Forward Deployed Software Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Octagon Talent Solutions is in search of a Forward Deployed Engineer based out of the NYC area for one of our leading-edge clients. Forward Deployed Engineers are at the center of customer success. You’ll work directly with operators, business leaders, and engineering to:

• Understand high-stakes processes and translate them into clear, testable workflows
• Build compelling demos and “proof of value” prototypes
• Deploy solutions into production and continuously improve performance
• Serve as a trusted technical partner as accounts expand

Responsibilities:

Pre‑Sales / Proof of Value (POV)

• Build demos and prototypes for prospective customers
• Run a 2–3 week POV sprint: shadow operational teams, review SOPs, scope workflows, and deliver a working agent demo
• Identify workflow gaps and propose product/feature enhancements to accelerate successful deployments
• Partner with the sales team to qualify, shape, and close opportunities (you’ll still be hands‑on in the sales cycle)

Post‑Sales / Deployment & Expansion

• Own deployments from first implementation through production launch
• Translate customer SOPs into high-quality natural‑language instructions and workflow specifications
• Debug issues when workflows don’t behave as expected; propose fixes or improvements with clear technical reasoning
• Partner with engineering to prioritize feedback; write design/architecture specs and handoffs as needed
• Own a portfolio of enterprise accounts and drive expansion through measurable outcomes

Cross‑functional impact

• Work closely with operators, engineers, and customer stakeholders — including senior executives — to drive alignment
• Take ownership like a founder: be proactive, resourceful, and accountable for results

Requirements:

Must‑have

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science (or equivalent technical foundation)
• 2+ years of professional experience (flexible up to ~8 years)
• Strong customer‑facing experience owning client relationships (e.g., implementation, solutions engineering, technical consulting, high-ownership roles)
• Technical depth: able to reason about systems, tradeoffs, and debugging; comfortable reading and writing code when needed
• Excellent communication: able to translate technical concepts for non‑technical stakeholders and build trust quickly
• High ownership and bias to action; comfortable operating in ambiguity

Nice‑to‑have

• Founder/founding engineer experience or clear founder-like characteristics (autonomy, grit, ownership)
• Full‑stack experience (helpful for end-to-end debugging across systems)
• Experience building or deploying AI agents / LLM applications
• Prior Forward Deployed / Solutions Engineering experience (Palantir-style roles are a plus)
• Experience in insurance, regulated environments, or legacy system integrations

Technical environment (What you’ll use)

• TypeScript-first environment
• You may code less than a traditional SWE role, but technical strength is critical for scoping, debugging, and designing solutions that ship
• Expect a mix of configuration, cloud tools, workflow design, and targeted coding

Compensation

Competitive base salary (targeting a top-of-market range; subject to final leveling and approvals) plus meaningful equity upside. Exceptional candidates may be supported at the top end of the range.

Work style

• NYC office (Union Square area) with 5 days/week in-office expectation
• Fast-moving team, high responsibility, and high-impact work with direct customer exposure