Engineering Manager / Sr. EM Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE) - West

Location: BangaloreExperience: 8-12 YearsImportant NoteThis role is not for managers who have moved away from technology.

We expect our FDE Managers to remain deeply technical and capable of designing, building, debugging, and reviewing systems alongside their teams.The strongest candidates for this role are equally comfortable:Leading engineersDesigning architecturesDebugging production issuesReviewing codeWorking directly with customersDriving execution in ambiguous environmentsAbout Blue MachinesBlue Machines is building AI Employees. We help enterprises deploy AI agents across customer support, sales, operations, research, collections, recruitment, and other business functions. Our agents operate across voice, chat, email, CRM systems, internal tools, and enterprise workflows.We are looking for an Engineering Manager to lead our Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE) team.About The RoleForward Deployed Engineering sits at the intersection of Engineering, Product, AI, and Customer Success. Unlike traditional engineering teams that primarily build platform capabilities, the FDE team works directly with enterprise customers to understand business problems, design solutions, build custom workflows, deploy AI agents, and drive measurable business outcomes. You will lead a team responsible for taking customers from: "We want to automate this workflow" to "The AI employee is live, measurable, and delivering business value."This is a highly hands-on leadership role. You will be expected to switch seamlessly between:Customer discussionsSolution architectureEngineering reviewsProduction debuggingDelivery planningTeam leadershipNo two customer deployments look the same. Success in this role requires strong technical judgment, adaptability, and ownership.What You'll DoLead the Forward Deployed Engineering TeamManage and mentor a team of Forward Deployed EngineersEstablish a high-performance engineering cultureDrive execution across multiple customer deploymentsHelp engineers navigate ambiguity and technical complexityParticipate in hiring and team buildingCreate an environment of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvementOwn Customer Success Through EngineeringWork directly with enterprise customers to:Understand business workflowsIdentify automation opportunitiesTranslate requirements into technical solutionsDesign AI-powered workflowsLead customer deployments from design to productionEnsure successful adoption and measurable outcomesYou will regularly engage with:CTOsEngineering leadersProduct leadersOperations teamsCustomer support organizationsBusiness stakeholdersArchitect AI SolutionsDesign and review solutions involving:Voice AIAgent orchestrationWorkflow automationEnterprise integrationsKnowledge retrieval systemsCRM integrationsTelephony platformsCustomer support systemsYou should be comfortable moving from business requirements to technical architecture with minimal guidance. Remain Deeply Hands-On. This is not a purely managerial position.You should be capable of:Reviewing production codeConducting architecture reviewsDebugging production incidentsBuilding prototypesHelping engineers solve complex technical problemsEvaluating engineering tradeoffsIdentifying reliability and scalability risksWhile you may not write production code every day, you should be capable of personally building and debugging systems when requiredDrive ExecutionBalance customer commitments with engineering capacityPrioritize effectively across multiple deploymentsIdentify delivery risks earlyManage scope and stakeholder expectationsEnsure predictable execution and delivery qualityImprove Operational ExcellenceLead production incident reviewsImprove observability and debugging practicesDrive reliability improvementsEstablish strong engineering operational processesCreate feedback loops that improve delivery quality over timeWhat Success Looks LikeWithin 3 MonthsBuild strong relationships with customers and engineering teamsUnderstand the Blue Machines platform and deployment patternsContribute meaningfully to customer solution designEstablish credibility as a technical leaderWithin 6 MonthsSuccessfully lead multiple customer deploymentsImprove engineering quality and delivery predictabilityHelp scale FDE processes and practicesMentor engineers through complex customer implementationsWithin 12 MonthsBecome a trusted leader for customers and internal teamsScale the FDE organization while maintaining engineering qualityDrive strategic customer deploymentsHelp define how AI Employees are deployed across industriesRequiredWhat We're Looking For8+ years of software engineering experience2+ years of engineering management or technical leadership experienceStrong hands-on engineering backgroundExperience designing and operating production systemsStrong system design and architecture skillsStrong debugging and troubleshooting capabilityExperience leading engineers through complex technical projectsExcellent communication skillsStrongly PreferredExperience in one or more of:AI AgentsLLM ApplicationsVoice AIConversational AIContact Center TechnologiesWorkflow AutomationEnterprise SaaS PlatformsCustomer-Facing EngineeringSolutions EngineeringDistributed SystemsTraits We ValueWe value leaders who:Take ownershipThink from first principlesMove quickly while maintaining qualityStay calm during production incidentsCommunicate clearlyMake pragmatic decisionsBuild trust with customers and engineersThrive in ambiguityMost importantly, we value leaders who can move seamlessly between customer conversations, architecture reviews, debugging sessions, engineering execution, and team leadership.Interview ProcessOur process is designed to evaluate real-world engineering leadership capability.Stage 1: Take Home AssignmentBuild a Voice AI Banking Customer Support Agent.We evaluate:Engineering qualityArchitectureProduct thinkingDocumentationOwnershipRound 1: Assignment Deep Dive & Technical ReviewDiscussion of:Architecture decisionsImplementation choicesTradeoffsScalabilityProduct decisionsRound 2: Production Debugging & Incident ManagementRealistic production scenarios involving:LogsMetricsReliability issuesCustomer escalationsIncident responseRound 3: Engineering Leadership & ExecutionScenarios covering:PrioritizationCapacity planningCustomer commitmentsTeam leadershipTechnical decision makingWhy Join Blue MachinesWork at the frontier of AI and Voice AISolve meaningful business problems using AI EmployeesWork directly with enterprise customersLead high-impact deploymentsInfluence architecture, product direction, and engineering cultureHelp define the future of AI-powered workIf you enjoy solving hard problems, building AI systems, leading engineers, and working closely with customers, we'd love to hear from you.