Forward Deployed Engineer

Location: Remote, United States. Office space available in Cleveland, Ohio.

Type: Full-Time

Reports to: Steven Feld, Chief Strategy Officer

Travel: Periodic travel to client sites, approximately 10%

Compensation: $225,000 to $275,000, commensurate with experience

About Propela Tech

Propela Tech is a healthcare-focused advisory and technology firm. We help healthcare operators streamline operations, unlock their data, and scale through custom-built software and systems integration. Our team pairs engineers with former healthcare operators, which shapes how we scope, build, and deliver.

Role Summary

Forward deployed engineering means working inside the client's operation rather than at a distance from it. You will embed with client teams, establish requirements through direct observation of how the work is performed, and design and deliver systems against the constraints you find. Engagements center on custom applications and integrations across EHRs, ATSs, billing platforms, and legacy systems, frequently with limited or no documentation.

You own delivery end to end: discovery, architecture, implementation, launch, and production operation. You also lead a distributed team of onshore and offshore developers and are accountable for what that team ships. You serve as the senior technical presence in client conversations, including scoping and estimation.

Responsibilities

• Lead discovery within client operations. Define requirements, success criteria, and scope through direct engagement with the people performing the work.
• Produce architecture diagrams, sequence flows, and data models. Select the simplest design that satisfies the requirement and document the trade-offs.
• Architect and build full stack applications, backend services, and integrations.
• Deliver integrations against EHRs, ATSs, billing platforms, and legacy systems, including undocumented and unsupported interfaces.
• Prototype and iterate with client users to shorten the cycle between requirement and working software.
• Lead and mentor onshore and offshore developers. Own code quality, delivery velocity, and engineering standards.
• Drive code review, architecture decisions, and sprint planning.
• Codify recurring solutions into reusable frameworks and internal tooling.
• Support scoping, estimation, and expansion discussions with client stakeholders.
• Operate what you launch, including monitoring, incident response, and post-deployment iteration.

Qualifications

• Seven or more years in full stack software development.
• Three or more years leading development teams and owning technical delivery.
• Demonstrated ownership of architecture and delivery from concept through production.
• Proficiency in Python, Node.js, React, SQL Server or MySQL, and AWS.
• Ability to work directly with non-technical stakeholders and translate operational requirements into technical decisions.

Preferred

• Healthcare domain experience, particularly EHR, revenue cycle, or claims data.
• Prior experience embedded on-site with clients or in a similar customer-facing engineering role.
• Experience managing distributed and offshore engineering teams.

Tech Stack

Items marked with an asterisk are required. Familiarity with the remainder is preferred.

• Backend: Python*, Node.js*, Java, .NET
• Frontend: React*, TypeScript, Angular, Tailwind
• Databases: SQL Server*, MySQL*, PostgreSQL, MongoDB
• Cloud and DevOps: AWS*, Azure, Docker, GitHub Actions
• CRM and ERP: Salesforce, QuickBooks
• Reporting: Power BI
• Healthcare Data: HL7, FHIR, X12/EDI (837, 835), SFTP and flat-file interfaces

Our Core Values

• Solution-Oriented: We tackle every challenge with a problem-solving mindset.
• Extreme Ownership: We take full responsibility for our work, outcomes, and commitments.
• Grit, Speed & Results: We move fast, stay resourceful, and focus relentlessly on outcomes.
• Show Up Strong: We bring our best selves and elevate the team.

Benefits

• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid time off
• Opportunities for rapid growth and leadership