​Overview

​One of the fastest-growing roles in AI today isn’t research — it’s forward-deployed engineering.

​In this session, we’ll hear from Head of forward-deployed engineers and operators at AI startups spanning Series A through Series D, offering perspectives from both fast-moving early teams and more scaled organizations.

​These engineers sit at the intersection of engineering, product, and customers. They work directly with users to deploy AI systems, solve messy operational problems, and turn powerful models into tools companies actually rely on.

​As AI startups race to bring models into real-world workflows, forward-deployed teams are becoming critical to product success. Many companies now build entire teams dedicated to this function.

​You’ll learn

​• How forward-deployed engineering differs from traditional software or research roles

​• What the day-to-day work looks like when deploying AI systems with real customers

​• Why many AI startups and labs are building forward-deployed teams

​• What skills make engineers successful in customer-facing technical roles

​Speakers

​Jove Zhong - Head of FDE
Cresta AI (Series D, $270M total funding)

​Kumar Aryan Raj - Forward Deployed Operator
SuperDial AI (Series A, $20M+ total funding)

​Nina Boord - Forward Deployed Engineer
Cogent Security (Series A, $50M total funding)

​​⭐ Opportunity for 1:1 Conversations

​Cresta / Jove's team is actively hiring, and a limited number of invitation-only 1:1 chats may be offered after the session.

​​To be considered, select "Yes" in the registration question.

​Talent Tensor

​​​We are an AI talent network of professionals shaping the future of artificial intelligence.

​​​Our members include researchers, engineers, product managers, designers, startup founders and operators from leading organizations such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, Meta, NVIDIA, and emerging AI startups.

​⚡ Join the network: https://talent-tensor.com/join-talent-tensor.