Vice President, Forward Deployed Engineering - TMT (Chicago)

To get the best candidate experience, please consider applying for a maximum of 3 roles within 12 months to ensure you are not duplicating efforts.Job CategorySalesJob DetailsAbout SalesforceSalesforce is the #1 AI CRM, where humans with agents drive customer success together. Here, ambition meets action. Tech meets trust. And innovation isn’t a buzzword — it’s a way of life. The world of work as we know it is changing and we're looking for Trailblazers who are passionate about bettering business and the world through AI, driving innovation, and keeping Salesforce's core values at the heart of it all.Ready to level-up your career at the company leading workforce transformation in the agentic era? You’re in the right place! Agentforce is the future of AI, and you are the future of Salesforce.About the RoleAs VP of Forward Deployed Engineering for the Tech, Media and Telecommunications (TMT) Operating Unit, you will lead one of the most critical execution motions in our Agentforce growth — moving customers from curiosity to consumption. This is a foundational role: you will build and lead a high-performing team of Builders, define the operating model, and write the playbook that turns AI strategy and pre-sales prototypes into production agents, measurable usage, and expansion opportunities.You will sit at the intersection of technical credibility, customer partnership, and commercial accountability — designing a scalable growth model while collaborating closely with Sales, Solutions, Success, Product, Professional Services, and Partners.Key ResponsibilitiesLead the Agentic Builder Strategy: Define, operationalize, and scale the Builder model for TMT — establishing role clarity, engagement models, coverage expectations, and success measures across segments and use case complexity.Build the Path to First Agent Live: Scale repeatable plays that lock the outcome, pilot on real data, build and test production agents, and go live with observability in place. Drive speed without sacrificing customer trust or long-term scalability.Own the Adoption & Consumption Motion: Drive the full consumption lifecycle from agent provisioned to scaled adoption. Track progress with consumption scorecards and manage performance against targets. Scale the Adoption Playbook: Champion and operationalise the Adoption Playbook as the standard execution guide across the GTM deal cycle — whether prospecting, re-engaging a stalled customer, or onboarding a new one. Ensure activation is a continuation of the sales motion, not a handoff.Orchestrate Across the Customer Lifecycle: Create tight alignment between Sales, AEs, Consumption Sellers, Success, Builders, Partners, and Professional Services. Lead executive customer engagements — workshops, QBRs, innovation sessions, and escalations — helping customers move from AI experimentation to operating model transformation.Build and Develop a High-Performing Team: Recruit, develop, and retain exceptional Builders. Build future leaders, foster a culture of ownership and speed, and establish the operational rigour — dashboards, cadences, success plans — needed to track go-lives, adoption, blockers, and expansion health.Modernise How We Work with AI: Drive AI-enabled workflows across the Builder organisation — from account planning and use case design through prototyping, testing, and executive storytelling. Champion tools like Cursor, Claude, and Agentforce to raise the bar on how the team operates.Required QualificationsProven Leadership: 10+ years in enterprise software or SaaS environments, with a strong foundation in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related discipline — including 5+ years in leading and scaling high-performing technical organizationsAI/Agentic Platform Authority: Demonstrated track record deploying AI/LLM-based solutions at scale with the credibility to represent Agentforce Platform's AI vision at the executive level with customers and partnersTalent Development: Attract, retain, coach, and scale top talent across leadership levels and technical disciplinesEnterprise Architecture Depth: Deep expertise in enterprise data architecture, security, and integrations to guide complex technical strategy and hold teams accountable to architectural standardsTechnical Fluency: Working proficiency in one or more programming languages (Python, JavaScript, Apex, or Java); able to engage credibly with engineers and architects without relying on intermediariesStrategic Problem-Solving: Proven ability to diagnose systemic failure patterns — whether product, configuration, or data — and translate ambiguous field signals into structured, actionable insights Executive Presence: Engage CIOs, CTOs, CDOs, and COOs with credibility, clarity, and confidence. Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; able to distill complex technical findings into crisp narratives that resonate with C-suite customers and internal leadership without requiring follow-upOperational Intelligence Mindset: Experience leveraging product telemetry, observability data, and field intelligence to identify platform patterns, surface product gaps, and inform product prioritization and adoption strategy at an organizational levelCross-Functional Influence: Build trust across Sales, Solutions, Product, Engineering, Success, and PartnersConsumption & Value Orientation: Fluency with consumption models, consumption dashboards, and data-driven inspection; move beyond bookings to durable customer valueHigh Agency & Organizational Agility: Track record of building and leading teams that thrive in ambiguous, high-stakes environments — instilling a culture of experimentation, fast iteration, and continuous learning across the organizationWillingness to Travel: Ability to travel 25% to customer sites and company engagements.Preferred QualificationsDeep fluency across the applied AI concepts and technologies with preference to the Agentforce platform — with the ability to engage credibly on platform architecture, cross-cloud integration patterns, and deployment strategy at both the customer and executive levelPrior leadership experience in a forward deployed engineering, solutions engineering, or technical advisory organization — with direct accountability for field outcomes and customer technical success ​​deploying agentic AI solutions at scale. Familiarity with Salesforce CRM, Agentforce platform, and Data 360; fluency with adjacent enterprise platforms a strong plusProven ability to build thought leadership presence — through content, community engagement, or executive influence — that elevates both team credibility and Agentforce platform adoptionUnleash Your PotentialWhen you join Salesforce, you’ll be limitless in all areas of your life. Our benefits and resources support you to find balance and be your best, and our AI agents accelerate your impact so you can do your best. Together, we’ll bring the power of Agentforce to organizations of all sizes and deliver amazing experiences that customers love. Apply today to not only shape the future — but to redefine what’s possible — for yourself, for AI, and the world.AccommodationsIf you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please submit a request via this Accommodations Request Form.Please note that Salesforce uses artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help our recruiters assess and evaluate candidates’ resumes and qualifications throughout the recruiting process. Humans will always make any candidate selection and hiring decisions. Please see our Candidate Privacy Statement for more information about how we use your personal data and your rights, including with regard to use of AI tools and opt out options.Posting StatementSalesforce is an equal opportunity employer and maintains a policy of non-discrimination with all employees and applicants for employment. What does that mean exactly? It means that at Salesforce, we believe in equality for all. And we believe we can lead the path to equality in part by creating a workplace that’s inclusive, and free from discrimination. Know your rights: workplace discrimination is illegal. Any employee or potential employee will be assessed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications – without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, transgender status, age, disability, veteran or marital status, political viewpoint, or other classifications protected by law. This policy applies to current and prospective employees, no matter where they are in their Salesforce employment journey. It also applies to recruiting, hiring, job assignment, compensation, promotion, benefits, training, assessment of job performance, discipline, termination, and everything in between. Recruiting, hiring, and promotion decisions at Salesforce are fair and based on merit. The same goes for compensation, benefits, promotions, transfers, reduction in workforce, recall, training, and education.In the United States, compensation offered will be determined by factors such as location, job level, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Certain roles may be eligible for incentive compensation, equity, and benefits. Salesforce offers a variety of benefits to help you live well including: time off programs, medical, dental, vision, mental health support, paid parental leave, life and disability insurance, 401(k), and an employee stock purchasing program. More details about company benefits can be found at the following link: to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance and the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring, Salesforce will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.At Salesforce, we believe in equitable compensation practices that reflect the dynamic nature of labor markets across various regions.

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