Founding Forward Deployed Engineer

About the company Our client is an AI-first permanent-capital software group that acquires mission-critical vertical SaaS companies and operates them for the long term. The company has raised more than $50M, acquired eight businesses in under two years, and is building a shared applied-AI platform across its portfolio. Distribution, executive sponsorship, customer relationships, and deployment budgets are already in place. The role and why it matters This is a founding Forward Deployed Engineer role with direct access to the co-founders and Head of AI. You will build and deploy applied-AI products across multiple vertical software companies, identify repeatable patterns, and turn successful deployments into reusable platform capabilities. What you'll do • Run discovery with executives and operators, translate business problems into product specifications, and build AI workflows from scratch. • Own full deployment lifecycles from zero-to-one implementation through customer adoption. • Work on-site with customer decision-makers and technical teams across portfolio companies. • Build shared data models, ontologies, and workflow infrastructure that connect deployments into reusable vertical products. • Partner directly with the co-founders, Head of AI, and portfolio CTO to define and execute the applied-AI strategy. • Help establish the Forward Deployed Engineering pod, operating model, and technical standards. Requirements What we're looking for • 3 to 5 years of hands-on software engineering or forward-deployed engineering experience. • A track record leading technical deployments from discovery through production and adoption. • Strong full-stack engineering, systems architecture, and data-pipeline fundamentals. • Experience building with LLMs, applied machine learning, or AI workflow systems. • Ability to work directly with C-level customers and translate ambiguous operational needs into shipped products. • Founder-minded ownership, autonomy, and comfort operating without extensive structure. • Willingness to travel frequently to customer sites. Bonus points • Experience productizing patterns across multiple deployments or customers. • Experience with vertical SaaS, enterprise software, or portfolio-company environments. • Familiarity with ontology-driven platforms or centralized enterprise data models. • Experience helping build an engineering team or new technical function. Location and work model • Full-time role based in New York City or Chicago. • Five days per week in the office, with frequent customer travel. • Candidates must already be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship. Benefits • $200,000 to $300,000 base salary. • Competitive equity. • Founding-level ownership of a new applied-AI business. • Direct access to company founders, portfolio executives, and customer decision-makers.