Forward Deployed Engineer
Archetype: Builder · Learner · Pair programmer
Role Summary
You are an on-the-ground builder who writes real production code inside client environments from day one. You come in hungry, move fast, and turn ambiguous problems into working prototypes within hours — not weeks. Your credibility comes entirely from working software, not slides.
What You Will Do
• Embed directly at client sites to prototype and deploy agentic AI workflows using frameworks such as LangGraph, CrewAI, AutoGen, or AWS Bedrock Agents — shipping working code, not slide decks.
• Build RAG pipelines end-to-end: chunking strategies, vector store configuration (Pinecone, pgvector, Weaviate), retrieval tuning, and response evaluation.
• Instrument LLM-powered applications with observability tooling (LangSmith, Braintrust, Arize) so clients can see exactly what their agents are doing in production.
• Participate actively in daily client stand-ups and technical reviews, communicating clearly about progress, blockers, and trade-offs with both engineers and business stakeholders.
• Rapidly iterate on prototypes based on user feedback — from zero to demo in 24–48 hours is the expectation, not the exception.
• Document deployment architectures, prompt engineering decisions, and integration patterns so knowledge persists after you rotate off an engagement.
• Contribute reusable agent templates and accelerators to Cognizant's internal AI toolkit between engagements.
Technical Foundation
• Strong Python; basic TypeScript / JavaScript
• REST API design and integration
• Git, CI/CD basics, containerisation (Docker)
• SQL and at least one cloud platform (AWS / Azure / GCP)
• Hands-on LLM experience (OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini APIs)
GenAI / Agentic AI Requirements
• Has built at least one end-to-end RAG or agent application — personal projects count as strongly as work experience
• Understands prompt engineering, few-shot design, and chain-of-thought prompting
• Familiar with agentic orchestration concepts: tool use, memory, planning loops
• Knows how to evaluate LLM output quality — even informal logging or manual review frameworks
What Makes You Stand Out
• You have shipped something real with AI — a GitHub repo, a side project, a hackathon win — not just certificates
• You are comfortable being wrong in front of a client and pivoting immediately
You ask 'what does done look like?' before writing a single line of code
About Cognizant:
Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) is an AI Builder and technology services provider, bridging the gap between AI investment and enterprise value by building full-stack AI solutions for our clients. Our deep industry, process and engineering expertise enables us to build an organization’s unique context into technology systems that amplify human potential, drive tangible outcomes and keep global enterprises ahead in a fast-changing world. See how at cognizant.ai or @cognizant.
Additional employment information
Compensation information is accurate as of the date of this posting. Cognizant reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable law.
Applicants may be required to attend interviews in person or by video conference. In addition, candidates may be required to present their current state or government issued ID during each interview.
Cognizant is an equal opportunity employer. Your application and candidacy will not be considered based on race, color, sex, religion, creed, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
If you have a disability that requires reasonable accommodation to search for a job opening or submit an application, please email [email protected] for roles based in the Americas or [email protected] for roles based in India.
