Forward Deployed AI Manager

Job Description

The Roland Berger AI Lab is our team of Forward Deployed Engineers. We work side by side with our strategy consultants and directly with clients to turn AI ambitions into working solutions, from the first use case to production-grade agentic systems.

We are not a back-office delivery center. Our engineers sit at the client's table, advise on architecture and technology strategy, and build what they recommend. Together with our Strategy Consultants we combine strategic insight with hands-on engineering to deliver AI transformations that create measurable business value.

As a Forward Deployed AI Manager, you win and deliver AI transformation and implementation projects for our clients and lead the Forward Deployed Engineers who build them. You are the bridge between C-level stakeholders, Roland Berger's strategy teams and our engineers, and you contribute to successful outcomes on both the commercial and the technical side.

Your responsibilities:

• Acquisition: Identify and shape AI opportunities with Partners and clients, scope solutions, lead proposals and pitches, and grow existing accounts into long-term engagements.
• Delivery: Own AI transformation and implementation projects end to end, from use case and target architecture through build and rollout to adoption, on time, in budget and with measurable impact.
• Client leadership: Act as trusted advisor to senior business and technology executives on AI strategy, architecture and operating model.
• Leading engineers: Staff, steer and coach teams of Forward Deployed Engineers, set technical direction and quality standards, and develop talent.
• Building the practice: Turn project experience into reusable assets, blueprints and offerings, and help shape our delivery model and technology partnerships.

If you want to take AI from slide to production at the client's site, we look forward to hearing from you.

Qualifications

• Master's degree or equivalent in a quantitative, technical, business or related field
• 8+ years of experience in AI/GenAI, data science, software engineering or digital transformation, several of them in a client-facing role in consulting, a technology firm or an AI solutions provider
• Proven track record in business development: scoping, writing proposals, pitching to and winning projects with senior clients
• End-to-end delivery responsibility for AI implementation projects that reached production, including budget, timeline and stakeholder management
• Experience leading and developing engineering teams, with the technical depth to challenge architecture decisions on LLM applications, agentic systems, data platforms and cloud (Azure, AWS or GCP)
• Ability to translate between C-level and developers: structured, business-case driven and convincing in the boardroom as well as in a code review
• Fluent in German and English; willingness to travel to client sites

Additional Information

Do you have an entrepreneurial mindset with a winning personality? If so, we look forward to receiving your application (CV, high school diploma, certificates of all academic degrees, work certificates including internships, as well as proof of semesters abroad) via our online portal. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me.