Founding Forward Deployed Engineer

About the Role

A fast-growing, Y Combinator-backed AI company operating in the industrial logistics and fleet management space is hiring its first technical hire on the ground in the US. This is a founding-level, customer-facing engineering role where you will own the full technical success of US customers — from initial deployment through ongoing support.

The company builds AI-powered scheduling and route optimization software for short-haul trucking and fleet operations — a massive market that still relies heavily on manual planning. The team is scaling rapidly and launching its US go-to-market motion, and you will be at the center of it.

What You'll Do

• Own end-to-end technical deployments for US enterprise customers, from onboarding through post-launch support

• Serve as the primary technical point of contact for customers, managing stakeholder relationships and ensuring deployment success

• Integrate the platform with customers' existing job management systems, GPS tools, and operational workflows

• Troubleshoot and resolve technical issues in the field, acting as the bridge between customers and the core engineering team

• Travel to customer sites as needed to support hands-on deployments

• Surface product feedback and customer insights to inform the roadmap

• Help shape the forward deployed function from the ground up as the company scales its US presence

What We're Looking For

Required:

• 0–3 years of hands-on experience in customer-facing deployments, field engineering, or solutions engineering roles

• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills — you're comfortable owning customer relationships at a technical level

• Proven ability to manage end-to-end software deployments and provide post-deployment support for enterprise customers

• Based in Austin, TX or willing to relocate to Austin

• Must be authorized to work in the United States without employer visa sponsorship

Nice to Have:

• Willingness to travel to customer sites to support on-site deployments

• Ownership mindset with the ability to thrive in an ambiguous, fast-paced early-stage startup environment

• Background in logistics, fleet management, or industrial operations technology

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary: $110,000 – $135,000 USD annually

• Founding team member — early equity opportunity

• High-impact, high-ownership role at a well-funded, rapidly growing startup

Location

• Austin, TX — on-site

• Travel to customer sites expected as needed

• Visa sponsorship is not available for this role