Forward Deployed AI Engineer (Multiple Levels)

    United States
    Full-Time
    Mid (3-6 yrs)
    Engineering & Development
    Posted on September 22, 2026

    Do you enjoy solving complex problems, building production software, and working directly with clients?

    We're looking for Forward Deployed AI Engineers to join our growing team.

    This is not a traditional engineering role.

    You'll combine deep technical expertise with customer engagement, serving as both a builder and trusted advisor as you help organizations transform business challenges into AI-powered solutions.

    Working side-by-side with client stakeholders, engineers, data scientists, and business leaders, you'll take solutions from concept to production and see firsthand how your work creates impact. One week may involve collaborating onsite with a client to understand a business challenge; the next may involve building applications, deploying AI workflows, or launching production systems that support critical decisions. This role includes approximately 30% travel, providing opportunities to work directly with clients, build relationships, and see firsthand how your solutions drive business impact.

    What You'll Do

    • Partner directly with clients to understand complex business challenges and identify opportunities where AI can create measurable impact.
    • Design, build, and deploy production-grade applications using AI, machine learning, cloud technologies, APIs, and modern software engineering practices.
    • Develop solutions utilizing large language models (LLMs), retrieval systems, agents, workflow automation, and advanced analytics.
    • Lead projects through the full lifecycle, from discovery and prototyping to deployment, adoption, and ongoing optimization.
    • Collaborate with client teams, product leaders, engineers, and data scientists to deliver scalable and impactful solutions.
    • Translate ambiguous problems into actionable plans and deliver results in fast-moving environments.
    • Measure solution performance, reliability, and user adoption, continuously improving the systems you build.
    • Contribute to the evolution of NIQ's AI capabilities by sharing learnings, creating reusable frameworks, and influencing future product direction.
    • Travel to client locations as needed to support discovery, implementation, and strategic engagements.

    Why You'll Love This Role

    • Build AI solutions that are deployed in production and used by real customers.
    • Work directly with some of the world's largest retailers and consumer brands.
    • Tackle complex business challenges where no predefined solution exists.
    • Join a founding team helping define the future of AI at NIQ.
    • Operate with the autonomy and ownership of a startup environment while benefiting from the scale and resources of a global leader.
    • Influence not only the solutions you build, but also the products, processes, and capabilities that shape the future of the business.
    • Work at the intersection of AI, software engineering, and customer engagement, seeing firsthand how your solutions affect real business decisions.

    Company:  NielsenIQ

    Provides consumer intelligence and data analytics, delivering insights into consumer buying behavior for retailers and consumer goods manufacturers.
    10001+ employees
    Data & Analytics
    HQ: United States