Principal Forward Deployed Architect

Location: New York

Requisition d Date:
Oct 3, 2026

Work Area:
Software-Design and Development

Career Status: Professional

Employment Type:

Regular Full Time Expected Travel: 0 - 70%

Location:

New York, NY, US, 10001 We help the world run better At SAP, we keep it simple: you bring your best to us, and we'll bring out the best in you. We're builders touching over 20 industries and 80% of global commerce, and we need your unique talents to help shape what's next. The work is challenging – but it matters.

You'll find a place where you can be yourself, prioritize your wellbeing, and truly belong. What's in it for you? Constant learning, skill growth, great benefits, and a team that wants you to grow and succeed. What you'll build As a Principal Forward Deployed Architect, you will provide technical leadership for SAP's most strategic AI engagements. You will define enterprise AI architectures, lead multidisciplinary delivery teams, and partner with executive stakeholders to shape AI transformation programs.

This is a senior expert role for architects who combine deep technical expertise with customer leadership and the ability to establish reusable engineering patterns across multiple engagements. In this role, you will:
Own the end-to-end architecture for complex enterprise AI programs from discovery through production. Lead solution architecture spanning AI agents, RAG, Knowledge Graphs, MCP, multi-agent systems, enterprise integrations, and cloud-native platforms. Serve as the primary technical advisor for customer executives, enterprise architects, and program leadership. Architect scalable AI platforms using SAP AI Core, SAP BTP, Joule, Kubernetes, hyperscalers, and enterprise integration services.

Define reference architectures, reusable frameworks, golden paths, engineering standards, and governance models. Lead technical discovery workshops, architecture reviews, and executive solution presentations. Guide engineering teams across multiple customer engagements while mentoring senior engineers and architects. Drive security, observability, performance, compliance, and operational excellence for enterprise AI solutions. Influence SAP product teams by providing architectural feedback from customer implementations. Identify innovation opportunities and establish new technical capabilities for the Forward Deployed Engineering organization.

What you bring Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Engineering, or related discipline. 10+ years of software engineering and enterprise architecture experience with significant customer-facing delivery. Expertise in Python and modern enterprise application architecture. Deep experience with LLMs, agentic AI, RAG, GraphRAG, Knowledge Graphs, vector databases, MCP, tool calling, evaluation frameworks, and AI observability. Extensive experience with SAP BTP, SAP AI Core, Joule, SAP integration technologies, and enterprise landscapes.

Strong background in Kubernetes, Docker, CI/CD, Dev Sec Ops , cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), and distributed systems. Proven ability to architect large-scale enterprise solutions integrating SAP and non-SAP systems. Experience leading cross-functional engineering teams and mentoring senior technical talent. Exceptional communication and executive stakeholder management skills. Strong strategic thinking with the ability to balance business outcomes, technical excellence, and delivery execution.

Nice to have Experience defining enterprise AI strategy or AI Centers of Excellence. Thought leadership through patents, publications, conference speaking, or open-source contributions. Experience building reusable platforms, accelerators, or enterprise engineering frameworks. Knowledge of regulated industries…