Forward Deployed Engineer

CompanyRational Dynamics builds customized AI reasoning systems for tasks of high cognitive complexity. Our initial market is the world's leading institutional asset owners. We work very closely with these customers to create specialized, rigorous benchmark datasets encompassing their most valuable and difficult knowledge work, and then use those benchmarks to construct agentic large‑reasoning models. The models are proven to perform the work correctly, and customers access them through a tailored application service that makes their most skilled, expensive workers dramatically more productive. Rational Dynamics is an early‑stage startup founded by former Voleon team members—now leaders in systematic investing—who bring a research discipline and data‑driven focus that succeeded in the unforgiving, high‑stakes environment of financial markets.Job OpportunitiesWe are looking for entrepreneurial researchers and engineers who want to work on cutting‑edge agentic AI methods and build a best‑in‑class core technical infrastructure. Our work environment is highly collaborative, with colleagues who are accomplished experts in AI/ML, statistics, and systems engineering.Job DescriptionAs a Forward Deployed Engineer, you will build end‑to‑end systems that solve real problems for institutional investors. You will sit with customers to understand their workflows, then implement agentic AI systems that integrate with their proprietary data—building data pipelines, designing evaluation frameworks, and iterating based on production results. You will operate like a founder: take ownership, move fast, and figure things out. You will travel to customer sites to work alongside portfolio managers and analysts, pushing solutions forward.ResponsibilitiesCollaborate with institutional investors and research scientists to understand requirements and pain points, and own end‑to‑end technical implementation of agentic AI systems from prototype to production, including deployment, monitoring, and customer‑driven iteration.Ship code and documentation that meets the highest engineering standards for systems handling billion‑dollar decisions.Drive continuous improvement of system design and deployment processes, identifying bottlenecks and scaling challenges before they become problems.RequirementsRelentlessness and customer focus, in large quantities.Demonstrable clarity of thought.5+ years as a software engineer, preferably with a focus on backend systems and data infrastructure.Proven ability to ship production‑grade applications in languages such as Python, Java, C++, Go, and Rust, and a capability to use agentic tools to modify customer front‑ends.Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate with diverse stakeholder groups, including non‑technicians.B.A./B.S. in Computer Science or a related technical field.Willingness and enthusiasm for customer travel—on‑site engagement is required to understand customer requirements and invent with customers.Preferred QualificationsExperience building LLM systems and agentic workflows: RAG, tool use, multi‑step reasoning, evaluation frameworks.Foundational AI/ML knowledge: a strong understanding of how modern generative AI works, even if not an active researcher.Startup or founding experience: comfort operating in ambiguity and building systems from scratch.Equal Opportunity Employer. Rational Dynamics is an Equal Opportunity employer. Applicants are considered without regard to race, color, religion, creed, national origin, age, sex, gender, marital status, sexual orientation and identity, genetic information, veteran status, citizenship, or any other factors prohibited by local, state, or federal law.Compensation Range: $180K – $250K#J-18808-Ljbffr