Sr. Manager, AI Forward Deployed Engineering
Databricks · Posted Oct 1
Data, analytics, machine learning, and generative AI intelligence platform services
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About the role
The AI Forward Deployed Engineering (AI FDE) team is a highly specialized customer-facing AI team at Databricks that delivers professional services engagements helping customers build and productionize first-of-its-kind GenAI applications, working cross-functionally with AI Product, Research, and Engineering to shape strategic priorities. This role leads and grows the AI FDE team in India, guiding customers on their AI transformation with the Databricks Data + AI Platform and managing a portfolio of key accounts. The leader will recruit and develop top data scientists and machine learning engineers, drive strategic AI initiatives and delivery processes, and report to the India FDE leader with a dotted line to the APJ AI FDE leader.
What you will do
- Lead and scale a high-performing AI forward deployed engineering team, including hiring, mentoring, and building a team structure to support long-term growth and execution at scale
- Shape cross-functional collaboration by influencing Product, R&D, and GTM, ensuring voice-of-customer insights and delivery learnings help inform the product roadmap and GTM strategy
- Develop and expand executive relationships with key customers and partners (including VP+, CIO/CDO-level stakeholders), acting as a trusted advisor during complex technical engagements and AI transformations
- Partner with Field Engineering and Sales leadership to set strategy for strategic accounts and coordinate delivery across functions
- Lead strategic AI initiatives, practice development, and scalable delivery processes
- Own OKRs for AI-services led accounts, revenue, utilization, and public references
- Represent Databricks as a thought leader in AI through conference talks, published content, etc.
Skills used in this role
What the employer is looking for
- Experience building and managing high-performing teams of AI/ML scientists, engineers, and leaders
- Ability to scope, sell, and deliver technical engagements in enterprise environments, including managing escalations and ensuring successful customer outcomes
- Strong, current technical depth in AI/ML foundations, with the ability to contribute meaningfully in architecture reviews and the curiosity to stay current as the field evolves
- Experience leading teams that have shipped production AI solutions in cloud environments (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
- Proven success developing strategy with senior executive stakeholders to define program-level goals, align technical vision, and build trust throughout complex enterprise engagements
- Experience driving AI transformation across enterprise customers, spanning applied AI product management, organizational change management, and stakeholder alignment
- Experience working across Sales, Product, and GTM to connect AI delivery to business outcomes
- Graduate degree in a quantitative discipline (Computer Science, Engineering, Statistics, Operations Research, etc.) or equivalent practical experience
Preferred qualifications
- Experience in a customer-facing leadership role
- Experience working with Databricks
Benefits and support
- Compensation and benefits are detailed in the job posting
About Databricks
Databricks is a data and artificial intelligence company that provides a unified Data Intelligence Platform built on a lakehouse architecture. The platform combines data engineering, data warehousing, machine learning, and generative AI to help organizations manage and scale their data assets natively across major cloud providers. Founded by the original creators of Apache Spark, Databricks enables thousands of enterprises worldwide to power advanced analytics, business intelligence, and autonomous AI agents.
- Industry
- Data and AI Platform Software
- Company size
- 17300+ employees
- Founded
- 2013
- Location
- San Francisco, California, USA
- Funding stage
- Private Company
Funding
Private Company · $25.2B raised
- 2026-08-13Series L$5.0B
Leadership
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer
Co-founder and Executive Chairman
Chief Financial Officer
Co-founder and Chief Architect
Recent coverage
Databricks Newsroom
Databricks Closes $5 Billion Strategic Funding at $190 Billion Valuation2026-08-13
Databricks Newsroom
Databricks Announces Strategic Funding at a $188 Billion Valuation2026-07-16
Databricks Newsroom
Databricks Accelerates Investments in Agent Bricks, Lakebase and Databricks Apps2025-12-16