[Hiring] Managing Director, Forward Deployed Engineering @NTT DATA Services

Role Description

We are currently seeking a Managing Director, Forward Deployed Engineering - REMOTE to join our team in Plano, Texas (US-TX), United States (US).

NTT DATA is building a new Forward Deployed Engineering capability to accelerate AI Service-as-Software, one of the company's key strategic growth bets. We are seeking an Executive, Head of Forward Deployed Engineering to build and lead this function globally.

This leader will create the field execution engine that brings AI products into strategic client environments. The role will deploy high-caliber technical teams to shape, prototype, validate, and scale AI solutions, while converting client learning into reusable product and platform patterns.

This is not a traditional delivery, solution architecture, or technical pre-sales role. It is an executive technical leadership role focused on connecting client demand, AI product strategy, and product engineering to help NTT DATA move from bespoke AI services toward repeatable, platform-led AI Native growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and lead a high-impact Forward Deployed Engineering team of up to 20 engineers, combining AI engineering, solution architecture, industry/domain expertise, and client-facing technical credibility.
• Define the Forward Deployed Engineering operating model, including engagement rules, delivery standards, escalation paths, handoff models, and interfaces with product, engineering, sales, industry, and delivery teams.
• Deploy FDE teams into priority client and industry opportunities to shape AI solution hypotheses, prototypes, MVPs, pilots, and production deployments.
• Partner closely with the Executive, AI Solutions Product Leader to translate field learning into product roadmap recommendations, reusable platform capabilities, and productization opportunities.
• Work with Product Engineering to move validated field solutions into scalable, secure, enterprise-ready product capabilities.
• Support strategic pursuits and executive client conversations by providing technical credibility, solution clarity, demos, prototypes, and deployment plans.
• Establish reusable deployment patterns, reference architectures, templates, integration assets, and solution playbooks to reduce bespoke delivery and improve speed to value.
• Promote a 70% standardized / 30% configurable model for AI Service-as-Software offerings to improve repeatability, scalability, and margin potential.
• Recommend FDE deployment priorities based on client demand, strategic value, product learning potential, technical feasibility, and commercial relevance.
• Track field impact through metrics such as deployment quality, time to prototype, time to client value, reusable patterns created, productization candidates identified, client feedback, deployment repeatability, and team health.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in engineering, field engineering, solution architecture, enterprise platforms, AI/data products, product engineering, or technical delivery leadership.
• Experience leading technical teams at scale, ideally 15-30 engineers or equivalent.
• Strong technical fluency across AI, GenAI, agentic workflows, data platforms, cloud architecture, APIs, integrations, enterprise applications, and software delivery.
• Proven ability to work directly with senior client, business, and technology stakeholders in complex enterprise environments.
• Experience translating ambiguous business problems into practical, deployable technical solutions.
• Strong understanding of how field-built solutions can become scalable product capabilities.
• Experience working across product, engineering, sales, delivery, architecture, security, and client teams.
• Ability to build new operating models, delivery standards, team structures, and execution rhythms in a scaling environment.
• Executive presence and ability to influence across a global, matrixed organization.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in Forward Deployed Engineering, field engineering, solutions engineering, platform engineering, technical product leadership, or enterprise AI delivery.
• Experience in a global systems integration, consulting, enterprise software, SaaS, cloud, or AI platform environment.
• Experience with Service-as-Software, productized services, or platform-led delivery models.
• Experience building repeatable deployment patterns from client-specific implementations.
• Experience partnering with product and engineering leaders to convert field learning into roadmap priorities and scalable product capabilities.

Success Measures

• Establishment of a high-performing Forward Deployed Engineering function.
• Quality and speed of AI deployments in strategic client environments.
• Strength of the feedback loop from field deployments into product and platform roadmaps.
• Number and quality of reusable patterns, accelerators, and productization candidates generated.
• Improved deployment repeatability and reduced bespoke implementation effort.
• Effectiveness of partnership with AI Solutions Product, Product Engineering, AI Vista, AI Market Makers, industry, sales, and delivery teams.
• Contribution to strategic pursuits, client confidence, and commercialization readiness.
• Technical quality, reliability, and enterprise readiness of field-deployed solutions.
• Health, retention, and development of the FDE team.

Why Join Us

This is an opportunity to build a new executive-level technical field capability at the center of NTT DATA's AI strategy. You will lead the team that makes AI Service-as-Software real in client environments, proves value quickly, and turns field learning into scalable product advantage. You will work alongside product and engineering executives to help the company move from bespoke AI delivery toward repeatable, platform-led AI Native growth.

You will not simply lead implementation. You will build the field engineering system that connects client demand, AI product strategy, and scalable product engineering.