Forward Deployed Engineer

Job Posting Title:
Forward Deployed Engineer
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Hiring Department:
ET - AI Platforms and Innovation
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Position Open To:
All Applicants
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Weekly Scheduled Hours:
40
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FLSA Status:
Exempt from FLSA
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Earliest Start Date:
Immediately
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Position Duration:
Expected to Continue Until Oct 31, 2029
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Location:
AUSTIN, TX
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Job Details:
General Notes
This is a fixed term position that ends three years from the employee’s start date.
Flexible work arrangements are available for this position, including the ability to work remotely at least 50% of the time within the United States. In-person meetings will be required when applicable. We prefer a candidate located in the greater Austin area as travel to campus for occasional in-person events, training, team meetings, activities, etc., will be required.
This position provides a balance of life/work with typically a 40-hour work week, and travel limited to training (e.g., conferences/courses).
Enterprise Technology is dedicated to supporting the mission of the University of Texas at Austin of unlocking potential and preparing future leaders of the state.
Your skills will make a difference.
You’ll be working for a university that is internationally recognized for research and the work you do will make a difference in the lives of our students, faculty and staff. If you’re the type of person that wants to know your work has meaning and impact, you’ll like working for our campus.
The University of Texas at Austin and Enterprise Technology provide an outstanding benefits package to our staff. Those benefits include:
Competitive health benefits (Employee premiums covered at 100%, family premiums at 50%)
Vision, Dental, Life, and Disability insurance options
Paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
Teachers Retirement System of Texas (a defined benefit retirement plan)
Additional Voluntary Retirement Programs: Tax Sheltered Annuity 403(b) and a Deferred Compensation program 457(b)
Flexible spending account options for medical and childcare expenses
Training and conference opportunities
Tuition assistance
Athletic ticket discounts
Access to UT Austin's libraries and museums
Free rides on all UT Shuttle and Capital metro buses with staff ID card
For more details, please see: https://hr.utexas.edu/prospective/benefits and https://hr.utexas.edu/current/services/my-total-rewards
Must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis for any employer without sponsorship.
This position requires you to maintain internet service and a mobile phone with voice and data plans to be used when required for work.
Purpose
Enterprise Technology's AI Studio serves as the central hub for The University of Texas at Austin's artificial intelligence initiatives and works to expand access to AI tools, services, and expertise across campus. The Forward Deployed Engineer designs, develops, and implements AI-powered applications and solutions that address the evolving needs of the university community.
This position works directly with faculty, staff, researchers, and campus partners to identify opportunities for AI integration and transform ideas into functional, production-ready software. The Forward Deployed Engineer combines full-stack software development, AI application engineering, and technical collaboration to deliver solutions that improve teaching, research, and institutional operations.
Working closely with AI engineers, AI educators, campus IT teams, and student innovators, this role helps bridge the gap between emerging AI capabilities and practical implementation. The position contributes to the development of reusable applications, shared engineering resources, and technical practices that support sustainable AI adoption across the university.
ResponsibilitiesAI Application Development and Engineering:
Design, develop, test, and deploy AI-powered applications that address academic, research, and administrative needs across the university.
Build full-stack software solutions using modern programming languages and frameworks, including Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, and related technologies.
Develop backend services, REST APIs, user-facing applications, and integrations that incorporate large language models (LLMs), generative AI, and other emerging AI capabilities.
Integrate AI models and services from providers such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft Azure, Google, and other platforms into applications and institutional workflows.
Develop applications incorporating AI capabilities such as retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), agentic workflows, tool calling, and structured data processing.
Design software architectures that prioritize reliability, maintainability, security, and scalability.
Implement authentication, authorization, and secure data-handling practices when integrating applications with university systems and services.
Develop automated tests, participate in code reviews, and apply software engineering best practices to maintain application quality.
Troubleshoot application issues, investigate unexpected AI model behavior, and implement improvements to enhance functionality and reliability.
Create reusable software components, development templates, and shared libraries that accelerate future AI application development.
Campus AI Solutions and Technical Collaboration:
Partner with faculty, staff, researchers, and academic and administrative units to identify challenges that may benefit from AI-powered solutions.
Gather requirements, evaluate technical feasibility, and recommend implementation approaches that align with stakeholder needs and available resources.
Translate conceptual ideas and early-stage use cases into working prototypes, proof-of-concept applications, and production-ready solutions.
Collaborate with stakeholders throughout the development process to incorporate feedback and ensure applications meet functional expectations.
Provide technical guidance on AI application design, model integration, and software development approaches.
Support AI Studio workshops, demonstrations, and technical sessions that introduce campus communities to AI application development and emerging technologies.
Work with student developers and innovators to support experimentation, prototyping, and the development of AI-enabled applications.
Help lower barriers to AI adoption by building accessible tools, creating practical examples, and sharing engineering knowledge with campus partners.
Coordinate with campus IT teams and other technical stakeholders when solutions require integration with existing institutional systems.
AI Solution Delivery and Continuous Improvement:
Manage the technical development of assigned projects from initial exploration and planning through implementation, deployment, and ongoing refinement.
Break down complex technical challenges into manageable development tasks and establish practical implementation approaches.
Evaluate potential technologies, frameworks, and architectures based on project requirements, technical constraints, and long-term maintainability.
Assess AI application performance, model outputs, and user feedback to identify opportunities for improvement.
Develop and maintain technical documentation, application architecture diagrams, implementation guides, and operational resources.
Collaborate with AI Studio engineering teams to establish common development patterns and improve consistency across applications.
Monitor application behavior, investigate defects, and implement enhancements that improve reliability and user experience.
Explore emerging AI models, development frameworks, and engineering practices to identify opportunities for new solutions.
Contribute technical findings and implementation insights that inform the continued development of AI Studio platforms, services, and capabilities.
Perform Other Related Functions as Assigned:
Contribute to cross-functional initiatives related to AI governance,