How to move into a forward-deployed engineering role

Kelly began in the field as a solutions engineer at a legal AI company, before large language models took off. He visited large companies, identified where AI might help and worked with staff to build useful systems. The job later went by titles such as solutions architect, customer engineer, implementation engineer and field engineer, he said. AI subscriptions have made the work more visible, as businesses confront the challenge of moving from chatbots to systems they can trust to operate on their own.

An FDE typically works with a customer’s engineers to access existing systems and with business teams to decide how to measure results. The engineer may spend weeks or months writing code and building a workflow, then hand it over. Kelly describes the role as requiring broad skills and depth in three areas: AI, software engineering and the ability to learn a new business quickly.

Kelly said New York has AI companies hiring FDEs and many potential places to deploy them. Banks and other large businesses, having seen these projects, are beginning to build internal teams. Consulting firms are also changing how they deliver AI work. Technically experienced consultants from firms such as McKinsey and Bain can move into FDE roles, while people without software-engineering experience may fit adjacent positions. At Port of Context, FDEs work alongside deployment strategists, who manage customer relationships and keep technical projects moving.

For engineers seeking the role, Kelly recommends preparing a story about a project they advanced inside their current company: the opportunity, how they assembled support, what the work achieved and, if available, its return on investment. As AI agents take on more coding, he said, employers will place greater weight on candidates’ judgment about what to build, why it matters and what value it creates.