Lead Forward Deployed Engineer

Lead Forward Deployed Engineer

The Lead Forward Deployed Engineer (Lead FDE) is a senior, customer-facing leader who owns the outcome thread across complex and strategic customer engagements. Working directly with executive, business, and technical stakeholders, the Lead FDE turns ambiguous priorities into measurable outcomes, establishes the path from opportunity to production value, and ensures the right combination of Forward Deployed, product, engineering, transformation, and platform capabilities are brought together around the customer need.

NTT DATA provides a reasonable range of compensation for U.S.

-based positions. The starting pay range for this role will depend on the nature of the role offered and will either be [$155,700 - $259,500], or [$80-$100] if the role is hired as a temporary position. Actual compensation will depend on a number of factors, including the candidate’s relevant experience, technical skills, and other qualifications.

This position may also be eligible for incentive compensation based on individual and/or company performance. If the position offered in temporary, the position will not be eligible for incentive compensation.

This position is eligible for company benefits that will depend on the nature of the role offered. Company benefits may include medical, dental, and vision insurance, flexible spending or health savings account, life and AD&D insurance, short and long term disability coverage, paid time off, employee assistance, participation in a 401k program with company match, and additional voluntary or legally-required benefits.

The Lead FDE combines deep expertise in a relevant specialist discipline with broad understanding of enterprise AI, technology platforms, industry context, commercial models, and company and partner capabilities. They apply judgement across domain, technology, client relationships, and outcome leadership to shape high-impact opportunities, determine the most appropriate delivery route, and guide customers through material investment and delivery decisions.

The Lead FDE provides continuity across the customer lifecycle, from discovery and validation through production delivery, adoption, value measurement, and continuous improvement. They orchestrate specialist FDEs and scalable delivery teams, maintain alignment between customer outcomes and technical execution, and intervene where assumptions, priorities, risks, or delivery decisions threaten the intended value. The Lead FDE does not replace accountable customer ownership, delivery leadership, or managed service responsibilities.

Combining executive-level client emotional intelligence, strong domain and technical credibility, commercial judgement, and outcome leadership, the Lead FDE operates independently in high-ambiguity enterprise environments. They lead complex multi-domain engagements, develop trusted senior relationships, mentor and assure other FDEs, contribute to strategic pursuits, and convert field learning into reusable assets, improved methods, and stronger company capabilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with executive, business, and technical stakeholders to define strategic objectives, priority workflows, measurable outcomes, and the decisions required to achieve them.
• Lead complex discovery, assessment, and solution-shaping engagements, turning ambiguous customer priorities into a coherent portfolio of validated opportunities and delivery decisions.
• Establish and maintain the outcome framework across engagements, including business ownership, baselines, target measures, assumptions, dependencies, and evidence required for progression.
• Direct…