Forward Deployed Engineer
Forward Deployed Engineer at Harper — San Francisco, US
- Company: Harper
- Location: San Francisco, US
- Employment type: FULL_TIME
- Salary: USD 140000–200000 / year
- Posted: 2026-07-17
About this role
The Problem
36 million businesses in America need insurance—it’s not optional. 77% are underinsured. 40% have no coverage at all. The distribution system failed them: too slow, too opaque, too confusing.
Over 90% of commercial insurance is still human-led. We’re building the inverse: 90%+ AI-led, pushing toward the higher 90s. Not by patching legacy workflows—by building AI that makes humans more effective, improves the customer experience, and eliminates friction at every step.
We’re adding ~1,000 customers per month. We’ve grown 100x since last year. We’re looking to do even more this year—and that’s why we’re hiring.
Somewhere in that transition, there’s leverage hiding everywhere—inefficiencies the right engineer could eliminate with the right solution built in the right week.
The Thesis
Turning judgment into compute isn’t a one-time project. It’s a constant hunt for leverage. New models drop monthly. What was impossible in January is table stakes by June. Someone needs to be on the frontier—figuring out what’s newly possible and applying it before anyone else does. That’s this role.
The Role
You’re a technical generalist who views engineering as a tool for solving business problems—not the end goal itself. You embed with operations: sales, customer service, underwriting, carrier relations. You see where things break. You identify the 20% of problems that cause 80% of friction. Then you build the solution.
Prototype Monday, ship Tuesday, measure Wednesday. If it works, push to production. If not, try something else.
What You’ll Do
Find leverage — Sit with teams, discover what nobody’s automated because nobody knew it could be
Build solutions fast — AI agents, automations, internal tools—prototype in days, ship in weeks
Stay on the frontier — New model drops? You’re testing it that day
Prove impact — Set up metrics, track results, show what worked
Communicate what you learn — Present to the company; shape the roadmap
You Might Be a Fit If…
You get energy from business impact, not code elegance
You’re a technical generalist (Python, TypeScript, SQL—you learn new tools in days)
You write code with AI (Cursor, Claude Code) and can manage multiple coding sessions
You can present to non-technical people and explain why conversion dropped
You think in business terms: “we increased conversion by 15%,” not “we shipped the feature”
You’re 2-5 years into your career
Requirements
2-5 years software engineering experience
Proficiency in Python, TypeScript, or similar
Experience building and shipping internal tools or automations
Ability to work autonomously and move fast
Based in San Francisco or willing to relocate
Nice to Have
Experience with LLMs, AI agents, or voice AI
Background in operations, sales tech, or workflow automation
Prior startup experience
Compensation
Salary: $140,000–$200,000 + performance bonuses & equity
Location: San Francisco, in-office
Benefits
Health, dental, and vision insurance
Commuter benefits
Team meals and snacks
The Process
15-min founder call — Alignment on mission and pace
If in SF: Super Day on-site
If outside SF: Technical phone screen, then on-site
To Apply
If you want autonomy, impact, and the chance to build AI capabilities against business problems you discover yourself—send your resume and tell us about something you built that had measurable business impact.