Lead - Forward Deployed Engineer

realfast is India's first post-AI IT services company, built from scratch around one metric: how quickly a signed contract becomes working software a client is paying for. Founded by the team that scaled Gojek and backed by Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia India & SEA) and RTP Global.Our platform, Exo, powers the entire delivery operation. It ingests client documentation, codebases, and requirements within hours, compressing weeks of traditional discovery into days, then works alongside our teams to deliver production-ready solutions. We've delivered production-ready solutions in days that traditionally take months. The methodology behind this is Real Agile, built specifically for how IT services works in the AI era.We hire for judgment, because everything that doesn't require it is already automated. What's left is the job.Here's what we're looking forAs a Lead - Forward Deployed Engineer at realfast.ai with 7–10 years of software engineering experience, you will lead the end-to-end lifecycle of high-complexity projects. A battle-tested engineer who can code like hell, understands what makes businesses tick, and can elevate an entire team while doing it.You'll lead a team of Forward Deployed Engineers on client projects, working hand-in-hand with AI Transformation Leads to deliver software and products that help clients achieve their business goals. You'll own high-complexity projects end-to-end — driving product and technical design, navigating trade-offs, and ensuring timely delivery that upholds our standards of innovation and excellence.This is a natural career progression from the FDE role. Like FDEs, you'll be deeply embedded in client work — but you'll also bring back learnings, patterns, and insights that have a significant impact on the platform we're building.What You'll DoLead client engagements, driving delivery and raising the bar on engineering excellencePartner with AI Transformation Leads to design and deliver solutions that achieve client business outcomesWork directly with customers and stakeholders — including users, data scientists, and cross-functional teams — to design and implement solutionsPrioritise strategically, balancing quality, technical debt, and delivery timelinesChampion delivery excellence by boosting predictability, quality, and throughputDeconstruct complex engineering problems and deliver robust solutionsImprove code architecture with a focus on testability and maintainabilityMake smart trade-offs between beautiful code and shipping fast — we bias toward shippingUnblock and support team members to address challenges impacting deliverySet the standard for engineering best practices and first-principles thinking — be someone the team looks up to in terms of craftBuild AI-powered solutions, including developing, fine-tuning, and integrating LLMs to enhance products, automate tasks, and drive innovationFeed learnings back to the platform — identify patterns, gaps, and opportunities from client work that shape the evolution of our platformHelp build the team by mentoring engineers and finding other smart peopleWhat You'll BringExperience7–10 years of software engineering experienceDeep expertise with a proven track record in a similar lead roleExperience building applications from scratch using object-oriented languages (e.g., Ruby, Python)Experience solving 0-to-1 problems, identifying Product-Market Fit, and iterating with users to deliver solutionsStrong proficiency across multiple programming languages and paradigms — it doesn't matter whichTechnical SkillsExceptional grasp of software engineering principlesComprehensive understanding of engineering systems and architectureHands-on across the full stack — front-end, back-end, data pipelines, and AI modelsAppreciation for how businesses make money using technology as a leverLeadership & CommunicationStrong problem-solving skills with the ability to lead by example in technical and operational excellenceExperience mentoring engineers and contributing to team growthExcellent communication skills across technical and non-technical audiencesLeadership qualities: integrity, compassionate collaboration, and thorough preparednessMindsetComfortable working in a dynamic environment with ambiguityStrong grit and drive to make an impactSelf-starter who can operate without detailed specs or extensive guidanceThis role is for you ifYou're a polyglot engineer who loves to create working solutions, not just write codeYou're excited about building systems where AI owns concrete business outcomesYou want to take state-of-the-art research into reliable production softwareYou're interested in the business side of technology, not just the technical aspectsYou want to lead, mentor, and grow a team of high-calibre engineersYou enjoy turning client-facing experience into platform improvements that scaleThis role is NOT for you ifYou want a strictly defined role with clear boundariesYou need detailed specs before you can start building anythingYou need extensive guidance and structure to be productiveYou're looking for a purely coding-focused positionYou prefer to specialise deeply in one technical area rather than being versatile

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