Senior Forward Deployed Engineer

Rippling gives businesses one place to run HR, IT, and Finance. It brings together all of the workforce systems that are normally scattered across a company, like payroll, expenses, benefits, and computers. For the first time ever, you can manage and automate every part of the employee lifecycle in a single system. Take onboarding, for example. With Rippling, you can hire a new employee anywhere in the world and set up their payroll, corporate card, computer, benefits, and even third‑party apps like Slack and Microsoft 365—all within 90 seconds. Based in San Francisco, CA, Rippling has raised $1.4B from the world’s top investors—including Kleiner Perkins, Founders Fund, Sequoia, Greenoaks, and Bedrock—and was named one of America’s best startup employers by Forbes. We prioritize candidate safety. Please be aware that all official communication will only be sent from @ Rippling.com addresses. About the Role Forward Deployed Engineers (FDEs) at Rippling are customer‑facing software engineers who bridge the gap between the complex business problems of our customers and the full power of the Rippling Platform. In this role, you will lead some of the most technically and organizationally complex customer engagements, owning not just execution but also problem framing, solution strategy, and cross‑functional alignment. You are trusted to operate with minimal guidance, influence customer direction, and raise the bar for technical quality and customer outcomes. This role is ideal for experienced engineers who combine strong technical judgment, customer intuition, and product thinking — and who thrive on responsibility and ownership. What You Will Do Partner directly with customer stakeholders — from individual contributors to executives — to understand business processes, pain points, and success criteria. Own the full lifecycle of customer solutions, from discovery and scoping through build, deployment, and post‑launch iteration. Translate ambiguous business requirements into clear technical designs and working software. Provide technical guidance and support throughout implementation, including troubleshooting, optimization, and adoption support. Identify opportunities where customer solutions can inform or extend native Rippling product capabilities. Collaborate closely with account teams, product managers, and engineers to align customer needs with platform capabilities. Qualifications Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science or a related field. 4+ years of professional software development experience. Proven ability to lead ambiguous projects independently and deliver high‑quality outcomes. Excellent communication skills and comfort working directly with senior customer stakeholders. Strong customer empathy paired with sound technical judgment. Excellent project ownership and execution skills. Willingness to travel to customer sites as needed (up to ~25%). Additional Information Rippling is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, veteran or military status, or any other legally protected characteristics. Rippling is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities who need assistance during the hiring process. To request a reasonable accommodation, please email View email address on click.appcast.io. Rippling highly values having employees working in‑office to foster a collaborative work environment and company culture. For office‑based employees (employees who live within a defined radius of a Rippling office), Rippling considers working in the office, at least three days a week under current policy, to be an essential function of the employee’s role. This role will receive a competitive salary + benefits + equity. The salary for US‑based employees will be aligned with one of the ranges below based on location; see which tier applies to your location here. A variety of factors are considered when determining someone’s compensation–including a candidate’s professional background, experience, and location. Final offer amounts may vary from the amounts listed below. The pay range for this role is: 126,000 - 220,500 USD per year (US Tier 1) #J-18808-Ljbffr Rippling