Sr. Forward Deployment Strategist

CSQ128R189 As a Forward Deployment Strategist (FDS), 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 ($10M+ 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%. 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.