Digital - Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) - Associate

Huron is a global consultancy that collaborates with clients to drive strategic growth, ignite innovation and navigate constant change. Through a combination of strategy, expertise and creativity, we help clients accelerate operational, digital and cultural transformation, enabling the change they need to own their future.

Join our team as the expert you are now and create your future.

The FDE Associate plays an indispensable role at Huron. These individuals lead one or more project workstreams, applying Huron methodologies and tools to deliver impactful, innovative solutions to real client challenges. The FDE Associate works closely with client staff and leadership, collaborates with fellow Huron team members, and contributes to outcomes that matter for mission-driven organizations.
This role is well suited to a developing AI engineer with exposure to automation, who will work across the full implementation lifecycle. Responsibilities include analyzing business requirements, writing functional specifications, building automation and AI-enabled solutions, conducting testing, and troubleshooting issues, all while maintaining strong working relationships with the business users being served. Prior experience with enterprise automation platforms is a plus and helps build practical process knowledge.
Huron offers the scale of a global firm paired with the culture of an entrepreneurial one. FDE Associates gain hands-on consulting and change management experience across varied engagements, with access to a breadth of career paths and a firm-wide commitment to professional development that is a defining part of the employee experience. Candidates who are innovative problem solvers with an interest in applied AI and automation are encouraged to apply.

Project Delivery and Implementation

• Lead one or more automation workstreams on active client engagements, taking ownership of delivery quality, timelines, and outcomes.
• Analyze client business requirements and translate them into clear, actionable functional specifications to be shared with project teams and stakeholders.
• Design, build, and test automation and AI-enabled solutions using technology such as Robotic Process Automation (RPA), generative AI, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and AI agents, ensuring solutions are robust, maintainable, and aligned with client standards.
• Conduct thorough testing and quality assurance activities, identifying and resolving defects before go-live.
• Troubleshoot and resolve technical issues during implementation and post-deployment, escalating appropriately when needed.
• Document solutions, configurations, and processes to support knowledge transfer and long-term client self-sufficiency.

Client Engagement and Collaboration

• Collaborate day-to-day with client staff and leadership, building productive working relationships and maintaining open, proactive communication.
• Participate in meetings and workshops, capturing and synthesizing key decisions, requirements, and action items into shared documentation.
• Manage junior Huron staff on project workstreams, providing guidance, reviewing work, and supporting their development.
• Contribute to a positive team culture by sharing knowledge, supporting colleagues, and approaching challenges with curiosity and professionalism.

Required Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience building AI-enabled solutions involves Generative AI and LLMs (GPT, Claude, Gemini), Prompt engineering and prompt optimization, AI agents and multi-agent systems in enterprise settings
• Hands-on experience with enterprise automation platform, such as UiPath and MSFT Power Platform
• 2 to 4 years of digital AI or automation consulting experience, including direct ownership of project workstreams
• Bachelor's or master's degree in a field related to this position, or equivalent professional experience
• Demonstrated ability to independently plan and organize tasks with minimal supervision
• Proven analytical skills with the ability to gather, interpret, and translate information from meetings into clear documentation for project teams and stakeholders
• Effective oral and written communication skills, with the ability to adapt style for both technical and non-technical audiences
• A genuine desire to learn new tools, techniques, concepts, and methodologies as the automation and AI landscape evolves
• Comfort working in team environments and a track record of contributing positively to group dynamics
• US or Canadian work authorization

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with Microsoft Copilot Studio, Azure Foundry, or AWS Bedrock in enterprise automation contexts
• Exposure to Machine learning, LLM Fine-tuning and model evaluation, Data science and statistics
• UiPath Certified Professional - Automation Developer Professional or Microsoft Power Platform certification
• Experience in Python development, CI/CD pipelines, API development and integration
• Experience working in healthcare, higher education, financial services, or other mission-driven industries
• Familiarity with Agile or iterative project delivery methodologies

Why Huron

At Huron, you will build skills that matter on projects that make a difference. Associates are not placed on the sidelines. From your first engagement, you will be leading work, developing client relationships, and growing alongside a team that is invested in your success.

• High-impact client work across diverse industries and functions
• Collaborative, entrepreneurial culture with a global footprint
• Robust professional development, mentorship, and leadership programs
• Competitive compensation, benefits, and flexible work arrangements

The estimated base salary for this job is $110,000 - $125,000. The range represents a good faith estimate of the range that Huron reasonably expects to pay for this job at the time of the job posting. The actual salary paid to an individual will vary based on multiple factors, including but not limited to specific skills or certifications, years of experience, market changes, and required travel. This job is also eligible to participate in Huron's annual incentive compensation program, which reflects Huron's pay for performance philosophy. Inclusive of annual incentive compensation opportunity, the total estimated compensation range for this job is $126,500 - $143,750. The job is also eligible to participate in Huron's benefit plans which include medical, dental and vision coverage and other wellness programs. The salary range information provided is in accordance with applicable state and local laws regarding salary transparency that are currently in effect and may be implemented in the future.

Position Level
Associate

Country
United States of America