Founding Forward Deployed Engineer

Dex
San Francisco, California, United StatesFull-time$180,000–$220,000Posted Aug 27, 2026

About the role

This role is with one of Dex's trusted partner companies. We work closely with their teams to truly understand their culture, goals, and what they're looking for, so we can match you with the right opportunity and give you context about the role before you commit to a process.

If you're interested sign up to Dex to apply.

Dex is an AI recruiter agent that helps you run your job search. Tell Dex your stack, seniority, and what you want to build. We will manage your applications and surface other opportunities that are a fit.

The role

This company builds AI agents that automate strategic decisions in manufacturing operations, sitting on top of ERP systems. Their customers are large manufacturers, currently in Germany and expanding to the US. Every deployment reveals new insights into complex operations. The mission: turn these bespoke learnings into a scalable product. They are backed by leading investors and a talent-dense team.

You will be the founding Forward Deployed Engineer. This is a rare seat: roughly half engineering, half customer work. You'll sit with users, translate their operational challenges into product improvements, then prototype and build the solutions yourself. You own implementations end-to-end, from scoping to integration, working directly with the CEO and CTO to shape the product. This isn't a pure engineering role, nor is it just customer success; it's about productizing deep operational knowledge with zero handholding.

The work

Translate complex manufacturing operational problems into product features.

Prototype and write production-grade code to implement new features and fixes.

Own customer implementations end-to-end: scoping, onboarding, integration, and training.

Extract reusable features, data models, and playbooks from each customer rollout, directly shaping the core product with leadership.

What You Bring

At least two years of full-time professional experience; you'll be customer-facing from day one.

A product architect mindset: you turn complex user frustrations into intuitive, performant features.

Ability to write production code and prototype features yourself, not just hand off specs.

Systems thinking: you design scalable processes in code, operations, and human workflows, defaulting to data and automation.

Fluency in German is a significant advantage, given the current customer base.

Why apply through Dex

This is a founding, high-impact role in a competitive market. Dex helps you cut through the noise: sign up once, get matched to this rare opportunity and others like it, and skip the cold application process. We'll brief you thoroughly, ensuring you understand the full context before you even speak to the client.

If you're interested, sign up to Dex to apply - https://jobs.meetdex.ai/jobs/4b7aa3fc-a200-42a6-9f07-6346f83e88bb

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Responsibilities

  • Translate complex manufacturing operational problems into product features.
  • Prototype and write production-grade code to implement new features and fixes.
  • Own customer implementations end-to-end: scoping, onboarding, integration, and training.
  • Extract reusable features, data models, and playbooks from each customer rollout.

Qualifications

  • At least two years of full-time professional experience.
  • A product architect mindset.
  • Ability to write production code and prototype features.
  • Systems thinking for scalable processes.
  • Fluency in German is a significant advantage.

Skills mentioned

AI AgentsGenerative AIBackend DevelopmentSystem DesignAPI IntegrationREST APIsDatabase DesignAutomationPerformance OptimizationDebugging

About Dex

Dex is for exceptional people who build exceptional things. We connect exceptional Software Engineers with venture-backed Start-ups and Scale-ups in London. Few roles. Fewer candidates. Better matches. We are curated. We only offer a rigorously selected set of roles from the best organisations. Every opportunity is vetted. We are transparent. We insist on full transparency on salary, terms and package from the get-go. Giving you confidence that things really are the way they seem. We are long term. Dex stays with you throughout your career across promotion cycles, frustration peaks and surfacing big opportunities. Treat your job search like production (not a sandbox). Brief Dex to find the roles actually worth your time.

Technology11-50 employeesLondon