Manager, Forward Deployed Engineering (AI)

TL;DR

Manager, Forward Deployed Engineering (AI): Leading a team of engineers to design and productionize high-impact data and AI solutions on the Databricks platform with an accent on large-scale production delivery and technical authority. Focus on scaling delivery strategy, mentoring senior technical talent, and solving complex data engineering challenges for strategic customers.

Location: Must be based in Tokyo, Japan

Company

Databricks is a data and AI company providing a Data Intelligence Platform used by over 10,000 organizations globally to unify data, analytics, and AI.

What you will do

• Lead, hire, and mentor a team of approximately 10 Forward Deployed Engineers, fostering technical excellence and customer obsession.
• Partner with strategic customers and stakeholders to design and deliver complex data and AI engagements.
• Act as the senior technical authority and escalation point for architecture reviews and critical production issues.
• Collaborate with Sales, Field Engineering, and Product leadership to align on account strategy and execution.
• Develop reusable patterns, delivery best practices, and technical assets to improve organizational scale.
• Drive data engineering-led transformations, including modern data platforms, pipelines, and governance.

Requirements

• Experience leading and developing high-performing technical teams in customer-facing environments.
• Deep technical credibility in data engineering, big data systems, and production platform delivery.
• Hands-on fluency in Python and SQL.
• Experience with major cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP.
• Fluent Japanese and business-level English are required.
• Must be based in Tokyo, Japan.

Nice to have

• Deep understanding of Apache Spark and distributed data processing.
• Experience delivering lakehouse, analytics, or AI-adjacent solutions in complex enterprise environments.
• Familiarity with data governance, security, and platform operating models.
• Track record of influencing cross-functional strategy across sales and product organizations.

Culture & Benefits

• Strong culture of technical excellence and customer obsession.
• Opportunity to work with strategic, high-visibility customers and Fortune 500 companies.
• Comprehensive benefits and perks tailored to the region.
• Commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equal employment opportunity standards.