Staff Forward Deployed Engineer

Intercom Intercom · Enterprise · Dublin, Ireland +1 · R&D

Staff Forward Deployed Engineer role at Intercom, focusing on customer-facing implementation and adoption of their AI agent, Fin. The role involves deep customer engagement, technical problem-solving, influencing product direction, and leading the Forward Deployed Engineering function. Requires strong programming skills, customer collaboration, and ability to quickly learn AI concepts.

What you'd actually do

  1. Lead the adoption of Fin by helping prospects unlock the power of Intercom’s AI capabilities to automate and scale their support operations.
  2. Embed deeply with strategic customers to understand their business challenges and technical requirements, acting as a proactive partner who steers them toward outstanding results with Fin.
  3. Work hands-on with customers’ technical teams as a confident subject-matter expert and trusted advisor, coding side-by-side to drive projects to completion.
  4. Collaborate closely with Sales, Success, and Product teams, and actively influence their work to ensure seamless customer experiences, project success, and timely, actionable product feedback.
  5. Lead and evolve the Forward Deployed Engineering function, sharing insights and shaping how the role operates as it grows.

Skills

Required

  • Deep knowledge of a high-level programming language (e.g., JavaScript, Python, Ruby)
  • Proficient using and writing REST APIs
  • Strong communicator who tailors the message to any audience
  • Demonstrated track record of autonomous decision-making, prioritisation and accountability for outcomes (e.g., 2+ years as primary technical leader)
  • Ability to ramp up on unfamiliar AI/ML concepts quickly

Nice to have

  • Experience building an exciting SaaS product
  • Former founder or early engineer at a startup
  • Experience with customer-facing roles or technical consulting
  • Experience with AI/ML concepts, capabilities, limitations, and trade-offs

What the JD emphasized

  • deeply understand use cases
  • design, build, and implement solutions
  • high degree of autonomy and trust
  • set direction, own outcomes
  • high-stakes customer contexts
  • pivotal role in revolutionising
  • unlocking meaningful business impact
  • lead by example
  • cross-functional force multiplier
  • influences product direction
  • field insight
  • define what Forward Deployed Engineering means
  • ownership, creativity
  • steer R&D and Go-To-Market teams
  • fast-paced environment
  • Lead the adoption of Fin
  • automate and scale their support operations
  • Embed deeply with strategic customers
  • understand their business challenges and technical requirements
  • proactive partner
  • outstanding results with Fin
  • Work hands-on with customers’ technical teams
  • confident subject-matter expert
  • trusted advisor
  • coding side-by-side
  • drive projects to completion
  • Collaborate closely with Sales, Success, and Product teams
  • actively influence their work
  • seamless customer experiences
  • project success
  • timely, actionable product feedback
  • Lead and evolve the Forward Deployed Engineering function
  • sharing insights
  • shaping how the role operates
  • scale
  • Leverage connections across our strategic accounts
  • anticipate challenges
  • align stakeholders quickly
  • influence decisions
  • drive us to success
  • Provide guidance and mentorship
  • Forward Deployed Engineers
  • Solutions Engineers
  • continue to scale
  • built an exciting SaaS product
  • satisfaction that comes with knowing that people around the world are using something you’ve created
  • Bonus points if you’re a former founder or early engineer at a startup
  • Demonstrated track record of autonomous decision-making, prioritisation and accountability for outcomes
  • 2+ years serving as the primary technical leader for a team
  • interested in AI/ML
  • able to ramp up on unfamiliar concepts quickly
  • absorbing new capabilities, limitations and trade-offs fast enough
  • guide customers and internal teams
  • set the high bar for cross-functional collaboration
  • Skilled at navigating organisational boundaries
  • rallying diverse teams
  • steering everyone toward the best outcome for our customers and Intercom
  • Deep knowledge of a high-level programming language
  • JavaScript, Python, Ruby, etc.
  • doesn’t need to be a language that we use here
  • Great people are effective and learn what we use quickly
  • introduce us to better ways of working
  • Decisive and pragmatic
  • know when to prototype and ship fast yourself
  • when to escalate or delegate
  • Always keeping quality high and business goals front-of-mind
  • Proficient using and writing REST APIs
  • integrate systems effectively
  • Strong communicator
  • tailors the message to any audience
  • easily talk to engineers and non-technical audiences
  • same topics at the right level of detail
  • Willing to travel and work on-site with customers
  • build strong relationships
  • deeply understand their needs

Other signals

  • customer-facing AI solutions
  • AI agent implementation
  • customer success with AI