Forward Deployed Engineer - Singapore

Forward Deployed Engineer · Senior · Full Time

SingaporeUSD 180k – 280k3mo ago
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Role

What you'll do.

Forward Deployed Engineer at OpenAI leads end-to-end production deployments of frontier AI models alongside strategic customers in Singapore. This role combines customer-facing engineering with core platform development, requiring 5+ years of experience building production systems, full-stack development expertise (Python, JavaScript), and hands-on experience with LLM-powered applications. You'll own technical delivery from discovery through rollout, drive product impact through field feedback, and bridge customer needs with OpenAI's research and product teams.

Responsibilities

  • Technical Delivery Leadership: Own technical delivery across multiple concurrent deployments from initial prototype development through stable production environments, ensuring each system meets performance, reliability, and scalability requirements while maintaining delivery timelines.
  • Full-Stack System Development: Build and architect full-stack systems that deliver measurable customer value, combining frontend interfaces with robust backend services while optimizing system performance and user adoption metrics.
  • Customer Engagement and Adoption: Embed deeply with customer engineering and domain teams to understand their specific business needs, guide successful adoption of deployed systems, and establish strong working relationships that drive long-term partnership success.
  • Project Scoping and Sequencing: Define work scope, sequence delivery phases strategically, identify and remove technical blockers early, and make critical trade-offs between scope, speed, and quality while protecting on-time delivery commitments.
  • Production Code Contribution: Contribute directly to production codebases when required for progress or clarity, writing and reviewing high-quality code that meets OpenAI's engineering standards and production reliability requirements.
  • Process Codification and Knowledge Sharing: Distill successful deployment patterns into reusable tools, playbooks, architectural templates, and building blocks that accelerate future projects and enable the broader engineering organization to work more effectively.
  • Field Feedback Integration: Gather and synthesize critical field feedback from customer deployments to inform Research and Product teams about model behavior patterns, performance gaps, and opportunities for improvement in frontier AI models.
  • Cross-Functional Leadership: Maintain team momentum through clear communication with Product, Research, Partnerships, GRC, Security, and GTM teams, serving as the technical liaison who translates customer requirements into internal project priorities.

Qualifications

What we look for.

Technical

  • Production-Grade Full-Stack Development

    Demonstrated expertise writing and reviewing production-quality code across both frontend and backend systems using Python, JavaScript, or equivalent modern languages and frameworks.

  • LLM and Generative AI Systems

    Hands-on experience building, deploying, or integrating systems powered by large language models or generative AI models, with deep understanding of how model behavior, latency, and accuracy directly impact product experience and user adoption.

  • Complex System Architecture

    Proven ability to scope, design, and deliver complex distributed systems in fast-moving or ambiguous environments, making sound architectural decisions under pressure while managing technical debt and system reliability.

  • Production Deployment Experience

    Substantial experience with end-to-end production deployment workflows including infrastructure setup, monitoring, incident response, and observability patterns across full product lifecycle.

  • API Integration and Data Handling

    Experience integrating with third-party APIs, managing data pipelines, and handling security considerations around sensitive customer information and authentication systems.

Education

  • Computer Science or Engineering Degree

    Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related technical field preferred, though equivalent professional experience and demonstrated technical mastery is valued equally.

  • Continuous Learning in AI/ML

    Active engagement with evolving AI and machine learning concepts, either through formal education, online courses, or self-directed learning to stay current with rapid advances in generative AI technology.

Experience

  • Customer-Facing Engineering

    Minimum 5+ years of professional engineering or technical deployment experience with substantial customer-facing components, including requirements gathering, solution design, and implementation accountability.

  • Fast-Paced Environment Delivery

    Track record of successfully delivering technical projects in rapidly evolving, ambiguous environments with minimal process overhead and high tolerance for change and iteration.

  • Strategic Customer Partnerships

    Experience embedding within customer organizations to deeply understand business objectives, translate requirements into technical solutions, and drive adoption of deployed systems and platforms.

  • Multi-Team Collaboration

    Proven ability to coordinate across diverse functional teams including engineering, product, research, and business stakeholders while maintaining technical credibility and decision-making authority.

Skills

Required

  • Python

    Professional proficiency writing production-grade Python code including async programming, testing frameworks, and integration with data science libraries.

  • JavaScript/TypeScript

    Strong capability building modern frontend applications using React, Vue, or equivalent frameworks, and backend services using Node.js or comparable runtimes.

  • System Design

    Ability to architect scalable, reliable systems making trade-offs between consistency, availability, and partition tolerance while considering operational complexity.

  • API Design and Integration

    Expertise designing clean RESTful or GraphQL APIs and integrating with complex external systems, including OpenAI's APIs and third-party services.

  • Database Design

    Practical experience with both relational (PostgreSQL, MySQL) and non-relational (MongoDB, Redis) databases, understanding when to apply each paradigm.

