# Forward Deployed Engineer - London (Spanish-speaking) **Company:** [OpenAI](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/openai) As a Forward Deployed Engineer at OpenAI's London office, you will lead end-to-end production deployments of frontier AI models with strategic enterprise customers, bridging research breakthroughs and real-world impact. This role demands ownership across discovery, technical architecture, full-stack development, and production rollout while partnering with customer teams and OpenAI's research, product, and platform organizations. You'll combine hands-on engineering expertise with customer advocacy, translating deployment challenges into product improvements and model innovations that shape OpenAI's strategic roadmap. **Role:** Forward Deployed Engineer **Seniority:** Senior **Locations:** London, UK **Salary:** 150000–220000 GBP [Apply](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/openai/7ce64627-b273-48e1-b3bc-ef4be0444706) Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/jobs/openai/forward-deployed-engineer-london-spanish-speaking --- ## Responsibilities - End-to-End Deployment Ownership: Lead complete lifecycle ownership of multiple concurrent production deployments for strategic enterprise customers, from initial discovery and prototype development through stable production operations, including architecture design, full-stack implementation, and continuous optimization - Technical Discovery and Scoping: Conduct detailed technical discovery with customer stakeholders to understand business objectives, technical constraints, and success metrics; scope work thoughtfully to balance ambition with realistic delivery timelines, adjusting plans proactively to protect commitments - Full-Stack System Development: Design and implement complete system architectures that integrate OpenAI's frontier models with customer infrastructure, writing production-grade code across frontend, backend, APIs, and infrastructure layers while maintaining code quality, performance, and security standards - Customer Technical Partnership: Embed closely with customer engineering teams throughout deployment, serving as technical liaison between OpenAI and customer organizations; guide adoption of deployed systems, provide hands-on training, and ensure customer teams understand how to operate and extend the solutions - Scope and Quality Trade-offs: Make deliberate trade-offs between scope, speed, and quality aligned with delivery objectives; sequence work to achieve measurable milestones, remove blockers early, and maintain momentum without sacrificing production stability or customer success - Production Code Contribution: Contribute directly in the codebase as needed when progress depends on technical clarity or execution, ensuring critical paths are unblocked and maintaining hands-on engineering credibility with customers and internal teams - Operational Patterns and Tooling: Codify successful deployment patterns, customer workflows, and operational best practices into reusable playbooks, tools, building blocks, and documentation that enable future deployments to move faster and reduce risk for the broader Forward Deployed Engineering team - Product and Research Feedback Loop: Continuously collect and synthesize field feedback from customer deployments regarding model performance, behavior, limitations, and user needs; communicate findings to Research and Product teams in ways that inform model development and product roadmap prioritization - Team Alignment and Leadership: Keep teams moving through clear communication, reliable follow-through on commitments, and calm judgment when stakes are high; bridge perspectives between customer teams, product organizations, research groups, and engineering colleagues to maintain alignment on objectives and execution - Risk Identification and Mitigation: Spot technical, delivery, and operational risks early in the deployment lifecycle; propose mitigation strategies and adjust plans without slowing momentum, ensuring customer success and production reliability even as requirements evolve ## Requirements ### education - {"name":"Computer Science or Related Field","description":"Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience in software engineering, computer science, or related technical discipline"} ### technical - {"name":"Full-Stack Development","description":"Proficiency in both frontend and backend development using Python, JavaScript, or comparable modern programming stacks"} - {"name":"API Design and Integration","description":"Experience designing and implementing RESTful APIs, managing integrations, and building scalable service architectures"} - {"name":"Cloud Infrastructure","description":"Practical experience with cloud platforms such as AWS or Google Cloud, including compute, storage, and networking services"} - {"name":"Database Design","description":"Understanding of relational and non-relational database design, optimization, and query performance tuning"} - {"name":"DevOps and Deployment","description":"Hands-on experience with containerization (Docker), orchestration (Kubernetes), CI/CD pipelines, and production deployment automation"} - {"name":"LLM Integration Architecture","description":"Technical proficiency in integrating, prompting, and optimizing large language models for production use cases"} - {"name":"Multilingual Communication","description":"Professional fluency in both Spanish and English, essential for supporting Spanish-speaking enterprise customers and internal collaboration"} ### experience - {"name":"6+ Years of Engineering Experience","description":"Demonstrated track record in software engineering or technical deployment roles with significant customer-facing and production delivery experience"} - {"name":"Complex System Delivery","description":"Proven ability to scope, architect, and deliver complex, mission-critical systems in fast-moving, ambiguous, or high-pressure environments with cross-functional teams"} - {"name":"Large Language Model Deployment","description":"Hands-on experience building, deploying, or integrating systems powered by LLMs or generative models with understanding of how model behavior impacts product performance and user experience"} - {"name":"Production Code Ownership","description":"Full-stack development and code review expertise across frontend and backend systems, capable of writing and maintaining production-grade