Sr. Forward Deployment Strategist
- Your strategic mindset lets you map the customer's political landscape and define a high-value MVP with precision.
- You naturally own the PRD and prioritize the engineering backlog like a product manager, driving the project toward clear goals.
- You have the gravitas to build C-suite trust and drive decisions without needing validation, perfect for executive conversations.
- Your relentless focus on results helps you manage scope and unblock issues, but you may find the constant agile iteration and hands-on QA testing tedious.
- The requirement for native Korean and 50% travel might feel like logistical hurdles rather than engaging strategic challenges.
CSQ128R178
As a Deployment Strategist (DS), you are the critical bridge between a customer's multi-million dollar business problem and Databricks' technical solution. You are a product manager for the field, owning the entire non-technical lifecycle of an FDE engagement.
You will partner with our Account Executives to build C-suite trust, perform deep discovery to map the customer's political and technical landscape, and, most importantly, scope the value. You will define the Minimum Viable Product for a pilot, write the PRD that guides the engineering team, and manage the project to a successful landing.
This role requires a rare mix of C-suite gravitas, deep product-style thinking, and a hands-on, get it done execution mindset.
You will report to the Director, Forward Deployed Engineering.
The impact you will have:
- C-Suite Scoping & Value Definition: Partner with Sales to perform deep discovery, map the customer's organization, quantify the business value (($M + Problems), and define the pilot (MVP, success criteria, timeline).
- End-to-End Product Ownership: Act as the CEO of the project by authoring the PRD, prioritizing the engineering backlog, relentlessly managing scope, and acting as the primary hands-on QA tester.
- Agile Project Execution & Delivery: Drive the FDE build team via an agile process, manage all stakeholder communications from the C-suite to individual engineers, and act as the escalation manager to unblock all technical or political issues.
- Solution Launch & Landing: Own the Day 0 launch, manage the war room, and drive the solution from launch to full adoption by capturing user feedback, iterating, and proving the defined business value.
- Strategic Handoff & Growth: Scope the ongoing maintenance plan, create customer documentation/training, and leverage your trusted advisor status to identify the next high-value FDE engagement.
What we look for:
- Executive Presence & Communication: A Trusted Advisor with C-suite gravitas and superb communication skills. You are opinionated, humble, and can build rapport and drive decisions in days, not weeks.
- Product & Strategy Mindset: A Product Thinker and Systems Thinker who can perform a SWOT analysis, understand a competitive landscape, and define what to build and why.
- Relentless Execution: An Execution Driver with a Hands-On mentality. You are relentless, an expert at escalation, and willing to do the unglamorous work to get the project done.
- Ideal Experience: 2+ years as a Deployment Strategist OR 2+ years at a high-growth startup in a builder or founder capacity. (Alternatively: 5+ years in a senior, client-facing product or delivery role at a top-tier tech company or consultancy).
- Proven Skills: Demonstrated experience in value-based scoping (TCO/ROI), managing agile software projects, writing PRDs, and the ability/interest to travel up to 50%.
- Language Proficiency: Native-level fluency in Korean and professional working proficiency in English (both written and verbal).
About Databricks
Databricks is the Data and AI company. More than 20,000 organizations worldwide — including adidas, AT&T, Bayer, Block, Mastercard, Rivian, Unilever, and 70% of the Fortune 500 — rely on the Databricks Data + AI Platform to build and scale data and AI apps, analytics and agents. Headquartered in San Francisco with 30+ offices around the globe, Databricks offers a unified platform that includes Genie, Lakebase, Agent Bricks, Lakeflow, Lakehouse, and Unity Catalog. To learn more, follow Databricks on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, and Instagram.
Benefits
At Databricks, we strive to provide comprehensive benefits and perks that meet the needs of all of our employees. For specific details on the benefits offered in your region click here.
Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
At Databricks, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture where everyone can excel. We take great care to ensure that our hiring practices are inclusive and meet equal employment opportunity standards. Individuals looking for employment at Databricks are considered without regard to age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other protected characteristics.
Compliance
If access to export-controlled technology or source code is required for performance of job duties, it is within Employer's discretion whether to apply for a U.S. government license for such positions, and Employer may decline to proceed with an applicant on this basis alone.
Best personality fits for this role
Your strategic mindset lets you map the customer's political landscape and define a high-value MVP with precision.
Read the INTJ career guide →Your natural leadership and commanding presence make you a trusted advisor to C-suite executives, perfectly matching the role's gravitas requirement.
Read the ENTJ career guide →Your decisive nature and leadership skills make you effective at driving the agile project and holding the team accountable for delivery.
Read the ESTJ career guide →