Applied AI Architect, Perplexity Computer
San Francisco • FullTime
Posted 18d ago
Job Location
San Francisco
Remote Work Policy
On-site
Employment Type
FullTime
Categories
Applied AI Engineer
About the job
Perplexity is seeking a Forward Deployed Engineer to ensure customers maximize their Perplexity Computer deployments. This role is for technical, consultative professionals experienced in complex software implementations for cutting-edge clients. Perplexity Computer is a novel AI system designed to navigate tools, interact with applications, and execute multi-step enterprise workflows. Forward Deployed Engineers (FDEs) are embedded with customers to identify high-impact use cases and rapidly deliver working solutions that drive measurable results. This is a hands-on, outcome-focused role at the intersection of engineering, solutions architecture, and technical program management, distinct from traditional Solutions Engineer or Customer Success positions.
Responsibilities
- Embed with strategic customers for time-boxed engagements (1-3 months), managing them as projects with clear scope, milestones, and exit criteria.
- Design and build workflows using Perplexity Computer and adjacent tooling, prototyping, shipping, debugging, and hardening solutions in customer environments.
- Own the customer relationship throughout the engagement, managing executive expectations, running working sessions, and de-risking deployments.
- Create reusable assets such as skills, connector templates, workflow templates, or reference implementations from deployments to benefit future customers and internal teams.
- Partner with Sales and Customer Success for scoping, pre-sales technical validation, and identifying expansion opportunities, serving as the technical authority for high-value deals.
Requirements
- 5+ years in a customer-embedded technical role (e.g., forward-deployed engineering, senior solutions engineering, solutions architecture, technical consulting).
- Proven track record managing customer engagements as projects, including scoping, milestones, status reporting, executive communication, risk management, and defining exit criteria.
- Daily use of frontier LLMs, agents, and coding assistants, with a strong understanding of current model capabilities and limitations.
- Executive-level communication skills, capable of discussing architecture with CIOs while managing on-the-ground program execution.
- High degree of initiative and ability to operate effectively in ambiguous environments with undefined requirements.
- Experience deploying agents, RAG systems, or multi-step LLM workflows in regulated or complex enterprise settings.
- History of working in startups or small teams, taking ownership of customer projects end-to-end.