Description
About the Role
As one of Buildkite's first Forward Deployed Engineers, you'll take on scoped engagements with strategic customers from design through delivery. You'll work out what customers need, agree on a clear deliverable, build it as production code, and ensure it's handed off successfully.
Responsibilities
- Collaborate with customers to scope engagements before deals close, identifying gaps and opportunities.
- Define clear deliverables, estimates, and exit criteria for engagements.
- Develop core platform features, ensuring high-quality standards.
- Hand off built solutions to Product and Engineering teams.
- Assist in recognising FDE opportunities and explaining the role.
Requirements
- Experience shipping production software end-to-end in recent years.
- Technical expertise comparable to Buildkite's product engineers.
- Ability to translate business needs into technical specifications.
- Comfortable working with large enterprises, handling evaluations, and security reviews.
- Strong scoping skills to define and manage engagement scope.
- Prioritise solving customer problems over selling or building shiny solutions.
- Product judgment to distinguish one-off solutions from broader needs.
- Desire to work closely with customers and build solutions.
Nice to Have
- Experience leading or supporting migrations from other CI/CD systems.
- Background as an early engineer at a developer tools, infrastructure, or B2B SaaS company.
- Familiarity with Buildkite.
Benefits
- 20 days paid annual leave plus 10 days sick & carer's leave.
- Ongoing remote-work allowance.
- Retirement and health coverage.
- 16 weeks paid parental leave for primary carers.
- Confidential EAP & mental health support.
- Support for learning and growth.
- Flexibility to work from anywhere for up to 6 weeks a year.
Compensation
- Base salary range: $223,000 - $247,000 USD.
- Equity-based compensation.
- No commission structure.