Forward Deployment Engineer

Overview

We are entering a new era of AI-driven transformation, characterized by intelligent systems that evolve from copilots to autonomous, goal-driven agents integrated directly into real-world workflows. As a key player, you will operate at the intersection of customers, cutting-edge AI technologies, and Microsoft’s product platforms, taking ownership of delivering high-impact AI solutions from initial problem framing through to production deployment and ongoing iteration. This role is tailored for professionals eager to take full ownership of complex, real-world problems, where success is determined by impactful customer outcomes rather than mere feature completion. If you have felt limited by traditional engineering boundaries and aspire to address problems as they are experienced by customers, this opportunity awaits you.

Responsibilities

In this pivotal role, you will be responsible for the complete delivery of customer-critical AI solutions, encompassing everything from problem discovery and system architecture to development, production deployment, and ongoing iteration informed by real-world usage. You will engage directly with customers and internal stakeholders to gain insights into workflows, constraints, and objectives, effectively translating evolving and often ambiguous requirements into scalable, reliable, secure, and cost-effective AI and LLM-powered systems.

• Operate with a high degree of autonomy and technical judgment, leading complex engagements that require quick and thoughtful decision-making in service of customer outcomes.
• Collaborate closely with product, engineering, research, and platform teams to influence roadmap direction through deployment insights.
• Assist in removing technical or organizational friction to ensure successful adoption in production environments.
• As a senior member of the team, elevate the execution standards through mentorship and technical leadership while contributing to the definition and scaling of Forward Deployment Engineering practices.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or a related technical field, with hands-on technical engineering experience in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python, or equivalent experience.
• Strong proficiency in one or more general-purpose programming languages (e.g., C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, Python).
• Proven experience in building, deploying, and operating production systems, with a focus on scalability, reliability, security, and maintainability.
• Practical experience designing and implementing AI/ML or LLM-based solutions within production environments.
• Familiarity with modern DevOps practices, including CI/CD pipelines, containerization, and infrastructure-as-code.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's Degree in Computer Science or a related technical field, OR Bachelor's Degree with extensive hands-on experience as mentioned above, or equivalent experience.
• Experience in optimizing, prompting, fine-tuning, or evaluating LLM-based systems for quality, performance, and scale.
• Demonstrated ability to coach and mentor engineers or lead technically complex initiatives across teams.
• Background in roles requiring sustained customer interaction, solution ownership, or platform adoption in production settings.

Other Requirements

Meeting Microsoft's, customer, and/or government security screening requirements is essential for this role. This includes but is not limited to specialized security screenings, such as the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.

Microsoft is committed to fostering an inclusive environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment regardless of age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations, and ordinances. Accommodations can be requested for religious reasons or disabilities during the application process.