Forward Deployed Engineering Manager

About SAP

SAP is a company that operates across over 20 industries and impacts 80% of global commerce. The organization focuses on innovation and development, offering a challenging work environment that supports continuous learning and skill growth. SAP is committed to fostering a culture where individuals can thrive and contribute their unique talents.

The Role: Forward Deployed Engineering Manager

As a Forward Deployed Engineering Manager at SAP in Riyadh, you will lead and develop a team of senior engineers, data scientists, and AI practitioners. This team is embedded directly within SAP's strategic customer environments. This Director-level position requires accountability for team performance, development, and wellbeing, alongside ownership of delivery outcomes, technical quality, and customer impact for forward-deployed engagements. The role operates at the intersection of people leadership, technical strategy, and customer excellence, translating organizational goals into team direction and ensuring a supportive environment for optimal team performance. You will be part of a growing AI and industry expert leadership team serving customers across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The primary focus of this role is the growth, culture, and customer impact of your team.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of senior engineers and AI practitioners, promoting a high-performance culture based on accountability, collaboration, and continuous growth.
• Manage team performance, including goal setting, feedback cycles, career development, and talent planning.
• Drive delivery excellence across multiple forward-deployed customer engagements, ensuring outcomes align with agreed success criteria.
• Set technical direction and architectural guardrails for the team, in collaboration with Chief Experts and technical leads.
• Act as a senior escalation point for delivery risks, team challenges, and customer concerns, resolving issues with clarity and decisiveness.
• Build strong relationships with senior customer stakeholders and SAP leadership, representing the team's work and advocating for necessary resources.
• Attract, hire, and onboard top engineering talent across AI, data, and software engineering disciplines.
• Partner with product, go-to-market, and regional leadership to align team capabilities with strategic priorities and customer demand.
• Champion engineering best practices, responsible AI principles, and a culture of learning and innovation within the team.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Proven experience (5-10 years) leading and managing senior engineering teams, with a track record of building high-performing, inclusive, and motivated engineering organizations.
• Strong technical background in AI, machine learning, data engineering, or software engineering, with the credibility to guide technical decisions and earn the trust of expert engineers.
• Deep understanding of forward-deployed or customer-embedded delivery models, and experience managing complex, high-stakes customer engagements.
• Strong problem-solving skills and a design thinking approach; ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on delivery accountability.
• Demonstrated ability to develop talent, navigate organizational complexity, and drive alignment across diverse, cross-functional stakeholders.
• Proven ability to work in an Agentic AI context, understanding and shaping how AI agents are applied within teams and customer environments.
• Experience hiring and scaling engineering teams across regions, with a strong instinct for talent and a commitment to diversity and inclusion.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, able to engage effectively with engineers, executives, and customers.
• Familiarity with SAP AI technologies and enterprise AI deployment realities is a strong advantage.

Work Type and Location

This is a full-time position based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.