At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and manage teams to deliver AI solutions directly within customer environments.
- Company: Join AWS, a leader in cloud technology and innovation.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, travel opportunities, and professional growth in a dynamic environment.
- Other info: Opportunity to influence strategic decisions and drive operational excellence.
- Why this job: Shape the future of AI while working closely with top-tier clients.
- Qualifications: 10+ years in software development and 5+ years managing engineering teams.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 88000 £ per year.
AWS has formed a new Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) team dedicated to embedding AI Engineers and Scientists directly inside strategic enterprise customer environments to help design, build, and deploy AI-powered production systems.
We don’t build from a distance—we sit with customers, work in their infrastructure, and deliver production-grade AI solutions that transform how they operate.
This initiative is scaling rapidly.
A Senior Forward Deployed Engineering Manager (Senior FDE Manager) leads multiple pods of FDEs across several strategic enterprise customers, defining the delivery model, engineering standards, and talent strategy for the FDE practice at scale.
This is not a Solutions Architect management role and not a consulting engagement manager role.
Senior FDE Managers own organizational-level outcomes — they set the technical direction across multiple concurrent customer programs, build and scale the FDE team, and drive the mechanisms that ensure consistent engineering excellence and measurable business impact across the entire portfolio.
Senior FDE Managers operate at org-level scope.
They lead 15–30+ engineers, influence technical decisions across multiple customer engagements and AWS teams simultaneously, and define what "great" looks like for forward-deployed AI engineering management.
They represent the FDE practice to AWS senior leadership and customer C-suite executives, balancing strategic vision with operational execution.
- Key job responsibilities
- Lead the FDE delivery organization.
Own delivery across multiple customer engagements and FDE pods.
Staff and structure teams for optimal customer coverage.
Define engagement models, staffing strategies, and delivery cadences.
Ensure consistent engineering quality across all active programs.
Requires up to 30 – 50% travel.
- Define technical strategy and standards.
Set the technical direction for the most complex customer AI programs spanning your organization.
Align technical strategy with adjacent AWS teams.
Be a key influencer for strategic decisions, bringing technology and industry context to business decisions.
Resolve escalations and drive closure with peers, Directors, and stakeholders.
- Own production excellence at organizational scale.
Define operational standards, evaluation frameworks, and production readiness criteria for AI systems across your organization.
Establish mechanisms that ensure AI systems remain healthy across all active engagements.
Drive improvements that enable the organization to insist on the highest operational excellence standards.
- Build and scale the team.
Hire, develop, and retain FDE talent across levels.
Coach and develop FDE Managers.
Drive performance management, succession planning, and organizational health.
Create the talent pipeline for the FDE practice.
Define hiring bar and calibration standards.
- Accelerate transformation at portfolio level.
Identify systemic opportunities to expand AI adoption across multiple customer organizations.
Create accelerators and reusable platforms that reduce time-to-value.
Influence AWS product roadmaps based on patterns observed across customers.
Feed learnings back into AWS at the organizational level.
- BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- 10+ years of non-internship professional software development experience
- 5+ years of engineering organization management experience (managing managers or large teams)
- 8+ years of leading design or architecture of new and existing systems
- Experience defining technical strategy and delivery standards for an engineering organization
- Experience managing teams across multiple concurrent programs or product lines - PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience managing engineering teams in customer-facing or forward-deployed environments at scale
- Experience building or leading organizations delivering production AI or ML platforms
- Track record of developing engineering managers and senior technical leaders
- Experience representing engineering to executive leadership (VP/C-suite level)
- Strong written and verbal communication skills; comfort working in customer-facing environments
- Experience influencing product roadmaps through engineering and customer insights
- Bachelor's degree in computer science or equivalent; advanced degree preferred
Senior Forward Deployed Engineering Manager, AWS Forward Deployed Engineering in London employer: AWS EMEA SARL (UK Branch)
AWS Search Marketing in the United Kingdom is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters innovation and collaboration among a team of search experts. Employees benefit from comprehensive growth opportunities, competitive compensation, and the chance to make a significant impact on global paid search initiatives, all while enjoying the vibrant atmosphere of the UK market.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Forward Deployed Engineering Manager, AWS Forward Deployed Engineering in London
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at AWS EMEA SARL (UK Branch) or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to AWS EMEA SARL (UK Branch).
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like AWS EMEA SARL (UK Branch).
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like AWS EMEA SARL (UK Branch) that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Forward Deployed Engineering Manager, AWS Forward Deployed Engineering in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at AWS EMEA SARL (UK Branch).
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at AWS EMEA SARL (UK Branch) and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at AWS EMEA SARL (UK Branch)
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If AWS EMEA SARL (UK Branch) uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
