Forward Deployed Engineer

(no H1B or OPT Visa Sponsorship will be provided).


About Shelf: There is no AI Strategy without a Data Strategy. Getting GenAI to work is mission critical for most companies but 90% of AI projects haven't deployed. Why? Poor data quality - it is the #1 obstacle companies have in getting GenAI projects into production.

We've helped some of the best brands like Amazon, Mayo Clinic, AmFam, and Nespresso solve their data issues and deploy their AI strategy with Day 1 ROI.


Simply put, Shelf unlocks AI readiness. We provide the core infrastructure that enables GenAI to be deployed at scale. We help companies deliver more accurate GenAI answers by eliminating bad data in documents and files before they go into an LLM and create bad answers.


Shelf is partnered withMicrosoft, Salesforce, Snowflake, Databricks, OpenAI, and other big tech players who are bringing GenAI to the enterprise.


Our mission is to empower humanity with better answers everywhere.

Job Description:

The Forward Deployed Engineer will serve as a forward-deployed technical expert, independently leading proof-of-value engagements with enterprise prospects. This role combines deep technical expertise in data modeling and ontology design with hands-on implementation skills to deliver rapid-cycle pilots that demonstrate Shelf's value and convert to closed deals.

This is a unique opportunity to work at the cutting edge of AI and data quality, designing custom data models and configuring reasoning agents to solve complex enterprise challenges. You'll operate with significant autonomy, embedded with prospects during 3-5 day pilots, iterating quickly to prove measurable value. Your ability to understand customer data architectures, design semantic models, and deliver technical solutions will be crucial to our sales success.

Reporting to the Field CTO, you'll partner with Account Executives throughout the sales cycle, with primary responsibility during technical evaluation and POV phases. Beyond new customer acquisition, you'll support expansion opportunities within existing accounts, contributing to our land-and-expand growth strategy. You'll work directly alongside Engineering during POVs and collaborate on building reusable templates and best practices.

The ideal candidate brings 7-10+ years of experience combining technical depth in data platforms and modeling with customer-facing skills. As a self-starter, you'll quickly ramp through hands-on internal projects that mirror customer engagements. You're comfortable writing scripts, leveraging AI coding tools like Claude Code, and delivering approximately 8-10 POVs per quarter. Experience with knowledge graphs, ontologies, or semantic technologies is strongly preferred, though exceptional data modeling expertise can substitute.

What We're Looking For:

• Technical Depth - Strong data modeling, data platforms, and ETL/pipeline expertise; knowledge graphs and ontologies experience strongly preferred
• Forward-Deployed Engineer - Comfortable operating independently with prospects, leading technical engagements with minimal supervision
• Technical Problem Solver - Writes Python scripts, automates workflows, and leverages AI coding tools to rapidly build and iterate solutions during customer engagements
• Customer-Facing Excellence - Exceptional communication skills with technical and business stakeholders; comfortable presenting and iterating with customers
• Rapid Execution - Thrives in fast-paced 3-5 day pilot cycles; delivers value quickly and iterates based on feedback
• Sales-Oriented Mindset - Understands enterprise sales cycles and is motivated by converting POVs to closed deals
• Continuous Learner - Stays current with AI/GenAI trends, data technologies, and modern engineering practices

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead independent POV engagements with enterprise prospects, designing custom ontologies and configuring solutions within 3-5 day cycles
• Conduct technical discovery and present solutions to Data Engineers, Enterprise Architects, and AI/ML Engineers
• Support Account Executives throughout sales cycles with primary ownership during technical evaluation and POV phases
• Work directly with Engineering on technical challenges and custom implementations during POVs
• Continue engagement through deal closing and initial customer onboarding alongside Customer Success
• Support existing customer expansion opportunities as part of land-and-expand strategy
• Collaborate with Field CTO to build reusable ontology templates and POV best practices

Qualifications:

• 7-10+ years in technical pre-sales, data engineering, solutions architecture, or similar customer-facing technical roles
• Strong expertise in data modeling, data platforms, and ETL/data pipelines
• Experience with knowledge graphs, ontologies, or semantic technologies strongly preferred
• Proficiency in scripting and automation (Python preferred)
• Hands-on experience with AI coding tools (Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, etc.)
• Deep understanding of enterprise data platforms and cloud architectures (AWS, Azure, GCP)
• Proven track record in customer-facing technical roles with demonstrated sales impact
• Exceptional presentation and communication skills with technical and business audiences
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, or related field
• Experience in B2B SaaS, AI/ML, or data quality solutions preferred

