Forward Deployed Engineer

About Tenzai

Tenzai is building autonomous AI hackers that think like the world's best offensive security experts, act like them, and then help fix what they find before the real ones do. If this mission speaks to you, come defend the world's software: autonomously, continuously, and in-depth.

About the role

As a FDE/RD, you will partner with Tenzai’s key enterprise and strategic accounts. In this role, you will act as the principal technical liaison, seamlessly integrating Tenzai into complex customer environments.

Operating as a trusted technical advisor, you serve as the critical bridge connecting Tenzai’s autonomous AI offensive security engine with our clients' architectural vision. You will engage directly with CISOs, Security Architects, and Red/DevSecOps teams to guarantee the seamless deployment and high-impact operation of the Tenzai platform across mission-critical enterprise environments. 

Going well beyond traditional customer success roles, you will own the end-to-end client journey—leading onboarding, driving ongoing strategic alignment, serving as the bridge to Tenzai's security research team, and running scans while owning findings to maximize customer value and promote client autonomy.

Collaborating tightly with internal Engineering and Product organizations, you will champion client needs and scope features to guarantee that product enhancements and integrations align with business requirements.

Responsibilites

• Strategic Account Governance & Technical Leadership
• • Act as the primary technical subject matter expert for key accounts, managing end-to-end onboarding, infrastructure integration, continuous security optimization, and issue resolution.
  • Articulate security findings and strategic technical roadmaps clearly to both executive stakeholders and hands-on security practitioners.
• Technical Architecture Evaluation & Discovery
• • Perform in-depth technical assessments across web applications, APIs, network infrastructure, mobile platforms, GenAI interfaces, and RAG architectures to define continuous testing scope and identify security enhancement opportunities.
• Vulnerability Validation & Client Enablement
• • Execute scans and analyze findings as required
  • Partner with client teams to highlight identified vulnerabilities, developing comprehensive deployment guides to streamline onboarding and drive product adoption.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration with Product & Engineering
• • Convert client architectural constraints and operational feedback into prioritized, actionable feature requests for Product and Engineering.
  • Work closely with internal engineering and product teams to advocate for customer-requested enhancements and integrations that support key business objectives.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in Forward Deployed Engineering, Technical Account Management, Security Consulting, Professional Services or related discipline for large enterprise or financial clients.
• Strong foundation in enterprise infrastructure, hybrid-cloud architecture, network security
• Understanding of application security (OWASP Top 10, API security) and emerging AI vulnerability landscapes (LLMs, prompt injection, data poisoning).
• Proficiency with Linux/CLI, networking (DNS, TLS, proxies, firewalls) concepts, and identity/authentication standards (SAML/OIDC SSO, MFA).
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts clearly to technical and executive audiences alike.
• Proven ability to handle high-stress situations, drive technical discovery on the fly, and manage client technical relationships without being defensive.
• Ability and willingness to travel approximately once per month to client sites across North America
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced startup environment with a high degree of ownership and ambiguity.

Nice to Have

• Relevant security certifications (e.g., CISSP, CCSP, OSCP, or CompTIA Security+).
• Experienced and thrives with regulated financial institutions and compliance frameworks (OSFI, PCI DSS, SOC 2, DORA)- an advantage
• Hands-on offensive security experience (pentesting, red teaming, CTFs, Burp Suite, or manual vulnerability validation).

Why Tenzai

• Working on problems that matter - Software is now written and deployed faster than it can be secured. Attackers are beginning to use AI to find vulnerabilities at scale. Tenzai exists to close that gap. It's a mission that requires elite hackers, and also sharp storytellers, wicked-smart operators, and experienced market builders.

• Building a category in the making - Tenzai is defining a new category in cybersecurity. That means every team — from research and engineering to product, brand, and go-to-market — has a chance to shape how the industry understands and adopts autonomous security. If you thrive building something from zero and helping a new idea take hold in the world, keep reading.

• Talent density - We believe small teams of exceptional people outperform large organizations. Tenzai was founded by veteran security experts and repeat entrepreneurs. We hire deliberately and value curiosity, initiative, and craftsmanship, whatever your discipline.

• Creating real impact, quickly - Whether you're building systems, shaping product experiences, telling the story, or helping customers succeed, your work will immediately influence how organizations secure their software. We move quickly, keep teams lean, and give humans ownership.

•  Ambition with humility - We're tackling hard problems with a team that values deep expertise and thoughtful collaboration. Everyone here is learning, experimenting, and pushing the boundaries of what's possible. Plus, we love eating lunch together.