Forward Deployed Engineer (AI)
RO Writer
About the role
Forward Deployed Engineer (AI)
About RO Writer
For 50 years, RO Writer has helped independent auto repair shops across North America run smarter, faster, and more profitably. Our all-in-one, now cloud-based shop management platform covers service writing, parts catalogs, digital vehicle inspections, inventory, accounting, and customer communication, and thousands of shops depend on it every day.
We're now bringing AI into the bays and the front counter, starting with RO Writer Connect, our AI-powered marketing automation. The next step is putting AI to work on the daily workflows that eat up a shop's time.
About the Role
We're hiring our first Forward Deployed Engineer. You'll work side by side with shop owners, service advisors, and technicians to find the problems slowing them down, then build AI solutions that fix them. You'll spend your time in the shop and in the code. What works in the field becomes part of the product.
You'll report to our General Manager and help define what this function becomes at RO Writer.
Your first big win: Automating repair order creation, using AI to turn inspections, technician notes, and customer conversations into accurate, ready-to-review repair orders and estimates.
What You'll Do
Embed with customers, remotely and on-site, to understand how their shops really run and where time and revenue are lost
Identify high-impact workflow problems and turn them into scoped, shippable solutions
Design, build, and deploy AI-powered workflows and agents (LLMs, RAG, tool use) that automate shop tasks such as repair order writing, estimating, and parts sourcing
Integrate with RO Writer's platform and third-party systems (parts catalogs, accounting, payments, and more) through APIs
Build evaluation and monitoring so AI output is accurate, grounded, and trustworthy enough for a shop to rely on
Run pilots with customers, gather feedback, and iterate quickly
Partner with Product and Engineering to turn successful field solutions into scalable product features
Document what you learn and build playbooks so Support, Training, and Customer Success teams can carry it forward
Be the voice of the customer inside engineering
What You Bring
Required
Professional software engineering experience, with Python and/or TypeScript
Hands-on experience building with LLMs: prompt design, agents or tool use, RAG, and evaluating output quality
The ability to explain the AI-driven development methods that have actually worked for you over the past 18 months: how you plan, build, test, and ship software with AI, and what you'd do differently
Experience working in small teams to produce applications and modules that improved or simplified end-user workflows
A track record you can express in results: end-user benefit, financial impact, and quantitative measures (time saved, cost reduced, revenue gained, adoption)
Strong experience building and consuming APIs and integrating with third-party systems
Excellent communication skills. You can explain technical ideas to non-technical shop owners and listen well.
Comfort with ambiguity: you can take a messy real-world problem to a working solution with little hand-holding
Willingness to travel periodically to customer shops
Strongly preferred
Experience in automotive, auto repair, or small-business / vertical SaaS
Experience in a customer-facing technical role (solutions engineering, implementation, technical consulting)
Familiarity with cloud platforms and modern deployment practices
Experience using AI coding tools in your daily work
You might be a great fit if you've ever shown up at a customer's workplace, watched how they actually work, and gone home to build something better.
Why RO Writer
Be the first in a brand-new function with direct access to leadership
Work on a product with a 50-year legacy and real customers who feel your impact immediately
Build AI that solves tangible problems for small business owners, not demos
Remote-first
FLSA Designation (US Only):
Exempt
Salary Range:
The estimated base salary range for this role is USD$117,000.00 - USD$143,000.00 per year. We include salary ranges in job postings only where required by applicable pay transparency laws, based on the jurisdictions in which the role may be performed. The posted range is a good faith estimate and reflects factors that are subject to change. Final offer amounts may vary based on job-related factors, including work location, candidate experience and expertise, and other relevant considerations.
Other Compensation (US Only):
Not Applicable
Benefits (US Only):
Full time employees will also be eligible for enrollment in a wide range of choices of benefits , including medical, dental, vision, basic life insurance, short/long term disability, 401(k) participation (with company match).
Time off (US Only):
The Company provides a minimum of 10 days of vacation for new employees , sick time based on state requirements, 8 Company-paid holidays and 2 personal holidays per year.
We recognize the value and importance of diversity and inclusion in our communities and in the workplace. We celebrate diversity and one of our goals as an employer is to create an inclusive work environment for all employees. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant because of race, religion, sex, sexual orientation including gender identity or expression, pregnancy, national origin, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or any other category or characteristic protected by law.
Applicants with disabilities who would like to require a reasonable accommodation related to any part of the application process may contact us at Perseus_HR@constellationhbs.com.
NOTE: If an applicant is selected to receive a conditional offer of employment, and in accordance with applicable law, a criminal background check may be conducted before the offer becomes final and employment begins. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and other applicable laws, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
#R.O. Writer
Responsibilities
- Embed with customers to understand shop workflows and identify operational problems.
- Design, build, and deploy AI-powered workflows and agents for shop tasks.
- Integrate RO Writer and third-party systems through APIs.
- Build evaluations and monitoring to ensure AI output is accurate and trustworthy.
- Run customer pilots, gather feedback, and iterate on solutions.
- Partner with Product and Engineering to scale successful solutions into product features.
- Document findings and create playbooks for customer-facing teams.
Qualifications
- Professional software engineering experience with Python and/or TypeScript.
- Hands-on experience building with LLMs, including prompt design, agents or tool use, RAG, and output evaluation.
- Ability to explain effective AI-driven development methods and discuss lessons learned.
- Experience building applications and modules that improve end-user workflows.
- Demonstrated results through measurable customer or business impact.
- Strong experience building and consuming APIs and integrating third-party systems.
- Excellent communication skills and ability to work with non-technical customers.
- Comfortable taking ambiguous problems from discovery to working solutions.
Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
- Basic life insurance and short- and long-term disability coverage.
- 401(k) with company match.
- At least 10 vacation days for new employees.
- Sick time based on state requirements.
- Eight company-paid holidays and two personal holidays per year.
Skills mentioned
About RO Writer
“While other purchasers of business seek economies of scale through centralization, we have taken the opposite approach. We believe that potential is maximized when teams are allowed to remain small. This enables the General Manager of the business to be empowered and remain in control of all levers necessary to guide their business.” -Mark Leonard, Founder, Constellation Software Inc. -- Perseus Group is a global acquirer of vertical market software businesses and one of six operating groups within Constellation Software Inc. (TSX: CSU). Since 1995, our M&A experts have completed over 1,000 acquisitions. Driven by our buy-and-hold investment philosophy, we exclusively acquire software businesses that we intend to own and grow indefinitely. Today, Perseus has become an international organization of passionate Founders, operational experts, and collaborators. We are proud to be the home of dozens of industry-leading brands across multiple vertical markets.