Manager, Forward Deployed Engineering

About the Job

This is a field-leading engineering role for someone who likes hard deadlines, partial information, and high ownership. You will lead a small, mission-critical team responsible for making new operational systems work in the real world, then turning those wins into repeatable playbooks.

What You'll Do

• Lead cross-functional deployments for new operational or manufacturing capabilities
• Coordinate software, controls, test, and integration work under real timeline pressure
• Support line launches across internal sites, partner settings, and select international efforts
• Unblock critical-path issues and drive convergence across technical teams
• Turn one-off deployments into scalable methods, tooling, and operating practices

Required Qualifications

• Experience leading technical teams in high-urgency deployment or commissioning environments
• Strong systems thinking across software, hardware, controls, or test
• Ability to make decisions quickly and keep teams aligned under pressure
• Proven record of driving execution where failure is visible and expensive
• Comfort being highly hands-on when needed

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with forward deployed, field engineering, launch, commissioning, or new-site activation work
• Experience in manufacturing, industrial, robotics, infrastructure, or other physical-system domains
• Strong instincts for process design, escalation, and operational triage
• Ability to translate heroics into systems
• Experience operating alongside external stakeholders, funded programs, or strategic initiatives