Forward Deployed Engineer (AI-native) - shopdev

Our client, Shopdev, is seeking a Forward Deployed Engineer (AI-native) based in Lahore. This senior software engineering role involves close collaboration with client engineering and product teams to understand real needs and deliver end-to-end solutions. The position emphasizes using AI tools extensively for coding while relying on your judgment, architectural skills, and verification to ensure quality. You will work across multiple clients and projects, valuing adaptability and rapid learning over deep specialization in a single framework.

Key Responsibilities
- Translate ambiguous client requests into clear, actionable plans that gain client agreement.
- Design and develop production systems across the technology stack, leveraging AI coding tools as your primary development method.
- Critically review AI-generated code, rigorously test edge cases, and confidently explain the correctness of outcomes.
- Produce clear written updates, decision records, and tradeoff analyses that are accessible to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Participate in client calls as an equal partner, proactively identify risks, and defend technical decisions when necessary.
- Quickly learn and adapt to unfamiliar platforms and APIs as project requirements evolve.

Required Qualifications
- Minimum of five years of professional software engineering experience with a proven track record of designing and shipping production systems independently.
- Strong understanding of system architecture, including data flows, APIs, authentication, failure modes, and cross-platform integration.
- Hands-on experience building software using agentic AI coding tools such as Claude Code or Codex. This includes breaking down work into tasks with clear context and acceptance criteria, running multiple agents in parallel, and writing reusable instructions or skills. (Note: Using AI as a simple autocomplete tool does not meet this requirement.)
- Excellent written English communication skills and comfort engaging with senior client stakeholders based in the US.
- Demonstrated ownership of outcomes, consistently completing projects and proactively surfacing issues before escalation.
- Good commercial judgment to recognize when a solution is sufficiently effective rather than perfect.

Preferred Qualifications and Additional Information
Experience with macOS internals, ServiceNow development, enterprise PowerShell tooling, device management, or endpoint software is a strong plus but not mandatory. Candidates with these skills are encouraged to highlight them.

Shopdev’s working style is highly documentation-driven. Daily progress is communicated through concise written updates, decisions are formally recorded in repositories, and progress is tracked via commits rather than meetings. The role requires approximately four hours of overlap with US Pacific morning hours on most working days. AI tools are integral to the development process, and performance is measured by outcomes rather than hours worked.

This role is not suitable for candidates who prefer detailed specifications before starting work, avoid direct client interaction, view AI tools as optional or shortcuts to hide, or wish to remain focused on a single technology stack or product for extended periods.