Director of Forward Deployed Engineering

COMPANY OVERVIEW TENEX is an AI-native, automation-first, built-for-scale Managed Detection and Response (MDR) provider. We combine cutting-edge AI with human expertise to deliver security operations that are better, faster, and more cost-effective than traditional approaches. We're a fast-growing startup backed by industry experts and top-tier investors led by Crosspoint Capital. Our team is mission-driven, customer-obsessed, and building something that matters — a new standard for how security operations should work. Culture is one of the most important things at TENEX.AI http://TENEX.AI — explore our culture deck at culture.tenex.ai http://culture.tenex.ai to witness how we embody our values every day. This role is perfect for those already in the Sarasota, FL or Kansas City, MO metro area, or eager to join us. Immerse yourself in a high-performance environment built on integrity, innovation, and a relentless drive to protect our customers. ABOUT THE ROLE As Director of Forward Deployed AI Engineering, you lead the most innovative team in the TENEX FDE organization — a dual-function group of customer-embedded engineers and AI & Data Scientists working to solve hard problems and build solutions that scale. You will define how the team engages with customers, how solutions are built and productized, and how AI-native tooling accelerates the work. JOB RESPONSIBILITIES - Lead and scale the Forward Deployed AI Engineering team across its two functions: customer-embedded engineering and AI & Data Science - Own the team's mandate: embed in strategic customer accounts to discover problems, build high-grade solutions, and produce cross-customer intelligence that elevates the entire platform - Define the engagement model for FDE work — how engineers are assigned to accounts, how engagements are scoped, and how solutions are documented and productized - Oversee the AI & Data Science function — ensuring cross-customer telemetry, threat intelligence, and detection optimizatio