code"} - {"name":"Customer-Facing Technical Leadership","description":"Experience working directly with customers, translating business requirements into technical solutions, and guiding adoption through clear communication and technical guidance"} - {"name":"Technical Decision-Making Under Uncertainty","description":"Track record of simplifying complexity, making fast and sound decisions under pressure, and balancing trade-offs between scope, speed, and quality in evolving requirements"} ## Skills ### required - {"name":"Production System Ownership","description":"End-to-end responsibility for complex production deployments from prototyping through stable operations, including monitoring, incident response, and continuous optimization"} - {"name":"Full-Stack Development","description":"Ability to write, review, and maintain production-grade code across frontend and backend layers using Python, JavaScript, or similar modern technology stacks"} - {"name":"Generative AI Expertise","description":"Deep understanding of LLM behavior, model integration, prompt optimization, and how model capabilities and limitations affect deployed system performance"} - {"name":"Technical Scoping and Planning","description":"Capability to break down complex, ambiguous requirements into manageable technical scope, create realistic delivery roadmaps, and identify risks early"} - {"name":"Customer Technical Leadership","description":"Excellence in partnering directly with customer engineering and domain teams, translating needs into solutions, and guiding adoption with clarity and follow-through"} - {"name":"Bilingual Communication","description":"Professional-level fluency in Spanish and English for customer engagement, cross-cultural communication, and technical documentation"} - {"name":"Decision-Making Under Pressure","description":"Demonstrated ability to make sound technical and prioritization decisions rapidly when requirements are evolving, stakes are high, and uncertainty is present"} - {"name":"System Design Architecture","description":"Capability to design scalable, resilient system architectures that balance performance, reliability, and maintainability for production environments"} - {"name":"Stakeholder Management","description":"Skill in keeping cross-functional teams aligned and moving forward through clear communication, transparency about trade-offs, and reliable execution"} ### preferred - {"name":"Enterprise SaaS Deployment Experience","description":"Background deploying mission-critical systems for large enterprise customers with complex security, compliance, and performance requirements"} - {"name":"AI/ML Infrastructure","description":"Experience with machine learning operations, model serving infrastructure, experiment tracking, and evaluation frameworks"} - {"name":"Security and Compliance","description":"Working knowledge of enterprise security practices, data governance, compliance frameworks, and secure deployment patterns"} - {"name":"Advanced Prompt Engineering","description":"Expertise in designing sophisticated prompts, managing prompt templates at scale, and optimizing LLM outputs for specific domains"} - {"name":"Technical Content and Knowledge Transfer","description":"Experience documenting technical patterns, creating playbooks, building internal tools, and establishing repeatable processes that multiply team impact"} - {"name":"Global Team Collaboration","description":"Track record working effectively across time zones and cultures in distributed, fast-moving organizations"} ## Tech stack ### tools - {"name":"Docker and Kubernetes","description":"Containerization and orchestration for scalable, reproducible deployment environments"} - {"name":"Git and GitHub","description":"Version control, code review, and collaborative development workflows"} - {"name":"CI/CD Pipelines","description":"Automated testing, deployment automation, and release management using tools like GitHub Actions or Jenkins"} - {"name":"Monitoring and Observability","description":"APM tools, logging systems, and metrics dashboards for production system health and performance tracking"} - {"name":"AWS or Google Cloud","description":"Cloud infrastructure, managed services, and deployment platforms for scalable AI model hosting"} ### others - {"name":"Generative AI and LLM Architecture","description":"Deep understanding of transformer models, prompt engineering, fine-tuning, and model behavior in production environments"} - {"name":"System Design and Scalability","description":"Designing robust, fault-tolerant distributed systems that handle millions of requests and complex workflows"} - {"name":"Production Operations","description":"Experience with deployment automation, incident response, rollback strategies, and production reliability"} ### databases - {"name":"PostgreSQL","description":"Primary relational database for transactional data, audit logs, and customer metadata storage"} - {"name":"Vector Databases","description":"Experience with vector storage solutions for embedding management and semantic search capabilities"} - {"name":"Redis","description":"In-memory caching and session management for high-performance production systems"} ### languages - {"name":"Python","description":"Primary backend language for system development, API integration, and model deployment pipelines"} - {"name":"JavaScript/TypeScript","description":"Frontend and backend development for customer-facing interfaces and full-stack system implementation"} ### frameworks - {"name":"LLM Integration Frameworks","description":"Experience with large language model deployment, fine-tuning, and production optimization frameworks"} - {"name":"REST APIs and GraphQL","description":"Design and implementation of scalable APIs for customer integrations and internal service communication"} - {"name":"FastAPI or Flask","description":"Lightweight Python frameworks for rapid prototyping and production deployment of backend services"} ## Benefits ### benefits - {"name":"Equity and Stock Options","description":"Competitive stock option grants aligned with role seniority, providing ownership stake in OpenAI and long-term value creation participation"} - {"name":"Comprehensive Health Coverage","description":"Medical, dental, and vision insurance plans covering employee and eligible dependents with competitive premium sharing"} - {"name":"Retirement and Pension","description":"Participation in pension schemes or retirement savings