Director, Field Engineering (AI/ML)

Department: Engineering

Location: Austin, TX

Employment Type: FullTime

About Us:

webAI is pioneering the future of artificial intelligence by establishing the first distributed AI infrastructure dedicated to personalized AI. We recognize the evolving demands of a data-driven society for scalability and flexibility, and we firmly believe that the future of AI lies in distributed processing at the edge, bringing computation closer to the source of data generation. Our mission is to build a future where a company's valuable data and intellectual property remain entirely private, enabling the deployment of large-scale AI models directly on standard consumer hardware without compromising the information embedded within those models. We are developing an end-to-end platform that is secure, scalable, and fully under the control of our users, empowering enterprises with AI that understands their unique business. We are a team driven by truth, ownership, tenacity, and humility, and we seek individuals who resonate with these core values and are passionate about shaping the next generation of AI.

About the Role:

This person will lead a highly skilled team of engineers who work directly with our most strategic customers to deploy, configure and integrate our technology into complex environments. Sitting at the intersection of engineering, product and customer success, you’ll play a critical role in bridging the gap between what we build and how it’s delivered. You’ll shape deployment strategy, drive technical excellence, and ensure we consistently deliver high-impact solutions that meet real-world customer needs. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who thrives in dynamic, customer-facing environments and is passionate about scaling both people and processes.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage the Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE) team, ensuring effective collaboration between engineering and client-facing functions.

• Oversee project scoping, deployment, and customization of core technology at customer sites or in virtual deployments.

• Act as a technical advisor to both clients and internal stakeholders, ensuring solutions meet client requirements and align with product capabilities.

• Collaborate cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, Sales, and Customer Success to deliver successful outcomes.

• Hire, mentor, and grow a high-performing FDE team, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, and technical excellence.

• Define and track KPIs for deployed projects, ensuring timely delivery and client satisfaction.

• Drive continuous improvement in deployment processes, tools, and methodologies.

• Manage relationships with key clients during the deployment phase, serving as an escalation point for technical challenges.

Requirements & Skills:

• 10+ years of experience in software engineering, technical consulting or deployment roles, with at least 5 years in a leadership capacity.

• Proven experience leading engineering or deployment teams in client-facing environments.

• Strong technical background in areas like applied AI engineering, cloud infrastructure, APIs, data platforms, etc.

• Excellent project management and cross-functional collaboration skills.

• Strong problem-solving, communication and stakeholder management abilities.

We at webAI are committed to living out the core values we have put in place as the foundation on which we operate as a team. We seek individuals who exemplify the following:

• Truth - Emphasizing transparency and honesty in every interaction and decision.

• Ownership - Taking full responsibility for one’s actions and decisions, demonstrating commitment to the success of our clients.

• Tenacity - Persisting in the face of challenges and setbacks, continually striving for excellence and improvement.

• Humility - Maintaining a respectful and learning-oriented mindset, acknowledging the strengths and contributions of others.

Benefits:
We strive to provide competitive benefits to all employees. The benefits listed in this posting generally apply to U.S.-based employees. For employees hired outside the United States, benefits may vary based on local law, country-specific requirements, and the employment platform or entity through which the employee is hired.

• Competitive salary

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision benefits package

• 401(k) match

• Equity options

• $200/month Health & Wellness stipend

• Continuing Education support

• $500/year Function Health subscription

• Free parking for in-office employees

• Flexible Time Off (FTO)

• Parental leave for eligible employees

• Supplemental life insurance

webAI is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. We adhere to these principles in all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, training, compensation, promotion, benefits, social and recreational programs, and discipline. In addition, it is the policy of webAI to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified employees who have protected disabilities to the extent required by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances where a particular employee works.