  • Cloud Infrastructure

    Hands-on experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure) including compute, storage, networking, and deployment automation using Infrastructure as Code practices.

  • Technical Communication

    Ability to explain complex technical concepts clearly to both engineering teams and non-technical stakeholders, facilitating alignment across diverse audiences.

  • Problem Decomposition

    Skill in breaking down ambiguous business problems into manageable technical components and creating clear execution plans with measurable milestones.

Preferred

  • LLM API Integration

    Nice to have

    Direct experience building applications with OpenAI APIs (GPT models) or competing LLM providers, understanding pricing models, rate limiting, and optimization strategies.

  • Prompt Engineering

    Nice to have

    Hands-on experience crafting and optimizing prompts for LLMs, conducting A/B tests, and using techniques like chain-of-thought and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG).

  • DevOps and CI/CD

    Nice to have

    Experience implementing continuous integration and deployment pipelines, containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), and infrastructure automation tools.

  • Observability and Monitoring

    Nice to have

    Proficiency with monitoring platforms (Datadog, New Relic, Prometheus) and building effective alerting systems, error tracking, and performance profiling.

  • Enterprise Software

    Nice to have

    Experience working with enterprise customers on mission-critical systems, understanding compliance requirements, security standards, and long deployment cycles.

  • Evaluation Frameworks

    Nice to have

    Understanding of how to design and execute evaluation frameworks for LLM-based systems, measuring model performance impact on production workflows.

  • Singapore Tech Ecosystem

    Nice to have

    Familiarity with Singapore's regulatory environment, business culture, and emerging AI adoption patterns across enterprises and government organizations.

Tech stack

Languages

PythonJavaScript/TypeScriptSQL

Frameworks

React or Vue.jsFastAPI or FlaskNode.js/ExpressOpenAI Python SDK

Databases

PostgreSQLMongoDB or similar NoSQLRedisVector Databases (Pinecone, Weaviate)

Tools

Git and GitHubDocker and KubernetesAWS, GCP, or AzureCI/CD Tools (GitHub Actions, CircleCI, Jenkins)Monitoring and Logging (Datadog, ELK Stack, CloudWatch)Jira and AsanaPostman or GraphQL Client

Other

Evaluation Metrics and FrameworksPrompt Management SystemsSecurity and Compliance Tools

Compensation

Pay and benefits.

Base·USD 180,000 – 280,000

Equity·Stock options

Benefits

  • Relocation Assistance

    Full relocation support package for international candidates relocating to Singapore, including visa sponsorship coordination and arrival logistics.

  • Hybrid Work Model

    Flexible hybrid arrangement requiring 3 days in the office per week in Singapore, enabling work-life balance while maintaining strong team collaboration and culture.

  • Global Healthcare Coverage

    Comprehensive health insurance and wellness benefits covering medical, dental, and vision care with international coverage supporting remote and travel needs.

  • Professional Development

    Investment in continuous learning including conference attendance, training budgets, and access to specialized AI and machine learning education resources.

  • Competitive Equity Compensation

    Meaningful stock options as part of total compensation, enabling employees to participate in OpenAI's long-term value creation and financial upside.

  • Travel Benefits

    Support for 50% travel requirements to customer sites, including corporate travel arrangements, meal allowances, and travel insurance.

  • Parental Leave and Family Support

    Generous parental leave policies and family-friendly benefits reflecting OpenAI's commitment to supporting employees across life stages.

  • Singapore-Based Benefits

    Localized benefits including CPF contributions, healthcare subsidies, and alignment with Singapore employment standards and practices.

Process

Interview steps.

  1. 01

    Initial Screening

    30-minute conversation with OpenAI recruiting team to discuss background, motivation for the role, and fit with Forward Deployed Engineering team requirements.

  2. 02

    Technical Assessment

    Take-home technical challenge or collaborative coding session evaluating full-stack development capabilities, system design thinking, and approach to ambiguous problems similar to customer deployment scenarios.

  3. 03

    Deployment Experience Deep Dive

    Technical interview with Forward Deployed Engineers focused on specific deployments from your background, customer engagement stories, and how you approach complex technical projects under pressure.

  4. 04

    Customer Collaboration Scenario

    Interview simulating customer interaction patterns where you discuss a complex technical requirement, propose solutions, and communicate trade-offs as you would with actual customers.

  5. 05

    Product and Research Leadership Alignment

    Conversations with Product and Research team members to assess understanding of frontier models, evaluation methodologies, and how field feedback shapes product direction.

  6. 06

    Final Round with Team Lead

    Executive-level discussion with Forward Deployed Engineering leadership covering long-term career ambitions, team fit, and strategic thinking about deployment patterns and enterprise adoption.

Full posting

Original listing.

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 Singapore. We use a hybrid work model of 3 days in the office per week and offer relocation assistance to new employees. 50% travel is expected.

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 5+ years of engineering or technical deployment experience that includes customer-facing work.

  • 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.

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. 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.

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