At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the deployment of AI solutions in critical infrastructure, from discovery to go-live.
- Company: Exciting AI startup with a strong backing and innovative founders.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, equity options, and travel opportunities to customer sites.
- Other info: Join a dynamic team with opportunities for growth and leadership.
- Why this job: Be at the forefront of AI technology, making a real-world impact in vital industries.
- Qualifications: 5+ years in engineering with strong TypeScript, React, Python or Node skills.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
Competitive base + very early‑stage equity. Travel to customer sites in the Gulf; (a few days once a month / bi‑monthly).
The company is an AI startup building for the physical world. $30M Series A closed weeks ago, led by one of Silicon Valley's best‑known funds with sovereign capital in the round. The founders came out of one of the world's most talked‑about AI companies, and most of the founding engineers followed them. The product is AI that runs critical infrastructure operations: ports, airlines, energy grids. It lives embedded inside government and large enterprise operators, on live data, in environments where a wrong answer stops a port.
The role involves being the first Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE), owning the motion the entire company runs on: from the first discovery conversation through to go‑live. There are nine engineers today. The deployment playbook doesn't exist yet; you will write it, and every FDE hired after you will ramp on it. This is a player‑coach seat where the player half comes first. You’ll stay in the codebase, ship full‑stack features with the customer in the room, and make the call that compounds: what stays a one‑off, what becomes platform. You get real access, with credentials into a national operator's systems, and a seat next to the people running the grid. This is not a read‑only API and a weekly status call.
What good looks like after 12 months:
- Flagship deployments went from signed contract to running in production under your ownership.
- An FDE team exists, hired against your bar, ramping on your playbook.
- The core platform ships faster because your specs told engineering exactly what to build.
- Success got measured in operators depending on the system, not tickets closed.
The bar:
Engineering leads here. You write production‑grade TypeScript/React plus Python or Node unsupervised, you've done it for 5+ years, and you've shipped in front of customers (live deployments with real users, no demo theatre). On top of that, you make other engineers better without leaving the field: scoping, customer judgment, technical calls under pressure.
Requirements:
- 5+ years in forward deployed, field, or customer‑facing engineering, shipping production code.
- You've personally carried enterprise or government deployments to go‑live.
- Strong TypeScript + React, plus Python or Node (or other similar modern language background).
- Excellent communication, with both technical and non‑technical stakeholders.
- You coach junior engineers while staying hands‑on yourself.
- Comfortable with ambiguity: no spec, no playbook, your call.
Nice to have:
- Enterprise scars: SSO, VPCs, security reviews, on‑prem, legacy systems that fight back.
- Operationally complex industries: logistics, aviation, energy, industrial.
Exceptional builders who lead from the front? Apply.
Head of Forward Deployed Engineering employer: Hubscale
Join a dynamic and innovative team as a Sales Engineer in London, where you'll play a pivotal role in bridging technical expertise with customer needs. Our collaborative work culture fosters growth and development, offering you the chance to enhance your skills while working closely with Sales, Product, and Customer Success teams. With a focus on employee well-being and a commitment to professional advancement, we provide a supportive environment that values your contributions and encourages meaningful engagement with clients.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Forward Deployed Engineering
✨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 Hubscale 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 Hubscale.
✨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 Hubscale.
✨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 Hubscale 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 Head of Forward Deployed Engineering
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 Hubscale.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Hubscale 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 Hubscale
✨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 Hubscale 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.
