Founding Forward Deployed Engineer & Tech Lead

📋 Description

• • Own end-to-end technical execution of data pipelines, integrations, and custom application layers built on top of customer-existing data infrastructure.
• • Define and establish the Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) practice at Starbridge from scratch—there is no existing playbook; you create it.
• • Partner directly with a Deployment Strategist who manages the institutional customer relationship, while you focus solely on technical delivery.
• • Ship production software for Starbridge’s first major engagement with a public higher education institution, with real scope, budget, and a multi-million dollar P&L.
• • Make independent technical decisions without committee approval, and rapidly adapt when technical choices need correction.
• • Ensure the technical foundation built in this first engagement becomes the reusable substrate for all future Starbridge customer engagements.
• • Work 4 days per week onsite at the NYC office, with weekly travel to customer sites for hands-on deployment and integration work.
• • Operate with extreme speed and decisiveness, prioritizing momentum and execution over process.
• • Maintain an obsessively customer-centric approach by living close to the work, experiencing customer friction firsthand, and responding to nuanced operational details.
• • Contribute to a culture that values joy, humor, and camaraderie as essential components of high-performing teams.
• • Build technical solutions that are scalable, maintainable, and aligned with the customer’s existing systems and constraints.
• • Serve as the technical leader and role model for all future FDE hires, setting the standard for engineering quality, responsiveness, and customer collaboration.
• • Collaborate in a fast-paced environment where interviews move quickly and responsiveness is critical to success.
• • Participate in regular offsites held in NYC and global locations to foster team cohesion and strategic alignment.
• • Contribute to a work environment that emphasizes being ‘In the Arena’—engaging directly with customers, understanding their real-world challenges, and delivering solutions in context.
• • Deliver solutions that combine data engineering, system integration, and custom application development within constrained, legacy-heavy institutional environments.
• • Maintain high standards for code quality, system reliability, and documentation to ensure long-term maintainability of deployed systems.
• • Act as a bridge between customer needs and technical execution, translating institutional requirements into functional, production-grade software.
• • Represent Starbridge’s technical brand through professionalism, adaptability, and deep engagement with complex, real-world data systems.