Sr Dir Forward Deployed Engineering

Why UKG:

At UKG, the work you do matters. The code you ship, the decisions you make, and the care you show a customer all add up to real impact. Today, tens of millions of workers start and end their days with our workforce operating platform. Helping people get paid, grow in their careers, and shape the future of their industries. That's what we do.

We never stop learning. We never stop challenging the norm. We push for better, and we celebrate the wins along the way. Here, you'll get flexibility that's real, benefits you can count on, and a team that succeeds together. Because at UKG, your work matters-and so do you.

Sr. Director, Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE)

Role Overview

We are seeking a Senior Director of Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE) to lead and scale a strategic sub-function responsible for delivering high-impact, enterprise-grade technical engagements across our largest HCM, Payroll, and Workforce Management (WFM) customers.

This leader will oversee multiple teams of Forward Deployed Engineering leaders and senior engineers, establishing FDE as a critical capability at the intersection of Product, Engineering, Sales, and Customer Success.

The Senior Director will define the vision, operating model, and long-term strategy for Forward Deployed Engineering, ensuring alignment with company-wide objectives while driving measurable impact on enterprise growth, customer outcomes, and product innovation.

This is a highly strategic leadership role requiring a balance of executive influence, deep technical expertise, and organizational scale.

What You Will Do

Sub-Functional Leadership & Strategy
Define and execute the multi-year strategy for the Forward Deployed Engineering function
Establish FDE as a scalable, repeatable capability supporting enterprise growth and retention
Align FDE strategy with broader Engineering, Product, and Go-To-Market priorities
Own and evolve operating models, engagement frameworks, and governance standards
Develop and manage budgets, headcount planning, and investment strategy for the function

Organizational Leadership & Scale
Lead, develop, and mentor a team of Directors, Managers, and senior technical leaders
Build and scale multiple FDE teams supporting diverse enterprise segments and use cases
Drive leadership development, succession planning, and organizational design
Establish consistent performance management, delivery standards, and career frameworks
Foster a culture of technical excellence, accountability, and innovation across teams

Executive Customer & Revenue Leadership
Serve as an executive technical sponsor for the most strategic enterprise accounts
Build and maintain relationships with CIOs, CTOs, and senior business executives
Influence and support high-value enterprise deals, renewals, and expansions
Own executive-level escalations and ensure successful resolution of critical customer challenges
Drive measurable impact on ARR, NRR, and enterprise time-to-value

Technical & Architectural Leadership
Define enterprise architecture standards for complex integrations across HRIS, Payroll, WFM, ERP, IAM, and related systems
Ensure scalability, security, and governance across all customer implementations
Establish reusable frameworks, accelerators, and reference architectures
Guide teams on resolving highly complex architectural challenges and edge cases
Partner with Product and Core Engineering leadership to influence roadmap and platform evolution

Cross-Functional Influence
Partner with executive leaders across Sales, Customer Success, Product, and Engineering
Shape enterprise go-to-market strategies and technical positioning
Drive feedback loops from field engagements into product and platform improvements
Influence company-wide priorities related to enterprise delivery, integrations, and customer experience

Required Qualifications
12+ years of experience in enterprise software engineering, architecture, or related fields
8+ years of leadership experience, including leading leaders (Directors/Managers)
Proven experience scaling technical organizations or sub-functions
Deep expertise in HCM, Payroll, WFM, HRIS, or adjacent enterprise SaaS ecosystems
Strong systems integration experience (APIs, IAM, data pipelines, cloud architectures)
Demonstrated ability to influence executive stakeholders internally and externally
Experience owning or significantly influencing revenue outcomes and business strategy
Strong executive communication and stakeholder management skills

Preferred Qualifications
Experience building or scaling forward deployed, field engineering, or solutions architecture organizations
Background in enterprise SaaS product companies
Experience in compliance-sensitive environments (SOX, GDPR, SOC 2)
Proven track record of building reusable technical IP and scalable delivery models
Experience working with global enterprise customers

What Makes You Successful in This Role
You operate as both a strategic executive and a technical authority
You can scale organizations, not just solve individual customer problems
You influence decisions at the highest levels of the company and with customers
You balance long-term platform integrity with short-term business needs
You develop leaders who can independently drive impact

Success Metrics
Scaled growth and maturity of the FDE organization
Expansion ARR and enterprise revenue influenced by FDE
Improvement in enterprise NRR and customer satisfaction
Reduction in time-to-value across enterprise implementations
Adoption of reusable accelerators and architectural standards
Reduction in critical escalations and improved delivery predictability
Strength and retention of leadership bench within FDE

Why This Role Matters
Enterprise HCM, Payroll, and Workforce Management environments are highly complex, integration-heavy, and mission-critical.

This leader will:
Establish Forward Deployed Engineering as a differentiated enterprise capability
Drive competitive advantage through superior enterprise delivery and architecture
Influence product innovation through direct field insight
Enable scalable growth across the enterprise segment

This is a foundational leadership role shaping the future of enterprise delivery at UKG.

Company Overview:

UKG is the Workforce Operating Platform that puts workforce understanding to work. With the world's largest collection of workforce insights, and people-first AI, our ability to reveal unseen ways to build trust, amplify productivity, and empower talent, is unmatched. It's this expertise that equips our customers with the intelligence to solve any challenge in any industry - because great organizations know their workforce is their competitive edge. Learn more at ukg.com.

Equal Opportunity Employer

UKG is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, disability, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, and other legally protected categories.

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UKG participates in E-Verify. View the E-Verify posters here.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Disability Accommodation in the Application and Interview Process

For individuals with disabilities that need additional assistance at any point in the application and interview process, please email

The pay range for this position is $207,400 to $298,100. The actual base pay offered may vary depending on skills, experience, job-related knowledge and work location. In addition to base pay, employees may be eligible to participate in a performance-based bonus plan and to receive restricted stock unit awards as part of total compensation. Learn more about UKG's benefits and rewards at