Forward Deployed Engineer

At Talkdesk, we are courageous innovators focused on redefining the customer experience, making the impossible possible for companies globally. We champion an inclusive and diverse culture representative of the communities in which we live and serve. And, we give back to our community by volunteering our time, supporting non-profits, and minimizing our global footprint. Each day, thousands of employees, customers, and partners all over the world trust Talkdesk to deliver a better way to great experiences.

We are recognized as a cloud contact center leader by many of the most influential research organizations, including Gartner and Forrester. With $498 million in total funding, a valuation of more than $10 Billion, and a ranking of #16 on the Forbes Cloud 100 list, now is the time to be part of the Talkdesk legacy to help accelerate our success in a new decade of transformational growth.

At Talkdesk, we embrace FAST, our fundamental operating principles that define who we are as an organization. These principles drive us to make the impossible possible. FAST: Focus + Accountability + Speed = Talkdesker.

• Focus: Focus time, energy and attention on what is most impactful for the business and thoughtful about how and when to partner with others.
• Accountability: Hold self and others accountable to meet commitments and drive results. Accept responsibility for successes and failures.
• Speed: Execute with agility and urgency. Act promptly, decisively, and without delay. Make good and timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward.
• Talkdesker: YOU

The Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) is a critical, hands-on-keyboard role at the heart of our AI go-to-market strategy. As an FDE, you will be the technical special forces for our most strategic sales opportunities. Your mission is to make the power of Talkdesk's Agentic AI platform tangible by designing and building sophisticated, custom proofs-of-concept (POCs) and trials for our existing and prospective customers.

You are a unique blend of a creative software engineer, a customer-obsessed solutions architect, and a compelling product evangelist. You will work side-by-side with our sales and solutions engineering teams to bridge the gap between complex business challenges and real, working AI-powered solutions. This role is perfect for a builder who thrives in a fast-paced, customer-facing environment and wants to be at the forefront of the AI revolution in Customer Experience Automation.

• Collaborate and Architect: Partner with the Solutions Engineering and Sales teams to deeply understand customer pain points and design high-impact POCs that showcase the unique value of our Agentic AI platform.
• Build and Deploy: Take the lead on the hands-on development of bespoke POCs. You will write clean, efficient code and leverage Talkdesk and 3rd-party APIs and SDKs to build working prototypes, custom integrations, and compelling demonstrations.
• Solve Technical Challenges: Act as the primary technical expert on our AI capabilities during the pre-sales cycle. You will confidently address deep technical questions from customer engineers and architects, overcoming objections and securing the "technical win."
• Present with Impact: Demonstrate the solutions you've built to a wide range of audiences, from C-level executives to engineering teams, clearly articulating the business value and technical advantages of the Talkdesk platform.
• Influence the Product: Serve as a critical feedback loop between the market and our internal teams. You will channel insights from your customer engagements directly to our Product and Engineering organizations to help shape the future of Talkdesk and our Customer Experience Automation platform. 

We're looking for a highly motivated individual who is passionate about both technology and customer success.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 3+ years of hands-on experience in a technical role (engineering, presales, or applied AI).
• Hands-on experience building and deploying AI agents (ideally in production environments).
• Proficiency in prompt engineering and multi-agent system design best practices.
• Strong programming skills in one or more languages such as JavaScript, Python, or TypeScript.
• Demonstrated experience working with REST APIs, webhooks, and SDKs to build integrations between different software systems.
• A true AI native—you understand how to work with foundation models, RAG, LLM orchestration, and AI toolchains.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Entrepreneurial mindset: curious, adaptable, and eager to experiment.

Great to have:

• A portfolio of projects (e.g., GitHub) that demonstrates your passion for building and your technical skills.
• Knowledge of the Contact Center (CCaaS), Unified Communications (UCaaS), or Customer Experience (CX) industry is a plus.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements:

Primarily office-environment work, extended periods of sitting or standing, computer-based work. Limited lifting, and equipment usage limited to computer-related equipment (keyboards, mouse, etc.)