Forward Deployed Engineer

Company Description

Fairness feels good

Make a real impact at AFCA. Where fairness drives every decision. Help us deliver world-class, independent complaints resolution for Australians. As a not-for-profit and progressive financial ombudsman, we’re championing positive change. Achieving our purpose takes progressive thinking, accountability and resilience. At AFCA, our inclusive leadership values every voice. We offer our people flexible work options, thoughtful benefits and opportunities to deepen expertise. Flourish in a diverse, caring culture. Feel the difference of belonging to an organisation intentionally designed to put people first.

Job Description

We're looking for a Forward Deployed Engineer to work at the intersection of technology, AI and business transformation. This is a unique opportunity to move beyond traditional software engineering and partner directly with teams across the organisation to solve complex operational challenges, improve customer outcomes and accelerate innovation. This role acts as a bridge between business problems and engineering execution, rapidly turning ideas into practical, scalable solutions. This role will partner to support the transformation of our Digital Platforms at AFCA. 

If you're someone who enjoys getting close to the problem, building solutions quickly, leveraging AI and automation, and delivering measurable impact, we'd love to hear from you. 

As a Forward Deployed Engineer, you'll embed with business teams to understand their challenges, identify opportunities and deliver innovative technology solutions that make a real difference. 

Typically in this role you will: 

• Partner directly with business stakeholders to uncover opportunities for AI, automation and digital enablement. 
• Translate complex and ambiguous business challenges into practical technical solutions across Digital Platforms. 
• Design, build and deploy prototypes, proof of concepts and production-ready applications. 
• Develop integrations across enterprise platforms and cloud services. 
• Create AI-enabled solutions using modern technologies, including large language models, agents and automation capabilities. 
• Work closely with engineering, product, data and architecture teams to scale successful solutions across the enterprise. 
• Drive rapid experimentation, continuous improvement and value realisation. 
• Champion responsible AI, security and governance practices. 

Qualifications

What you'll bring: 

We're looking for a curious, commercially minded engineer who enjoys solving real-world problems and building trusted relationships with stakeholders.  

• Significant experience in software engineering, solution engineering, AI engineering or data engineering. 
• A track record of translating business needs into technology solutions that deliver measurable outcomes. 
• Experience building and deploying cloud-based applications and integrations. 
• Strong software development, solution design and problem-solving capabilities. 
• Strong front end development skills with the ability to write code. 
• Exposure to AI, automation and workflow technologies. 
• Experience working with Agile, DevOps and CI/CD practices. 
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement and communication skills. 
• Prior proven success across digital platforms  
• The ability to thrive in fast-paced environments where innovation and adaptability are valued. 

Additional Information

• Gold AWEI Accreditation 2025 – Recognised for LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion.
• Accredited Family Friendly Workplace – Supporting work-life balance and inclusivity.
• Hybrid working – Flexible arrangements with two days a week in our modern offices designed for collaboration and wellbeing.
• Additional and inclusive leave options – Flexible public holidays, gender affirmation leave, women’s health leave, and bonus paid time off over the end of year holiday period.

To apply

If you’re passionate about fairness and believe your skills align with this role, we encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet every single criterion.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, cultures, abilities, sexual orientations, and gender identities. If you require any accessibility support during the recruitment process, please reach out to our team at [email protected].

We believe fairness starts with people. That’s why we don’t use AI or automated tools to screen candidates. As a result, our processes may take a little longer, and we thank you for your patience.

About AFCA

The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) was established in 2018 as a private not-for-profit ombudsman service providing free, fair and independent help with financial disputes. The original team has grown to over 1600 dedicated professionals. Since 2018, AFCA has received more than 634,000 complaints, helping to secure $2.1 billion in compensation for consumers. 

AFCA is a 2026 Circle Back Initiative Employer - we are committed to responding to every applicant.