Customer Architect (Forward Deployed Engineer)

We are seeking a highly technical and customer-focused Customer Architect (Forward Deployed Engineer) to join our Customer Success team in the U.S (West Coast).

In this role, you will operate in a Forward Deployed Engineer model —embedding deeply with customers to solve complex technical challenges, accelerate adoption, and deliver measurable business outcomes. You will act as both a hands-on builder and a strategic advisor, working directly within customer environments to design, implement, and optimize solutions.

Harness is a multi-module DevSecOps platform, spanning CI/CD, cloud cost management, feature flags, security, and more. As a Customer Architect, you will work across multiple modules and domains, helping customers adopt an integrated platform approach rather than point solutions.

You’ll partner with engineering, platform, and security teams to modernize software delivery, improve reliability, and embed security into the development lifecycle

Forward Deployed Customer Engagement

• Embed with customer teams as a hands-on technical partner, working directly in their environments to solve real-world challenges
• Own the technical success of customer implementations across multiple Harness modules
• Act as a bridge between customer teams and Harness Product & Engineering

Technical Delivery & Enablement

• Provide hands-on guidance to integrate Harness into existing toolchains and processes
• Design and implement CI/CD, infrastructure, and DevSecOps workflows tailored to customer architectures
• Lead onboarding, implementation, and enablement programs to accelerate time-to-value

Multi-Module Platform Adoption

• Drive adoption across the breadth of the Harness platform, helping customers expand beyond initial use cases
• Architect solutions that span multiple modules (e.g., pipelines, infrastructure, security, cost optimization)
• Guide customers toward a platform-centric approach rather than fragmented tooling

Strategic Advisory

• Serve as a trusted advisor to engineering and platform leadership
• Develop and execute success plans aligned to business and technical outcomes
• Lead technical reviews and business reviews to demonstrate value and identify growth opportunities

Optimization & Insights

• Analyze usage, pipeline performance, and adoption data to identify gaps and opportunities
• Deliver actionable recommendations across technology, processes, and team practices
• Proactively identify risks to adoption or retention and drive mitigation strategies

Cross-Functional Collaboration      

• Partner with Product and Engineering to influence roadmap based on customer feedback
• Collaborate with Sales and Customer Success on expansion and renewal strategies
• Contribute to best practices, reference architectures, and enablement conten

Experience

• 7+ years in software engineering, solutions architecture, DevOps, or technical consulting
• Experience working in deeply technical, customer-facing roles, ideally in a forward deployed, consulting, or professional services capacity
• Proven ability to lead complex implementations and drive customer outcomes

 Technical Skills (Experience across multiple of the following): 

• Cloud & Infrastructure: AWS, GCP, Azure, Terraform, CloudFormation, Linux
• Containers & Orchestration: Kubernetes, Helm, Kustomize, OpenShift
• CI/CD & DevOps: Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Harness, pipeline design
• Languages & Scripting: Python, Bash, YAML (Go is a plus)

DevSecOps (preferred):

• Secure pipeline design and policy enforcement
• Familiarity with SAST, DAST, SCA, or supply chain security concepts
• Experience integrating security into CI/CD workflows

Core Competencies

• Strong problem-solving skills with a hands-on, builder mindset
• Ability to operate across multiple technical domains rather than a single specialization
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to influence both engineers and senior stakeholders
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and working in fast-paced environments
• Curiosity and a strong commitment to continuous learning

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in roles such as Solutions Architect, Customer Success Engineer, Professional Services, or Forward Deployed Engineer
• Experience working with platform engineering or internal developer platforms (IDPs)
• Relevant certifications (AWS, Kubernetes, Terraform, etc.)
• Exposure to security engineering or application security practices

Success Metrics

• High adoption across multiple Harness modules within assigned accounts
• Strong retention and expansion (AGRR targets)
• Measurable improvements in customer delivery performance and efficiency
• Customer satisfaction and overall account healt

Work Location

• You must be located on the West Coast within the United States, 

What you will have at Harness

• Competitive salary
• Comprehensive healthcare benefits
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Flexible work schedule
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Flexible Time Off and Parental Leave
• Monthly, quarterly, and annual social and team building events
• Monthly internet reimbursement

The anticipated base salary range for this position is between $160,000 and $180,000 annually. Salary is determined by a combination of factors including location, level, relevant experience, and skills. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position across all US locations.  The compensation package for this position also includes a commission/variable component, which is based on performance, plus equity, and benefits. More details about our company benefits can be found at the following link: https://www.harness.io/company/careers.