programs with employer matching contributions for long-term financial planning"} - {"name":"Relocation Assistance","description":"Comprehensive support for international relocation to London, including visa sponsorship, temporary housing, and relocation logistics"} - {"name":"Professional Development","description":"Learning budgets, conference attendance, courses, and training opportunities to develop technical and leadership capabilities in emerging AI technologies"} - {"name":"Hybrid Work Model","description":"Flexible arrangement with 3 days required in London office per week, enabling work-life balance and distributed collaboration"} - {"name":"Paid Time Off","description":"Generous vacation, sick leave, and public holiday policies supporting employee wellbeing and work-life integration"} - {"name":"Travel Benefits","description":"Support for up to 50% travel requirements to customer sites, including travel planning, expense reimbursement, and logistical assistance"} - {"name":"Wellness Programs","description":"Mental health support, fitness stipends, wellness resources, and employee assistance programs promoting holistic wellbeing"} - {"name":"Parental Leave","description":"Competitive parental leave policies for new parents to support family planning and work-life balance"} ## Compensation - **max:** 220000 - **min:** 150000 - **currency:** GBP - **stockOptions:** true ## Interview process ### steps ## Full description **About the team** OpenAI’s Forward Deployed Engineering team partners with customers to turn research breakthroughs into production systems. We operate at the intersection of customer delivery and core platform development. **About the role** Forward Deployed Engineers (FDEs) lead complex end-to-end deployments of frontier models in production alongside our most strategic customers. You will own discovery, technical scoping, system design, build, and production rollout, partnering directly with customer engineering and domain teams. You will measure success through production adoption, measurable workflow impact, and eval-driven feedback that changes product and model roadmaps. You’ll work closely with our Product, Research, Partnerships, GRC, Security, and GTM teams. This role is based in London. We use a hybrid work model of 3 days in the office per week. We offer relocation assistance. Travel up to 50% is required. **In this role you will** * Own technical delivery across multiple deployments from first prototype to stable production * Build full-stack systems that deliver customer value and sharpen how we learn * Embed closely with customer teams, understand their needs, and guide adoption of what you build * Scope work, sequence delivery, and remove blockers early * Make trade-offs between scope, speed, and quality; adjust plans to protect delivery * Contribute directly in the code when progress or clarity depends on it * Codify working patterns into tools, playbooks, or building blocks that others can use * Share field feedback that helps Research and Product understand where the models succeed and where they can improve * Keep teams moving through clarity and follow-through **You might thrive in this role if you** * Bring 6+ years of engineering or technical deployment experience that includes customer-facing work * Professional fluency in Spanish and English is required, as this role supports Spanish-speaking customers * Have scoped and delivered complex systems in fast-moving or ambiguous environments * Write and review production-grade code across frontend and backend using Python, JavaScript, or comparable stacks * Have built or deployed systems powered by LLMs or generative models and understand how model behaviour affects product experience * Simplify complexity and make fast, sound decisions under pressure * Communicate clearly with engineers, product teams, and customer stakeholders * Spot risks early and adjust without slowing down * Model calm and judgment when the stakes are high **About OpenAI** OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that general-purpose artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. We push the boundaries of the capabilities of AI systems and seek to safely deploy them to the world through our products. AI is an extremely powerful tool that must be created with safety and human needs at its core, and to achieve our mission, we must encompass and value the many different perspectives, voices, and experiences that form the full spectrum of humanity. We are an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or other applicable legally protected characteristic. For additional information, please see [OpenAI’s Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement](https://cdn.openai.com/policies/eeo-policy-statement.pdf). Background checks for applicants will be administered in accordance with applicable law, and qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment consistent with those laws, including the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the California Fair Chance Act, for US-based candidates. For unincorporated Los Angeles County workers: we reasonably believe that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship with the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment: protect computer hardware entrusted to you from theft, loss or damage; return all computer hardware in your possession (including the data contained therein) upon termination of employment or end of assignment; and maintain the confidentiality of proprietary, confidential, and non-public information. In addition, job duties require access to secure and protected information technology systems and related data security obligations. To notify OpenAI that you believe this job posting is non-compliant, please submit a report through [this form](https://form.asana.com/?d=57018692298241&k=5MqR40fZd7jlxVUh5J-UeA). No response will be provided to inquiries unrelated to job posting compliance. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, and requests can be made via this [link](https://form.asana.com/?k=bQ7w9h3iexRlicUdWRiwvg&d=57018692298241). [OpenAI Global Applicant Privacy Policy](https://cdn.openai.com/policies/global-employee-and-contractor-privacy-policy.pdf) At OpenAI, we believe artificial intelligence has the potential to help people solve immense global challenges, and we want the upside of AI to be widely shared. Join us in shaping the future of technology.