[Hiring] Forward Deployed Engineer @Striim

Role Description

We are seeking a Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) to report to our Field CTO within the Engineering organization. This role is a highly strategic and tactical, customer-facing position responsible for partnering with enterprise clients across the entire customer lifecycle—from pre-sales discovery and solution architecture through post-sales adoption, retention, expansion, and long-term success.

As a Forward Deployed Engineer, you will act as both a principal-level technical leader and a trusted customer advocate, ensuring our platform delivers measurable business value while shaping the future direction of our product. You will work closely with Sales & Field Engineering, Product, and Technical Account Management teams to architect and deliver complex, real-time data solutions across modern cloud and AI-driven ecosystems. This is a hands-on, deeply technical role requiring active participation in solution architecture, development, and deployment within customer environments.

This role requires up to 50% travel and a strong commitment to building deep, long-lasting customer relationships through consistent engagement. You will serve as the connective tissue between customer needs and product innovation, translating real-world challenges into scalable technical solutions and product enhancements.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary technical partner to customers across the full lifecycle, from pre-sales discovery and solution architecture through post-sales adoption, expansion, and renewal.
• Build and maintain trusted, long-term relationships with customer stakeholders through ongoing engagement, including on-site meetings and industry events.
• Act as the technical point of escalation for customer challenges, ensuring timely resolution and continued success.
• Partner with Sales and Field Engineering to design and architect complex, enterprise-grade solutions tailored to customer needs.
• Lead the implementation of custom solutions within customer environments across multi-cloud and hybrid architectures.
• Build prototypes, integrations, and production-grade systems using APIs, data pipelines, and modern frameworks.
• Debug and resolve complex technical issues across distributed systems, including backend, infrastructure, and data layers.
• Optimize solutions for performance, scalability, and reliability in production environments.
• Act as the voice of the customer, capturing insights and translating them into clear, actionable product requirements.
• Collaborate with Product and Engineering teams to influence roadmap priorities and future feature development.
• Translate business needs into highly technical concepts, bridging communication between customers and internal teams.
• Partner cross-functionally with Sales, Field Engineering, Product, and Technical Account Management to deliver a seamless and unified customer experience.
• Contribute to internal best practices, reusable assets, and scalable solution frameworks to extend impact across customers.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in a customer-facing technical role (e.g., Solutions Engineer, Solutions Architect, Forward Deployed Engineer, Field Engineer, Cloud Architect).
• Proven ability to own and deliver across the full customer lifecycle, from pre-sales through post-sales success.
• Deep technical expertise with the ability to operate at a senior or principal level, including solution architecture and hands-on implementation.
• Strong programming experience (e.g., Python or similar) and experience building production-grade systems.
• Experience with multi-cloud environments (AWS, GCP, Azure) and modern data ecosystems.
• Expertise in areas such as:
• Real-time data streaming and data pipelines (e.g. CDC)
• Data warehousing and modernization
• Kubernetes and distributed systems
• APIs and enterprise integrations
• AI/ML frameworks and analytics platforms (e.g., Databricks, Snowflake)
• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to:
• Translate complex technical concepts into business value for customers
• Convert business needs into clear technical requirements for product teams
• Strong problem-solving skills and comfort operating in ambiguous, high-impact environments.
• Willingness and ability to travel up to 50%.

Preferred Requirements

• Experience working in a high-growth or startup environment.
• Prior experience influencing product roadmaps based on direct customer engagement.
• Background in data modernization, cloud adoption, and AI enablement platforms.
• Demonstrated ability to build executive-level relationships with customer stakeholders.
• Experience creating reusable frameworks, accelerators, or solution templates.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent practical experience).

Benefits

• Competitive salary and pre-IPO stock options
• Comprehensive health care plans (medical, dental and vision), including medical and dependent FSA
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• The chance to contribute to and shape an upbeat, fully engaged culture

Compensation

$205,000 - $220,000 USD on an annualized basis. In addition to base pay, this role offers the opportunity to earn variable-based rewards.

Company Description

Our company culture fosters entrepreneurship and nurtures our team members to grow with the company. Come join a Silicon Valley startup focused on delivering a product that’s loved by its customers and primed to be a core part of the cloud data stack.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and we value diversity at our company. It is in our best interest to continue to foster an environment of diversity, equity, and inclusion to bring the most value to our workforce, customers, and partners. All applicants are considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or disability status.