Forward Deployed Engineer (f/m/d)
WFA Digital Insight
The demand for skilled engineers who can bridge the gap between technology and customer needs is on the rise, with a 25% increase in job postings for similar roles in the past year. As the job market continues to evolve, companies like SPREAD GmbH are leading the charge in AI innovation, making this Forward Deployed Engineer role a compelling opportunity for those looking to make a real impact. With the growth of remote work, candidates with strong technical skills and excellent communication abilities are in high demand. Before applying, candidates should be prepared to showcase their problem-solving skills, experience with AI-powered software, and ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams.
Job Description
About the Role
As a Forward Deployed Engineer at SPREAD GmbH, you will play a critical role in delivering customer outcomes by turning real operational needs into working software on top of the company's Engineering Intelligence Platform. This platform is designed to turn disconnected technical data into usable insights, enabling engineering teams to bring products to market faster, more cost-efficiently, and with higher quality. You will be working closely with customer teams to understand their processes and data landscape, shape a clear technical approach, and ship end-to-end solutions spanning data integration, domain modeling, and user-facing applications.Your day-to-day responsibilities will involve partnering with customer stakeholders to understand their workflows, constraints, and goals, then translating them into a clear technical plan. You will identify relevant data sources across established system landscapes, clarify access paths, and move from assumptions to usable inputs. You will also extend SPREAD's info-model when needed, keeping solutions reusable beyond a single engagement.
You will be reporting to the Head of Engineering, who will provide support as a senior sparring partner for technical decisions, reviews, and escalation. This role offers the opportunity to work at the intersection of product, engineering, and customer teams, with the freedom to shape approach, scope, and implementation.
What You Will Do
- Partner with customer stakeholders to understand workflows, constraints, and goals, then translate them into a clear technical plan
- Identify relevant data sources across established system landscapes, including ERP/MES/PLM, spreadsheets, and databases
- Extend SPREAD's info-model when needed, keeping solutions reusable beyond a single engagement
- Build data mappings and integration flows with internal ETL/mapping tooling, turning cross-system references into maintainable pipelines
- Deliver user-facing solutions in two ways, depending on the situation: rapidly via low-code when speed is the best lever, or via custom UI in TypeScript/React when the use case calls for it
- Communicate progress and trade-offs clearly with Product, Value Realization, and Engineering teams
- Surface risks early and ask for the right support
- Travel occasionally to customer sites when it meaningfully improves discovery, alignment, or rollout
- Package outcomes so they can scale, including solid documentation, clean structure, and a handover-ready setup for engineering follow-through
- Collaborate with the customer teams to understand their data landscape and provide insights to improve their workflows
What We Are Looking For
- 4+ years of engineering experience delivering software in real-world environments, including ambiguity, constraints, and deadlines
- Strong hands-on skills in JavaScript or TypeScript and React
- Ability to write complex SQL confidently, including joins, aggregations, window functions, and performance-aware querying, to explore and validate enterprise data
- Practical understanding of ETL and data integration fundamentals, including mapping, transformation, validation, and how source data becomes something a UI can rely on
- Comfort in customer-facing settings: you listen well, ask sharp questions, and explain technical choices clearly to different audiences
- Delivery mindset and ownership: you scope, iterate, and get to a working outcome
- Strong understanding of data modeling and domain-driven design
- Experience with cloud-based technologies and agile development methodologies
Nice to Have
- GraphQL experience, or the ability to pick it up quickly if you are strong in SQL and schema thinking
- Exposure to low-code and AI tooling, and you genuinely enjoy building this way
- Experience navigating established enterprise systems and complex data landscapes, such as SAP, Oracle, or custom databases
- Knowledge of DevOps practices and tools, such as Jenkins, Docker, or Kubernetes
- Certification in a relevant field, such as data engineering or software development
Benefits and Perks
- Attractive compensation package
- Mobility budget, including a Deutschlandticket for easy travel across Germany
- Urban Sports partnership for a healthy work-life balance
- 30 vacation days to recharge and relax
- Workation options for flexibility and remote work
- Volunteering day to give back to the community
- Opportunities for professional growth and development in a fast-growing company
- Access to cutting-edge technologies and tools, including AI-powered software and low-code development platforms
- Collaborative and dynamic work environment with a team of experienced professionals
How to Stand Out
- To stand out in this role, make sure to highlight your experience with AI-powered software and data integration in your application and during interviews.
- Prepare to showcase your problem-solving skills and ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams.
- Familiarize yourself with SPREAD's Engineering Intelligence Platform and be prepared to ask informed questions during the interview process.
- Emphasize your understanding of data modeling and domain-driven design, as well as your experience with cloud-based technologies and agile development methodologies.
- Be prepared to provide examples of your previous work, including data mappings and integration flows, and explain how you approached complex technical challenges in your previous roles.
- Don't be afraid to ask about the company culture and team dynamics during the interview process, as this will give you valuable insights into the work environment and expectations.
- Make sure to research the company's values and mission, and be prepared to explain how your skills and experience align with these values.
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