Lead Forward Deployed AI Engineer

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

📋 Description

• Lead engineering engagements on-site with clients and multidisciplinary delivery teams.

• Comprehend intricate workflows and convert business and mission requirements into functional AI solutions.

• Design, prototype, test, and launch generative AI and agentic AI applications.

• Create AI solutions utilizing large language models, APIs, developer tools, and enterprise AI platforms.

• Design and execute MCP, A2A, multi-agent, RAG, tool-use, structured-output, orchestration, context-management, and human-review methodologies.

• Facilitate technical discovery sessions, architecture discussions, demonstrations, and hands-on solution workshops.

• Collaborate with users during implementation to collect feedback, address challenges, refine solutions, and promote adoption.

• Architect and sustain integrations with internal and external systems using APIs, services, data pipelines, and contemporary application practices.

• Implement testing, evaluation, logging, monitoring, and observability for AI applications and agentic workflows.

• Troubleshoot technical and integration issues across applications, models, agents, APIs, data, and infrastructure.

• Establish reusable technical patterns and accelerators.

• Act as a senior technical advisor to clients.

• Convey technical concepts, solution alternatives, risks, trade-offs, architectural decisions, and recommendations.

• Guide junior and mid-level engineers through technical coaching, code reviews, pairing, architectural guidance, and mentorship in delivery.

• Develop FDE playbooks, engineering standards, solution patterns, accelerators, and best practices for implementation.

• Promote experimentation, continuous learning, collaboration, technical excellence, and responsible AI development.

• Document and share lessons learned across various engagements.

⛳️ Requirements

• Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a Federal Public Trust.

• At least seven (7+) years of overall work experience.

• Background in software engineering, data engineering, AI/ML engineering, solution engineering, or a similar technical role.

• Experience in a Forward Deployed Engineer, Forward Deployed Software Engineer, Forward Deployed AI Engineer, or equivalent client-embedded engineering position.

• Practical experience in designing and developing generative AI, large language model, or agentic AI solutions.

• Hands-on experience with Claude APIs, Claude for Enterprise, Claude Code, tool usage, Custom Skills, or similar enterprise large language model platforms and developer tools.

• Direct experience with Model Context Protocol (MCP).

• Practical experience with agent-to-agent (A2A) and multi-agent solution methodologies.

• Hands-on experience in designing and implementing retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) solutions, including enterprise knowledge retrieval, embeddings, vector search, and grounding.

• Practical exposure to tool usage, structured outputs, context management, orchestration, and human-in-the-loop methodologies.

• Strong software engineering background using modern programming languages, APIs, services, and application development frameworks.

• Experience integrating AI applications and agents with enterprise systems, databases, APIs, tools, and data sources.

• Proven track record in developing reliable, maintainable, testable, and well-documented production code.

• Demonstrated experience in mentoring and developing engineers.

• Strong communication and consulting skills with clients.

• Proven ability to lead technical discovery and transform ambiguous business or mission challenges into actionable technical requirements and practical solutions.

• Demonstrated experience in leading complex technical implementations and providing technical guidance.

• Ability to think creatively and develop innovative technical solutions.

• Strong written, verbal, presentation, facilitation, and interpersonal communication abilities.

• A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution is preferred but not mandatory.

• Must be willing to travel up to 10%.

🏝️ Benefits

• Medical, Rx, Dental & Vision Insurance.

• Personal and Family Sick Time & Company Paid Holidays.

• Position may qualify for a discretionary variable incentive bonus.

• Parental Leave and Adoption Assistance.

• 401(k) Retirement Plan.

• Basic Life & Supplemental Life Insurance.

• Health Savings Account, Dental/Vision & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts.

• Short-Term & Long-Term Disability Insurance.

• Student Loan PayDown program.

• Tuition Reimbursement and opportunities for Personal Development & Learning.

• Skills Development & Certifications.

• Employee Referral Program.

• Corporate Sponsored Events & Community Outreach initiatives.

• Emergency Back-Up Childcare Program.

• Mobility Stipend.

• Flexible benefits package.