Forward-Deployed Engineer (FDE)


Company:	Hays Specialist Recruitment
Salary:	£500 to £600 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	London, EC2V 6DB
Working pattern:	Hybrid - 2 days remote
Job type:	Contract
Posting date:	18 Sept 2026
Closing date:	25 Sept 2026

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Summary

Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE)

AI Start-Up | Contract | Outside IR35 | Remote/Hybrid (UK) | C. £500pd

An innovative AI start-up is seeking an experienced Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) to help customers unlock the full value of cutting-edge AI solutions. This is a highly customer-facing role where you will work directly with end users, stakeholders, and technical teams to design, implement, and deploy AI-driven products that solve complex business challenges.

This is an excellent opportunity for a technically strong engineer who enjoys combining software engineering, problem-solving, and customer engagement within a fast-moving start-up environment.

The Role

As a Forward Deployed Engineer, you will act as the bridge between customers and the product engineering team. You'll work closely with clients to understand business requirements, build tailored solutions, integrate AI technologies into existing environments, and drive successful deployments.

Key Responsibilities

Partner directly with customers to understand business objectives and technical requirements.

Design, build, and deploy custom solutions using AI and data-driven technologies.

Develop integrations between customer systems, APIs, databases, and AI platforms.

Configure, test, and optimise AI applications in production environments.

Translate customer challenges into scalable product improvements and feature recommendations.

Troubleshoot technical issues and provide hands-on support throughout implementation.

Collaborate closely with software engineering, product, and data science teams.

Lead technical workshops, demonstrations, and solution design sessions with stakeholders.

Produce technical documentation and deployment best practices.

Essential Skills & Experience

Proven experience in a Forward Deployed Engineer, Solutions Engineer, Implementation Engineer, Software Engineer, or Technical Consultant role.

Strong software engineering background with experience in:

Python

JavaScript/TypeScript

REST APIs

Experience integrating complex software systems and third-party platforms.

Strong understanding of cloud environments (AWS, Azure, or GCP).

Experience working with data pipelines, databases, and modern software architectures.

Excellent client-facing communication and stakeholder management skills.

Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving abilities.

Ability to work autonomously in a fast-paced start-up environment.

Desirable Experience

Hands-on experience deploying Generative AI or Large Language Model (LLM) solutions.

Experience with:

OpenAI

Anthropic

Mistral

LangChain

Vector Databases

RAG Architectures

Knowledge of MLOps and AI deployment frameworks.

Experience working with enterprise customers.

Familiarity with Docker, Kubernetes, and CI/CD pipelines.

Exposure to data engineering and analytics platforms.

What's on Offer

Outside IR35 contract engagement.

Competitive day rate.

Flexible remote/hybrid working.

Opportunity to work with cutting-edge AI technologies.

High-impact role within a rapidly growing start-up.

Fast decision-making environment with direct access to founders and senior leadership.

Potential for contract extension based on project performance.

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If you're an engineer who enjoys solving real-world customer problems, building innovative AI solutions, and working directly with stakeholders to deliver measurable outcomes, we'd love to hear from you. This is a fantastic opportunity to join a high-growth AI start-up at a pivotal stage of its journey.

Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C's, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found at hays.co.uk

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