Forward Deployed Engineering Lead

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Germany.

📋 Description

• Your primary objective will be to establish and lead n8n’s Forward Deployment function from the ground up, transforming our most critical enterprise clients into long-term growth narratives through active adoption, technical empowerment, and standardized deployment playbooks.

• Initially, you will serve as a hands-on player-coach while developing the function, team, and methodology that will shape how n8n facilitates enterprise deployments at scale. As we validate the model, you will take on the role of Deployment Strategist, recruiting and collaborating with the first FDE for initial engagements. Once the decision to scale is made, you will fully transition into your leadership position and hire the remaining team members.

• Establish the Forward Deployment function.

• Determine how we select strategic accounts, define engagements, conduct 5-day on-site boot camps, measure success, and ensure smooth transitions to Customer Success.

• Create the operational framework for a paired Deployment Strategist and Forward Deployed Engineer team, beginning with your inaugural FDE hire.

• Assess when to develop internal capabilities versus collaborating with partners, and provide clear recommendations to leadership.

• Drive strategic enterprise deployments.

• Oversee 5-day on-site engagements with enterprise clients, including executive kickoffs, closeouts, and maintaining the adoption narrative throughout the process.

• Analyze customer organizations to identify champions, power users, decision-makers, and the cultural dynamics that influence adoption.

• Develop automation ROI narratives in the customer's language, assisting them in recognizing the business value of scaling n8n.

• Transform field insights into repeatable playbooks.

• Document each engagement into reusable use-case plays to ensure every deployment is faster, more precise, and scalable.

• Collaborate closely with the Forward Deployed Engineer to prioritize issues that yield the greatest customer value, rather than just the most technical interest.

• Create a library of playbooks that enables future teams to replicate successful deployments across similar enterprise environments.

• Represent the customer internally.

• Manage the feedback loop between field observations and the needs of the Product team.

• Advocate for customers when product deficiencies, technical obstacles, or adoption risks hinder success.

• Provide n8n with insights into how large organizations deploy automation across teams, systems, and processes.

⛳️ Requirements

• 🚀 Experience in forward deployment or implementation leadership: You have successfully led enterprise customer deployments in a forward deployment, implementation leadership, or technical customer success role at a rapidly growing B2B software company.

• 🏢 Experience with enterprise customers: You have engaged directly with large enterprise clients and achieved measurable adoption outcomes within complex organizations.

• 🛠️ Technical proficiency: While you are not required to write code, you have a solid understanding of technical architecture, can question decisions when necessary, and can competently demonstrate to a CTO.

• 🧭 Ability to navigate organizations: You know how to identify the true decision-makers, build trust at various levels, and manage the cultural dynamics that determine deployment success.

• 👥 Experience in hiring and coaching: You have recruited, onboarded, or developed technical talent in customer-facing roles.

• ⚖️ Strategic insight: You understand when to build functions internally versus when to engage partners, and possess the conviction to present that case to leadership.

• 🌍 Proficiency in English: You are fluent in English and can confidently lead high-stakes conversations with customers.

• Nice-to-haves:

• 🗣️ Knowledge of European languages: You speak additional European languages that enhance your ability to build trust with customers across the region.

• 🤖 Experience with automation: You have worked with automation, workflow, integration, developer tools, or technical platforms utilized by IT, SecOps, or DevOps teams.

• 📈 Mindset for expansion: You have contributed to transforming initial enterprise deployments into wider adoption, renewals, or expansion opportunities.

• 🏗️ Experience in zero-to-one leadership: You have built new functions, playbooks, or operational models from scratch in a fast-growing software organization.

🏝️ Benefits

• Competitive compensation 💸 – We offer fair and attractive pay.

• Ownership 💪 – Our core value is to “empower others,” and we mean it—you’ll get a slice of n8n with equity.

• Work/life balance 🏖️ – We work hard but ensure you have time to recharge:

• Europe: 30 days of vacation, plus public holidays wherever you are.

• US: 20 vacation days, 8 sick days, plus public holidays wherever you are.

• Health & wellness 🩺 –

• Europe: We provide benefits according to local country norms.*

• US: Multiple low-premium, low-deductible medical plans with coverage for individuals and families—plus a no-cost premium HDHP option with a pre-seeded HSA—along with dental and vision coverage.

• Future planning 💰 –

• Europe: We provide pension contributions according to local country norms.*

• US: 401(k) retirement plan with a 4% employer match.

• Financial security 🛡️ –

• Europe: We provide benefits according to local country norms.*

• US: Company-paid short-term and long-term disability insurance, plus life insurance to support you and your loved ones.

• Career growth 📈 – We hire rising stars who grow with us! You’ll get €1K (or equivalent) per year to spend on courses, books, events, or coaching to level up your skills.

• A passionate team 🤩 – We love our product, and we prove it with regular hackathons where we see who can build the coolest thing with it!

• Remote-first 🌏 – Our team works remotely across Europe, with regular off-sites for team bonding. Some roles, like sales in the US, are hybrid—please check the job description.

• Giving back 🤝 – We're big fans of open source, and you'll get $100 per month to support projects you care about.

• AI enablement 🤖 – We believe in working smarter—everyone gets an unlimited AI budget to explore and use the best tools to boost productivity and creativity.

• Transparency 🙏 – We all know what everyone’s working on, how the company is doing—the whole shebang.