Forward-Deployed Engineer - API Platform at Perplexity AI

New York, New York, United States

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Not SpecifiedCompensation

Mid-level (3 to 4 years), Senior (5 to 8 years)Experience Level

Full TimeJob Type

UnknownVisa

AI, TechnologyIndustries

Requirements

5+ years in technical support engineering, software engineering, or solutions engineering, with direct application development experience
Strong API integration skills—able to design and debug REST/JSON payloads, manage auth flows, and optimize latency
Proven track record of diagnosing complex technical issues across distributed systems, APIs, and customer environments
Excellent communicator who can work with both developer teams and non-technical stakeholders
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or equivalent hands-on experience
Nice-to-Haves
Experience working with search, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), or AI/ML APIs
Background in developer tools or platform engineering, especially in high-scale or low-latency environments
Strong familiarity with Python or JavaScript for building integrations, SDKs, or prototypes
History of working at startups or small teams where you owned customer projects end-to-end

Responsibilities

Serve as the dedicated technical partner for strategic API Platform customers, guiding them through architecture design, integration, and optimization
Troubleshoot API performance, grounding quality, and integration challenges—diving directly into code and logs when needed
Prototype example integrations, search workflows, and demos to accelerate adoption and inspire customer innovation
Collaborate with Engineering and Product to resolve high-priority escalations, ensuring minimal downtime and maximum reliability
Capture and synthesize customer feedback to improve API features, SDKs, and developer experience
Maintain deep familiarity with the API Platform's latest capabilities, competitive positioning, and best practices, and use this knowledge to advise customers

Skills

Key technologies and capabilities for this role

API DevelopmentSolution ArchitectureIntegration DebuggingQuery OptimizationPerformance TuningTechnical DocumentationInternal ToolingDeveloper Advocacy

Questions & Answers

Common questions about this position

What experience is required for the Forward-Deployed Engineer role?

Candidates must have 5+ years in technical support engineering, software engineering, or solutions engineering, with direct application development experience.

What are the key responsibilities of this position?

Responsibilities include serving as a technical partner for customers, troubleshooting API issues, prototyping integrations, collaborating with teams on escalations, capturing feedback, and maintaining expertise in API capabilities.

Is this role remote or office-based?

This information is not specified in the job description.

What is the salary or compensation for this position?

This information is not specified in the job description.

What kind of background makes a strong candidate for this role?

Ideal candidates are TPMs, solutions engineers, or software engineers with customer-facing experience who enjoy building, prototyping, and problem-solving daily.

Perplexity AI

Advanced answer engine providing reliable information

About Perplexity AI

Perplexity AI provides an advanced answer engine that delivers accurate and reliable responses to user queries. The platform uses current sources to ensure the information is both precise and relevant. It caters to a wide audience, including individuals looking for quick answers and businesses needing detailed information. Unlike many competitors, Perplexity AI emphasizes high-quality, source-backed answers, making it a valuable resource for users seeking trustworthy data. The company's goal is to meet the increasing demand for immediate access to reliable information, generating revenue through subscription fees, advertising, and partnerships.

San Francisco, CaliforniaHeadquarters

2022Year Founded

$890MTotal Funding

LATE_VCCompany Stage

Data & Analytics, Consumer SoftwareIndustries

201-500Employees

Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

401(k) Retirement Plan

Company Equity

Risks

Pending copyright infringement class action poses legal and financial challenges.

Competition from Google's AI Mode could impact user retention and market share.

Otterly.AI's brand visibility tool may pressure Perplexity to maintain high performance.

Differentiation

Perplexity AI integrates large language models with search engines for precise responses.

The platform offers an open-source environment, enhancing public access to AI tools.

Perplexity's strategic acquisition of Carbon boosts its data connectivity capabilities.

Upsides

Partnership with Tripadvisor enhances travel planning with personalized recommendations.

$500M funding round increases valuation to $9 billion, supporting growth and innovation.

Integration with FactSet attracts financial clients with enhanced data accessibility.

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