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Introduction

A career in IBM Software means you’ll be part of a team that transforms our customer’s challenges into solutions.

Seeking new possibilities and always staying curious, we are a team dedicated to creating the world’s leading AI-powered, cloud-native software solutions for our customers. Our renowned legacy creates endless global opportunities for our IBMers, so the door is always open for those who want to grow their career.

IBM’s product and technology landscape includes Research, Software, and Infrastructure. Entering this domain positions you at the heart of IBM, where growth and innovation thrive.

The Client Adoption Team, embedded within IBM’s Software Development organization and deployed directly with clients, is aimed at accelerating client outcomes and better connecting product development to real-world value. Our Forward Deployed Engineers help clients deploy, integrate, and realize value from zTPS strategic software offerings more quickly through low-friction experiences.

The mission of this team is to reduce time-to-value and ensure measurable outcomes through hands-on technical enablement, best-practice deployment patterns, and a tight feedback loop between client experience and product design.

Your role and responsibilities

As a Forward Deployed Engineer, you will work directly with clients and internal IBM teams to help deploy, adopt, and operationalize strategic zTPS software offerings. This role combines hands-on technical work, client collaboration, and continuous learning.

You will work closely with IBM clients, product and engineering teams, and IBM field and account teams across pre- and post-sales motions to help clients move from initial proof of value to production-ready deployment and full value realization.

You will gain exposure to one or more of the following areas, with opportunities to specialize over time:
· AI-Assisted DevOps: watsonx Code Assistant for Z, Test Accelerator for Z, HashiCorp Terraform for Z
· AI-Driven IT Operations: IBM Concert for Z, watsonx Assistant for Z
· AI-Embedded Transaction Processing: AI Platforms and AI Toolkit (AI Optimizer) on Z with Spyre
· Automated Security Management: HashiCorp Vault for Z

The Forward Deployed Engineer role is for you if
· You enjoy deeply understanding how systems work, and you experiment, iterate, and keep going until something works.
· You have a bias for action, are resourceful, and can figure things out even when documentation is incomplete. People describe you as having tenacity.
· You are comfortable working with people or are excited to build that skill through client interaction.
· You are energized by the idea of using your engineering background to be a trusted partner to end users.
· You are open to ambiguity and see fast-moving environments as an opportunity to grow, influence, and be a change agent.
· You are highly organized, ownership-minded, and service-oriented.
· You consider yourself a lifelong learner and enjoy keeping up to date on the latest industry trends and techniques.

You do not need to know everything on day one. If this role excites you, but you don’t meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply.

What you’ll do
· Communicate both technical concepts and business value to different audiences.
· Assist with pilots and proof-of-value engagements and help transition successful use cases into production and value realization.
· Work directly with the end client, planning for and executing implementation plans.
· Collaborate with the assigned IBM account teams who are responsible for ensuring the right client sponsors and champions are actively involved.
· Validate key performance measurements have been met upon successful implementation.
· Interact with IBM development labs to provide product feedback, shaping feature design, roadmap prioritization, and release quality.
· Engage as needed for product support.
· Contribute to and deploy reusable assets such as documentation, playbooks, scripts, and best practices to scale enablement.

Success in this role is measured by the team’s impact on client adoption and deployment outcomes, including :
· Supporting faster adoption by helping customers move deployments from weeks to days.
· Contributing to broad adoption across entitled clients, with most adopting within the first two quarters.
· Supporting the creation of client stories following completed engagements.
· Helping identify issues early and supporting timely resolution to reduce critical situations.
· Participating in a feedback loop between client deployments and product development.

Required education

High School Diploma/GED

Preferred education

Bachelor's Degree

Required technical and professional expertise

• Currently enrolled in a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Information Technology or a related field (e.g., Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, Engineering, or similar), with an expected graduation date of December 2026 or later.

• Good written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly explain ideas and ask questions when needed.

• Comfortable working in a global and collaborative environment, interacting with team members across different time zones and cultures.

• Basic understanding or academic exposure to project management concepts, such as Agile and Waterfall, including familiarity with terms like sprints, stand-ups, retrospectives, and iterative delivery.

• Strong organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks, follow priorities, and learn how to identify dependencies and potential risks with guidance from the team.

• Academic coursework, internships, labs, or personal projects involving at least one or more of the following areas:

  • Operating systems fundamentals (Linux, Windows, or z/OS)

  • Networking basics (TCP/IP concepts, directory services such as LDAP)

  • Introduction to mainframe technologies (e.g., IBM Z, CICS, IMS)

  • Programming fundamentals in COBOL and/or Java, including ability to read and understand existing code

• Exposure through coursework, projects, or self-study to one or more of the following is a plus:

  • Automation or configuration tools (e.g., Ansible, YAML)

  • Observability concepts such as OpenTelemetry (OTeL)

  • Development tools and IDEs (e.g., VS Code)

  • Basic understanding or curiosity about AI technologies, including Large Language Models, RAG concepts, or Conversational AI

Preferred technical and professional experience

• Willingness to learn how different technologies integrate, including how COBOL and Java can interoperate within a z/OS environment.