Senior Forward Deployed Engineer

About the role

You will own the end-to-end technical success of strategic customers by acting as their primary voice AI expert and trusted advisor. You will translate complex customer requirements into clear product integrations and execution plans that maximize the value of AssemblyAI's platform. This role demands you operate with extreme ownership, moving fast without bureaucracy to design solutions that directly align with customer product roadmaps. You will leverage deep technical expertise to guide customers in selecting optimal models, plans, and use cases while maintaining rigorous oversight of their implementation. You will collaborate daily with internal teams to synthesize customer feedback and influence product priorities in a rapidly evolving environment. Your work will directly shape the future of voice AI by enabling high-impact customer outcomes at scale.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Serve as the primary point of contact for strategic customers, owning their technical success and satisfaction across the entire lifecycle.
• Evaluate and analyze customer product use cases to architect scalable voice AI integrations that align with AssemblyAI platform capabilities.
• Manage a portfolio of technical customers, prioritizing asynchronous communication while maintaining rigorous response standards and high-quality support.
• Lead discovery and project planning sessions, translating business requirements into clear technical specifications and implementation roadmaps.
• Drive adoption and growth of API usage across diverse products and customer workflows by identifying expansion opportunities and best practices.
• Build long-term strategic relationships with customer technical and product leaders to ensure sustained platform value and retention.
• Act as a voice AI thought leader, capturing customer insights and competitive signals to directly inform product roadmap decisions.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Sales, Support, Engineering, Research, and Product to resolve complex customer challenges and align on solutions.
• Own commercial health by ensuring customers select the right plan tiers and commercial agreements that match their usage patterns and objectives.
• Monitor and optimize customer implementation health, proactively identifying risks and driving remediation before they impact outcomes.
• Partner with Customer Success and Delivery teams to standardize onboarding playbooks and technical enablement materials.
• Represent AssemblyAI in customer meetings and executive briefings, demonstrating value and reinforcing strategic partnerships.
• Track and report on key customer health metrics, using data to guide interventions and prioritize support efforts.
• Contribute to the development of internal frameworks, tools, and playbooks that elevate the standard for forward deployed excellence.

Requirements

• Must have 4 or more years of experience in roles such as technical account manager, account manager, solutions architect, sales engineer, or technical consultant.
• Must demonstrate a strong passion for AI technology and a deep desire to apply technical expertise to solve high-impact customer problems.
• Must be comfortable working directly with C-level and executive stakeholders in fast-paced, ambiguous environments.
• Must have the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear, actionable guidance for both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Must be highly comfortable managing multiple concurrent customer engagements and prioritizing work in a dynamic, growth-stage setting.
• Must have strong written communication skills, with proven experience in asynchronous communication via email, chat, and documentation tools.
• Must be comfortable using SQL and Python to investigate issues, prototype solutions, and validate customer data scenarios.
• Must have familiarity with modern web development frameworks, including hands-on experience with React or similar libraries.
• Must have experience working with cloud platforms and APIs, including building integrations and debugging production issues.
• Must be fluent in English, with excellent reading, writing, and verbal communication skills.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States and reside in California for this role.
• Must be able to pass a background check and comply with AssemblyAI standard employment policies.

Nice to have

• Previous experience working with voice AI, speech recognition, or audio processing technologies.
• Hands-on experience deploying machine learning models or integrating AI APIs into production products.
• Background in developer advocacy, platform engineering, or working within developer-centric organizations.

Practical notes

This is a full-time role based in San Francisco. The position requires travel to customer sites and partner meetings as needed. Candidates must be eligible to work in the United States and located in California. The role operates in a fast-paced, growth-stage environment with an expectation of high ownership and rapid decision-making.