Success Metrics To be successful in this role, you should aim to achieve the following within the first 18 months:

• POV Conversion Rate - Achieve 70%+ conversion rate from pilot to closed deal
• POV Delivery Volume - Successfully deliver 8-10 high-quality POVs per quarter within 3-5 day timeframes
• ARR Growth Contribution - Support overall company ARR growth through new customer acquisition and existing account expansion
• Technical Quality - Consistently deliver well-designed ontologies and technical solutions that meet customer requirements

What We Offer:

• Competitive salary, equity, & benefits
• Realistic, clearly communicated expectations
• Team-wide aligned values and goals
• Comprehensive health and wellness packages

Location:

Hybrid in our NYC office, four days a week.


Why Shelf:

• GenAI will be at least a $18 Trillion market by 2032 and Shelf is a core infrastructure that enables GenAI to be deployed at scale
• We are blazing the path for the future of Artificial Intelligence globally.
• Our Leadership Team has deep AI domain expertise and enterprise SaaS background to execute this plan
• We love our customers and our customers love us. Ask a Shelf customer why, and they'll tell you it's because of our innovative capabilities, rock-solid reliability, they truly enjoy working with our people, but most of all - it's the improvements they see in their business KPIs.
• We have raised over $60 million in funding and our investors include; Insight Partners, Tiger Global, Base10, and others
• We have high velocity growth powered by the most innovative product in our category
• We now have over 100 employees in multiple U.S. states and European countries, and we have ambitious hiring goals over the next few quarters.

Our Values:

Quality - We're united by our focus on world-class Quality. Quality in all things - starting with everything that leaves your desk. Everything you touch - every email, report, campaign, and piece of code - should be outstanding. Your work product should blow people away. Having people look at what you've done and say, "Wow." That's the standard here. Remember that how you do anything is how you do everything. Focus on craftsmanship-your ability to make things better.

Momentum - for us means that you should know that the things you're responsible for are moving forward. When you look around and see something that's stalled, get it moving again. We pride ourselves on "ball movement." When your boss or team leaves you with something, they should return to see measurable progress. Small, continuous movement is our recipe for success. Constantly look for how to make the work around you move forward. We want you to initiate solutions, ideas, and progress. Don't wait for it to come to you-reach out and create movement. All the time.

Accountability - We expect every team member to feel that they are accountable for more than anyone might normally expect. Each of us should feel real responsibility for things even at the edge of our control. We consistently share and align on expectations, give each other open and respectful feedback, and use those two drivers to ensure that every agreement we make with one another is clear and complete.

Hard Work - We're here to do something difficult together. We care intensely about the mission and we expect that from our teammates. That care means that we work hard here. Hard work comes with long hours, extra effort...and real opportunity at Shelf. Your passion for creating and sustaining output is a part of our DNA. Support each other, cheer each other on, drive the mission forward. Great teams sustain intense effort together to win.

Learning Agility - We're innovating in one of the fastest-moving spaces in history at a time of accelerating global change. That's incredibly exciting and requires each of us to commit fully to learning each and every day so that we can be the best at what we do. None of us know everything. All of us can learn anything. Staying open and constantly curious is a key success driver at Shelf. It also requires humility. We prize people who are consistently humble and open to making mistakes and growing from them. Recognize also that learning itself is a skill...we need you to be really good at it. Keep dialing in your own understanding about how you learn best and push yourself to keep growing.

Adapt and Thrive - Overcoming challenges lives deep in our DNA. We have a proud history of understanding and living the reality that obstacles are our opportunities...they're the key to our success. Change is a constant in our business and fighting change is counterproductive. We need you to be good at being uncomfortable and understand that discomfort is the key to growth. Cultivate your own ability to adapt and know that struggling well is something you'll share with every team you're on at Shelf. Our company stories are about thriving through real difficulty...together.

Win Together - We win or lose as a team. Always. Everything you do here is connected to the rest of the organization. Part of our shared team environment demands full honesty...real candor and directness with one another. We expect you to constantly be thinking about how to support your teammates and the company, always acting in service to our shared mission and what's best for the organization as a whole.