Head of Forward Deployed Engineering

About 1001 1001 builds AI-powered operational intelligence for the world's most complex, data-heavy environments. We turn fragmented data into a live, unified model of operations and use it to drive better decisions and solve high-stakes problems. Our work sits inside government and large enterprises, in environments defined by critical operations and messy, real-world data. Our engagements start with forward deployed teams embedded in the customer environment. They work with real data, build quickly, and iterate until the system proves itself, then scale it across the organization. The company is backed by Lux Capital, General Catalyst, CIV, Hanabi, Sanabil, and 9Yards, with angels including Chris Ré, Amjad Masad, Karim Atiyeh, Kareem Amin, and Russell Kaplan. About the Role Forward deployed work is how 1001 turns a customer's hardest operational problem into software that holds up in the field. You will own that work from the first discovery conversation through go-live and set the standard for how forward deployed engineers operate at 1001. This is a senior, hands-on role. You will stay in the codebase, ship full-stack features in front of customers, and write specifications that turn ambiguous field requirements into engineering work. You will also coach a growing team of forward deployed engineers on how to scope problems, work with customers, and decide what to build. You will lead by doing the work to a high standard and showing others how. The environments are demanding. You will sit with operators whose decisions carry real consequences, work through legacy systems and imperfect data, and make judgment calls under ambiguity and time pressure. A key part of the role is distinguishing a one-off customer request from a pattern worth making reusable. What You'll Work On

• Own customer deployments from discovery through go-live, with accountability for the outcome rather than one part of the work.
• Embed with customer teams, learn how their work gets done, and turn vague requirements into working software.
• Build demos that put a focused version of an idea in front of customers and test interest early.
• Ship full-stack features quickly while maintaining the quality required for production operational systems.
• Write specifications that turn customer needs into engineering work the broader team can execute.
• Decide what should remain deployment-specific and what should become a reusable product capability.
• Coach junior forward deployed engineers on scoping, execution, customer communication, and technical judgment.
• Work with product, machine learning, infrastructure, and full-stack engineering teams to unblock deployments.

Requirements

• At least 5 years of experience as a forward deployed engineer, field engineer, or in a similar customer-facing engineering role.
• Strong full-stack engineering skills with TypeScript and React, plus Python or Node.js.
• A track record of shipping production software for customers, beyond internal tools or prototypes.
• Comfort working directly with enterprise customers, including on-site when a deployment requires it.
• High ownership, clear communication, and the ability to make progress without fully defined requirements.
• The ability to coach junior engineers while remaining hands-on in the codebase.

Nice to Have

• Experience with AI-native products, enterprise deployments, or operationally complex industries.

Working at 1001 We take on high-stakes problems in environments where mistakes carry real consequences. That demands an uncompromising quality bar, real speed, and systems that hold up under live operations. The people who thrive here set that bar for themselves and keep raising it. They own outcomes from end to end, bring rigor to their work, and help everyone around them improve.