Forward Deployed Engineer
Profound
Location
New York City, San Francisco, and Buenos Aires
Employment Type
Full time
Department
Engineering
Compensation
- $160K – $300K • Offers Equity
About Profound
Profound is an NYC-based AI startup helping brands measure and improve their visibility in AI platforms such as ChatGPT. We partner with some of the biggest brands and marketing agencies, including companies like MongoDB, Indeed, Mercury, DocuSign, Zapier, Ramp, Rho, Golin, Workable, Mejuri, Eight Sleep, G2, US Bank, Chime, and Clay.
We recently raised a $35 million Series B funding round led by Sequoia Capital, with continued backing from venture capital firms Kleiner Perkins, Khosla Ventures, Saga VC, and South Park Commons, as well as angel investors including Guillermo Rauch (Vercel) and Andrew Karam (Applovin).
Learn more at tryprofound.com.
About the Role
As a Forward Deployed Engineer at Profound, you'll be the technical bridge between our engineering team and our Fortune 500 clients. You'll combine deep engineering expertise with exceptional communication skills to ensure our most strategic customers successfully integrate and maximize value from our platform. This role requires the full technical rigor of a software engineer with the client-facing skills of a solutions architect.
You'll write production code, architect custom integrations, and solve complex technical challenges while sitting in client meetings, presenting to CTOs, and translating between engineering and executive stakeholders. This is not a support role—you're a full-stack engineer who happens to love working directly with customers.
What You'll Work On
Client Integration & Technical Implementation
Design and build custom integrations connecting Profound's platform to enterprise systems
Write production-quality code in TypeScript, Python, and Next.js for client-specific features
Architect solutions that handle enterprise-scale data volumes and security requirements
Debug complex issues spanning client infrastructure and our systems
Optimize performance for clients processing millions of daily queries
Client Partnership & Communication
Lead technical discussions with client engineering teams and C-suite executives
Join client calls to understand requirements and translate them into technical solutions
Present technical architectures and implementation plans to diverse audiences
Build trusted relationships with technical champions at Fortune 500 companies
Conduct technical workshops and training sessions for client teams
Product Development & Feedback Loop
Identify patterns in client needs and work with product to build scalable solutions
Contribute to core product development based on field insights
Build reusable components and libraries for common integration patterns
Document technical solutions and create implementation guides
Influence product roadmap with direct customer feedback
Strategic Projects
Lead enterprise POCs that unlock multi-million dollar contracts
Design data pipelines integrating with client BI tools and data warehouses
Build custom dashboards and reporting solutions for executive stakeholders
Develop automation workflows connecting AI insights to business processes
What We're Looking For
Technical Requirements:
2+ years of software engineering experience with production systems
Strong proficiency in TypeScript, Next.js, and React
Solid Python experience for backend development and data processing
Experience with REST APIs and system integration patterns
Database experience (PostgreSQL, time-series databases)
Comfort with cloud platforms (AWS preferred)
Rust experience is a plus but not required
Client-Facing Skills:
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
Ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders
Comfort presenting to and building relationships with executives
Experience working directly with enterprise clients
Strong problem-solving skills under pressure
Ability to context-switch between multiple client engagements
Mindset:
Customer obsession—you genuinely care about client success
Engineering rigor—you write clean, maintainable, production-ready code
Strategic thinking—you see beyond tickets to understand business impact
Ownership mentality—you own client relationships end-to-end
Growth mindset—you thrive in ambiguity and rapid change
What Makes This Role Unique
You're not just implementing features—you're directly shaping how Fortune 500 companies adapt to the AI revolution. Every integration you build, every problem you solve, directly impacts multi-million dollar decisions about AI strategy.
You'll have unique visibility across our entire customer base, seeing patterns that inform both product direction and go-to-market strategy. Your work directly influences our product roadmap, and your insights shape how we build for enterprise scale.
This role offers a rare combination: the technical depth of a senior engineer, the strategic impact of a product manager, and the relationship-building of a trusted advisor to the world's largest companies.
Compensation Range: $160K - $300K