Forward Deployed Software Engineer
Encord · New York
About this role
**Forward Deployed Software Engineer (FDSE) — Encord** **About Encord** Encord is the universal data layer for AI—helping 300+ AI teams train and run models on the right data. Our platform indexes, curates, annotates, and evaluates data across the full AI lifecycle (from development through production). Trusted by Woven by Toyota, AXA, UiPath, Zipline, and more. **The Role** We’re looking for an exceptional **Forward Deployed Software Engineer (FDSE)** to join our engineering team. This is an **engineering-first** role: FDSEs are the technical owners who take the Encord platform into our most strategic and advanced customer environments. You’ll work directly with users and their engineering teams to: - Understand complex, ambiguous problems - Make system design decisions - Build production software that solves them As an early member of the Forward Deployed team, you’ll have an outsized impact on shaping a critical engineering function at Encord. You’ll work hands-on across the stack—APIs, data workflows, backend services, and product surfaces—owning technical problems end to end. **What you’ll do** - Design and build production software for complex data, ML, and application environments - Own system design decisions for deployments (correctness, scalability, performance, speed) - Work directly with customers to define the right technical solution for ambiguous problems - Build across the stack: APIs, data workflows, backend systems, and product-facing functionality - Own deployments from technical scoping through implementation, rollout, and iteration - Turn recurring customer problems into reusable tooling and product capabilities - Debug complex production issues across reliability, performance, and data flow - Communicate technical decisions and trade-offs clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders - Operate with high autonomy and own problems end to end - Feed deployment insights back into Product and Engineering, helping shape the FDSE function as the team grows **Who we’re looking for** - **Strong software engineering fundamentals** with depth to design and build complex production systems - **First-principles problem solving**—challenge assumptions and make sound technical/product trade-offs - **Clear communicator & stakeholder partner**—build trust and explain complex decisions - **Autonomous builder**—create structure from ambiguity and drive problems to production - **Versatile product engineer**—comfortable across the stack and between hands-on engineering and product thinking **Experience requirements** - **4+ years** of software engineering experience with strong CS fundamentals - Experience building production software across the stack (apps/APIs, backend services, data workflows) - Strong system design judgment and architecture decision-making - Strong coding skills in a modern language (**Python is a plus**) - Evidence of owning technical problems end to end (design → production) - Strong product judgment, technical communication, and stakeholder management - Experience working directly with users/customers/external engineering teams is a plus - **Bonus:** high-growth startup, developer platform, or ML/data product environment **Why Encord** - Competitive salary, bonus, and meaningful equity - Strong in-person culture (most of the team works from our London office **4+ days/week**) - Flexible PTO - Annual learning & development budget - Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage - Frequent travel
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