Manager, Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE)

C1 is the first AI-native identity security platform that protects every identity: human, non-human, and AI. With powerful automation, platform-level AI, and out-of-the-box connectors, it centralizes access visibility, enforces fine-grained controls, enables just-in-time access, and automates user access reviews across all apps. It’s easy to use, quick to deploy, and trusted by enterprises like DigitalOcean, Instacart, Ramp, and Zscaler. As a Forward Deployed Engineering Manager at C1, you’ll lead the team responsible for building the integrations, automation, and bespoke workflows that make identity infrastructure reliable, safe, and delightfully simple to operate. You’ll help shape and scale the Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE) program — defining its processes, mentoring engineers, and ensuring that C1’s most strategic customer projects are delivered with excellence. You’ll spend part of your time as a hands-on FDE: embedding with customers, building production-safe software, and translating customer needs into scalable product features. The rest of your time will be focused on building and managing the program — hiring, coaching, setting direction, and partnering across Product, Engineering, and Customer Success to ensure the FDE function delivers consistent impact and quality. WHAT YOU'LL DO: - Lead, mentor, and grow a team of Forward Deployed Engineers delivering high-impact customer integrations and automation. - Help define and scale the FDE program — building repeatable processes for project scoping, delivery, quality, and handoff. - Serve as both player and coach: actively contribute to customer engagements while developing the long-term vision for the program. - Collaborate with Product and Engineering leadership to identify patterns from customer work that should become productized features. - Partner with Customer Success and Solutions teams to ensure customer needs are translated into reliable, production-ready implementations. - Design, implement, test, and operate connectors, APIs, and provisioning flows that integrate C1 with external systems. - Provide technical guidance and review across projects, ensuring best practices around security, observability, and maintainability. - Build feedback loops that turn customer experience into roadmap insight and continuous improvement for the FDE team. - Hire and onboard new Forward Deployed Engineers, establishing a strong team culture of ownership, pragmatism, and customer obsession. - Occasionally travel to meet with customers, lead workshops, or support major deployments. YOU WOULD BE AN EXCELLENT CANDIDATE IF… - You’re an experienced engineer or technical leader who enjoys building teams as much as building software. - You have a track record of managing or mentoring engineers in customer-facing or professional services roles. - You’re skilled at balancing hands-on technical delivery with leadership and program-building responsibilities. - You have strong experience in Go (preferred) or another backend language such as Python, TypeScript, or Java. - You’re fluent in APIs, webhooks, and modern identity standards (SCIM, SAML, OAuth) and have experience building integrations with third-party services. - You communicate clearly with both engineers and executives, and can represent technical decisions confidently to customers. - You thrive in a fast-paced, iterative environment and enjoy helping others succeed in ambiguous situations. - You embody C1’s values: Earn the Customer’s Trust, Embrace Change, Practice Compassionate Candor, and Be the Conductor. EXTRA CREDIT IF… - You’ve built or managed a forward deployed, solutions engineering, or professional services function at a SaaS company. - You have experience designing processes or tooling for scalable delivery of customer-facing engineering work. - You’ve led or contributed to reusable connector or SDK frameworks (e.g., Baton connectors, connector runners). - You have experience with identity and access management s