AI-Native Forward Deployed Engineer

The posting, as Tread wrote it

ABOUT TREAD

Tread is an AI-native vertical SaaS platform transforming construction materials logistics—a massive, essential industry that moves the aggregate, asphalt, and concrete behind every road, bridge, and building. In March 2026, we crossed $1Bn in monthly delivered load value on the platform, and we're at ~$XM ARR and growing fast.

Our AI-powered platform serves Haulers, Producers, and Contractors—optimizing truck routing, loaded-mile delivery, and project planning while delivering exceptional customer service through personalized AI agents.

We're a Series A company backed by Mucker Capital, and we're building the team that will take us from $XM to $XXM+ ARR.

WHY THIS ROLE EXISTS

Reporting to the VP of Customer Operations, this role sits at the intersection of Customer Operations, Product, and Engineering. You'll work directly with customers to understand how they operate, then turn those insights into shipped software, AI-powered workflows, and product improvements.

Tread's customers are construction companies, materials producers, and hauling fleets. Their operations are complex, messy, and high-stakes. Dispatchers are moving hundreds of trucks a day. Scale operators are weighing thousands of loads. Back-office teams are reconciling millions of dollars in freight.

We can't build the right product from a desk. This role exists to close the gap between our customers and our codebase. You'll be in the field learning how these operations actually work, then back at your machine shipping solutions the same day. The feedback loop is measured in hours, not sprints.

This is a founder-in-training role. Today, technical implementation and field-driven product development is run by the founding team and a small engineering group. To scale from $XM to $XXM+ ARR, we need Forward Deployed Engineers who can live at the intersection of customer operations and our codebase, turning what they see in the field into shipped software before the next site visit.

WHAT YOU OWN

You are the technical bridge between our customers and our product. You own a book of mid-market accounts end to end, from first integration through long-term expansion and renewal, and you own the full technical relationship for every account in it, across these core areas:

Customer Implementation & Technical Delivery

Lead technical implementation for new customers: API integrations, data mapping, workflow configuration, and scale house connectivity. Build custom integrations, data pipelines, and automation for customers with complex requirements. Debug and resolve technical issues in the field, often on the same day they surface. Own the technical relationship with assigned accounts, you are their go-to when something is broken or needs to be built.

Product Development from the Field

Turn customer pain points into shipped features. You have the context and the ability to build. Contribute directly to Tread's codebase (Rails API, GraphQL, React) based on what yo
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• Comfort with APIs, databases, and data pipelines. You can read a GraphQL schema, debug an integration, and write a migration.
• Customer-facing instincts. You can sit in a room with a VP of Operations at a trucking company and earn their trust.
• Bias toward action. You see a problem, you fix it. You don't wait for a ticket.
• Strong written and verbal communication. You can translate a messy customer conversation into a clear problem statement and a proposed solution.
• Willingness to travel frequently to customer sites (at least once a month).
• You're comfortable with ambiguity and can thrive in a fast-moving startup where your role will evolve.
• Daily, opinionated use of AI coding tools (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.).

BONUS POINTS

• Construction technology, heavy civil, logistics, supply chain, or field-services experience
• You've built integrations or worked on implementation teams before
• You've shipped features based on direct customer feedback in a fast-moving engineering org
• You understand what a dispatcher or scale operator actually does on a Tuesday morning
• You've worked at a Series A–C startup under 50 people

COMPENSATION & LOCATION

The anticipated base salary range for this role is $120,000–$160,000. Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, skills, and overall qualifications.

This is an in-person position based in the San Francisco Bay Area, as regular collaboration with teammates and customers is a core part of how we work. The position also includes occasional travel to customer sites (approximately once every 4–6 weeks) to understand customer operations firsthand, build stronger relationships, and translate real-world challenges into shipped solutions.

WORK AUTHORIZATION

Candidates must be currently authorized to work in the United States without requiring visa sponsorship now or in the future. Tread is unable to provide visa sponsorship or future sponsorship support.