Forward Deployed Engineer

About the role

Chalk provides a data platform designed to accelerate machine learning development by removing bottlenecks in scale and latency. As an early team member, you will bridge the gap between our core infrastructure and the specific needs of our clients in sectors like finance and healthcare. This position requires an in-person presence at our San Francisco office five days a week.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Develop and deploy custom technical solutions using Chalk infrastructure for new and existing clients.
• Serve as the main technical lead during the sales process and throughout customer onboarding.
• Design and optimize feature pipelines for diverse use cases including fraud detection, medical diagnostics, and recommendation engines.
• Collaborate with internal sales and engineering departments to identify product expansion opportunities.
• Participate in the hiring and evaluation process for new engineering staff.

Requirements

• Bachelor degree in Computer Science or a related field.
• Minimum of 4 years of professional experience in backend software development.
• Proficiency in Python and SQL.
• Strong ability to translate complex technical concepts for both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Demonstrated capacity for analytical problem-solving and clear communication.

Nice to have

• Prior experience in a forward-deployed engineering role within a fast-growing machine learning startup.
• Practical knowledge of MLOps or machine learning infrastructure.
• Background working directly with sales organizations and customer accounts.

Skills & tools

• Python
• SQL
• Machine Learning Infrastructure
• Feature Pipelines

Practical notes

• Compensation range is $170,000 to $280,000 per year plus equity.
• Total pay is determined by individual qualifications, market conditions, and role scope.
• We operate on an in-office basis five days per week, with flexibility provided for unavoidable scheduling conflicts.