Workhelix — Forward-Deployed Software Engineer (FDSE)

Team-facing version — internal use only. Do not share externally.

• →3–5 years in a data-heavy, customer-facing software engineering role (e.g., Sales Engineer, Solutions Engineer, FDE, Customer-facing SWE) [Required]

• Experience in at least 1 customer-facing technical role (e.g., FDE, Solutions Architect) [Must have]
• Experience building and deploying data ingestion/integration pipelines using Python and SQL [Required]
• Deep experience with cloud infrastructure (AWS) and various enterprise systems (ERPs, warehouses) [Required]
• Experience at an early-stage startup (Seed to Series B) [Strongly preferred]

• Ability to work hybrid from the San Francisco office [Must have]
• Willingness to travel occasionally to client sites [Required]

• Candidates who job-hop frequently (e.g., multiple roles under 1 year)
• Purely backend engineers with no interest in customer interaction
• Solutions engineers who only do demos or light integrations

Salary$150K–$200KEquityCompetitive equityOn-site policyHybrid — 2–4 days in-office in SFVisa sponsorshipNot available (strict mandate)Employment typeFull-timeLocationSan Francisco, CA

1. Do you now, or will you in the future, need visa assistance to legally work in the United States?
2. Can the candidate be on-site? If not, is the candidate willing to relocate?
3. What is their salary expectation?
4. How actively is this candidate exploring new opportunities?

Stage 8 — Candidate Hired Candidate accepts the offer and starts.

Updated Apr 8, 2026

AI & Data Platforms with Forward-Deployed / Solutions Engineering Teams C3 AI, DataRobot, Domino Data Lab, Fivetran

Big Tech Customer/Partner-Facing Engineering Roles Google, Meta, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft

Data-Intensive B2B SaaS & Enterprise Software Confluent, Amplitude, Mixpanel, Braze, Retool, Samsara, Rippling, Segment, Looker

Traditional IT Consulting & Large Systems Integrators Deloitte Digital, Capgemini, Wipro, Infosys, Cognizant, Tata Consultancy Services, Booz Allen Hamilton

Companies with primarily pre-sales / demo-focused SE roles Salesforce, HubSpot, Workday, ServiceNow, Adobe, Oracle, SAP

Consumer-Focused Product Companies (lacking enterprise B2B context) Snap Inc., Pinterest, Netflix, Airbnb, DoorDash, Uber, Reddit Inc., Spotify, Tinder Note: "Show all 10 companies" was not expanded before copying — 1 company in this group is missing.

For reference only — do not source these specific profiles.

Kevin Bai — LinkedIn Applied AI @ Anthropic | Palantir | United Nations | San Francisco, United States

• Worked at startups in a founding FDE role; helped found the FDE function at Rippling
• Has been an FDE working directly with customers
• Experience with Python and SQL
• Based in SF

• Prioritize candidates with proven production-grade code experience building robust data pipelines using Python and SQL in enterprise settings.
• Ensure clear customer-facing exposure with direct deployment and integration experience — not just internal or demo roles.
• Screen for stability; avoid candidates with a history of frequent job-hopping to ensure long-term commitment and deeper domain expertise.
• Confirm candidates meet the onsite requirement in San Francisco with no visa needs — this is a strict mandate for the role.

Rejection-type patterns across 22 logged rejections: the most common reasons were insufficient relevant experience (HM Review stage), concerns about job stability / tenure, and visa or sponsorship not available.