Forward Deployment Engineer

Overview

We are entering a new era of AI-driven transformation—one defined by intelligent systems that progress beyond copilots to autonomous, goal-driven agents embedded directly into real-world workflows. You will work at the intersection of customers, cutting-edge AI technologies, and Microsoft’s product platforms, owning the delivery of high-impact AI solutions from initial problem framing through production deployment and iteration.

This opportunity is tailored for those who desire end-to-end ownership of complex, real-world challenges where success is defined by customer outcomes and deployed impact—not merely feature completion.

Responsibilities

In this role, you will take charge of delivering customer-critical AI solutions, overseeing everything from problem discovery to system architecture, development, production deployment, and ongoing enhancements based on real-world usage. Your responsibilities will include:

• Engaging directly with customers and internal stakeholders to gain deep insights into workflows, constraints, and objectives.
• Translating evolving and often ambiguous requirements into scalable, reliable, secure, and cost-effective AI and LLM-powered systems.
• Operating with a high degree of autonomy and technical judgment, leading complex engagements and making critical trade-offs in service of customer outcomes.
• Partnering with product, engineering, research, and platform teams to influence roadmap direction with deployment insights.
• Removing technical or organizational friction to ensure successful adoption in production environments.
• Mentoring and providing technical leadership as a senior engineer, while contributing to the broader definition, practice, and scalability of Forward Deployment Engineering at Microsoft.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or a related technical field, or equivalent experience.
• Hands-on technical engineering experience with programming languages such as C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python.
• Strong proficiency in one or more general-purpose programming languages.
• Proven experience in building, deploying, and operating production systems with a focus on scalability, reliability, security, and maintainability.
• Practical experience in designing and implementing AI/ML or LLM-based solutions in production settings.
• 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 equivalent experience.
• Experience in optimizing, prompting, fine-tuning, or evaluating LLM-based systems for quality, performance, and scale.
• Proven track record in coaching and mentoring engineers or leading complex initiatives across teams.
• Background in roles demanding sustained customer interaction, solution ownership, or platform adoption in production environments.

Other Requirements

The ability to meet Microsoft, customer, and/or government security screening requirements is essential for this role. These include but are not limited to specialized security screenings. This position will require passing the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire or transfer and every two years thereafter.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to 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 or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations, and ordinances.