Forward Deployed Engineer

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Description Build the AI that changes how the world’s largest airline runs United is building the best airline in aviation history, and AI is central to how we operate, serve customers, and support employees. As a Forward Deployed Engineer, you'll embed with business teams, find the best AI opportunities, and turn them into deployed solutions. You'll own results that deliver measurable value, not just demos. What you’ll do Find the right opportunities

• Embed with business teams to understand priorities and pain points, and analyze end-to-end workflows for bottlenecks where AI can materially improve outcomes
• Turn ambiguous problems into clear AI use cases with measurable outcomes, prioritized by value, feasibility, data readiness, risk, and scalability
• Help leaders choose between AI solutions and other analytical models

Prototype and validate fast

• Prototype AI workflows and agents fast, and test viability before major investment
• Translate business process requirements into technical designs for human-AI interactions, including system decision logic, human-in-the-loop controls, escalation mechanisms, and exception handling.
• Build and test the agentic workflows across models, data, and enterprise systems

Take it to production

• Act as the hands-on technical lead, working with AI engineers, data, and product teams on architecture, testing, and deployment
• Resolve barriers across business, security, data, engineering, security, risk, and governance teams
• Deploy into controlled production, then improve based on real user behavior
• Build secure, reliable AI applications using modern engineering practices (CI/CD, automated testing), and equip teams to run and extend them
• Monitor performance, cost, and quality, and keep optimizing deployed solutions

Prove the value

• Set baselines and success metrics up front, support business cases with cost and performance estimates, and measure adoption and realized value
• Partner with business, change, and end-user teams to redesign workflows around the solution, and apply lessons learned to future projects

Shape AI transformation

• Advise leaders on how AI can reshape business processes and operating models, and contribute technical input to transformation roadmaps
• Capture reusable patterns and engineering practices for building, deploying, and operating AI, and build AI capability across the company
• Partner with governance, security, and technology teams to keep solutions responsible and resilient

Qualifications

What you bring (minimum qualifications)

• Experience building and deploying production solutions in software engineering, AI/ML, data engineering, solutions architecture, or technical product development
• Hands-on experience with generative AI, LLMs, or AI agents, including fast prototyping and testing
• Ability to turn ambiguous business problems into technical solutions that deliver business value
• Working knowledge of AI systems, including models, agents, retrieval, enterprise data, evaluation, security, and governance
• Experience with APIs, enterprise integrations, and cloud services
• Strong communication, facilitation, and stakeholder skills, and comfort in ambiguous environments
• 3+ years of relevant work experience
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship
• Successful completion of interview required to meet job qualification
• Reliable, punctual attendance is an essential function of the position

What sets you apart (preferred qualifications)

• Deploying generative or agentic AI in a large enterprise
• Experience with Azure AI, Azure OpenAI, Microsoft Copilot, or comparable platforms
• Experience building responsible AI practices into production solutions, including evaluation and monitoring
• Creating reusable AI components or evaluation assets adopted across multiple business areas
• Consulting, forward-deployed, product engineering, or technology strategy background
• Airline, transportation, or other complex operations experience
• Fluent use of generative AI tools in your own work, with critical validation of outputs and adherence to responsible AI, privacy, and security policies
• 5+ years of relevant work experience

The base pay range for this role is $117,610.00 to $153,146.00. The base salary range/hourly rate listed is dependent on job-related, factors such as experience, education, and skills. This position is also eligible for bonus and/or long-term incentive compensation awards.

You may be eligible for the following competitive benefits: medical, dental, vision, life, accident & disability, parental leave, employee assistance program, commuter, paid holidays, paid time off, 401(k) and flight privileges.

United Airlines is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, veteran status, or any other protected category under applicable law. We provide reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. To request an accommodation, contact JobAccommodations@united.com