production-ready AI applications end-to-end:
- Frontend: React, TypeScript dashboards, web interfaces
- Backend: Python, Node.js APIs, orchestration layers
- AI integration: OpenAI LLMs, embeddings, RAG pipelines
- Integrate AI solutions into enterprise systems (CRM, ERP, support platforms)
- Build data pipelines and vector search systems to support AI functionality
- Ensure scalability, security, and compliance in all deployments
- Troubleshoot, optimise, and maintain production AI systems
🔹 Enterprise Deployment & Customer Success
- Lead technical delivery and act as primary engineer during deployment
- Train and mentor client teams on OpenAI solution usage
- Monitor adoption and provide recommendations for scaling and optimisation
- Identify additional AI use cases to expand customer impact
🔹 Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Provide field feedback to OpenAI Product and Research teams
- Develop reusable frameworks, prototypes, and accelerators
- Collaborate with other FDEs to share best practices across customers
Required Skills & Experience
Technical
- Strong full-stack development skills:
- Frontend: React, TypeScript, modern web frameworks
- Backend: Python, Node.js, REST/GraphQL APIs
- Experience with cloud infrastructure (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform)
- Familiarity with data pipelines, vector databases, and RAG systems
- Understanding of scalable distributed system architecture
AI / Machine Learning
- Hands-on experience with large language models (LLMs)
- Knowledge of prompt engineering, embeddings, and AI orchestration
- Experience deploying AI into production environments
- Familiarity with AI system monitoring, evaluation, and optimisation
Pre & Post Sales / Enterprise Delivery
- Experience in technical pre-sales, solutions engineering, or consulting
- Proven track record defining SOWs and delivery plans
- Experience working with enterprise customers in complex environments
- Ability to translate business requirements into technical AI solutions
Key Attributes
- Customer-first mindset with strong communication skills
- Commercial awareness and ability to influence enterprise decisions
- High adaptability in ambiguous, fast-paced environments
- Ownership of projects from discovery through production
- Comfortable operating at both strategic and technical levels
Typical Use Cases
- AI copilots for internal productivity and knowledge work
- Customer service automation and document summarisation
- Workflow automation using LLMs and AI orchestration
- Enterprise AI integrations with CRM, ERP, and internal tools
- Multi-agent or advanced AI systems with RAG pipelines
Nice to Have
- Experience in SaaS, consulting, or enterprise technology environments
- Knowledge of DevOps, CI/CD, and MLOps practices
- Familiarity with security and compliance requirements in enterprise AI
- Prior experience in AI research or model fine-tuning
Never miss an opportunity! Create an alert based on the job you applied for.
