Number of forward deployment engineer vacancies grew by 800%

AI companies invented a new profession. We’re talking about forward deployment engineers.

And they’re massively hiring specialists who combine programming skills with ability to work with clients. These engineers are embedded directly into the customer’s business processes, adapting AI models to specific tasks. Usually a pair model is used: one engineer identifies client needs, the other implements the solution.

According to Indeed platform data, the number of vacancies grew by more than 800% from January to September this year. OpenAI formed a team at the beginning of the year and plans to expand it to 50 people by year’s end. Anthropic announced intention to expand the department 5 times during this year.

OpenAI in partnership with John Deere “managed to reduce chemical use by 70% through precise tuning” of AI tools. Executives emphasize: value is determined not by “code beauty, but by real benefit to the end user”.

Aidan Gomez, CEO of Cohere, explains: “placing engineers at the client at an early stage of cooperation promotes formation of long-term partnership relationships”. According to him, “engineers are embedded at the beginning of work to guarantee that the client gets exactly what they need at the current moment. And as the system launches and stabilizes, their participation gradually decreases”.

A paradox emerges. To sell automation, you need people who will set it up manually in client offices.