Forward Deployed Engineer
Trafigura · London
Main purpose
Trafigura is recruiting a Forward Deployed Engineer to help bring technology closer to the business. You'll work with business teams to understand how they operate, turn working prototypes into production-ready applications, and build solutions that create real business value.
This is a hands-on engineering role that combines software development, problem solving and close collaboration with end users. You'll work across the full delivery lifecycle—from understanding requirements through to deployment and continuous improvement.
You'll be part of technology while working closely with business teams, helping build dashboards, applications, integrations and AI-powered workflows that connect with Trafigura's core platforms. You will take your learnings and contribute reusable patterns back to the core AI platform.
This is an individual contributor role open across all levels.
Key responsibilities
Work closely with the business
- Be a trusted partner with business users to understand their processes and challenges
- Help turn prototypes into secure, production-ready applications
- Prioritise aggressively to deliver the most impactful work for business partners
- Act as an advisor on AI technology to non-technical users
Build and deliver solutions
- Develop domain-specific applications using the right technology
- Build APIs, integrations and automated workflows that connect with enterprise systems
- Improve existing solutions by making them scalable, reliable and easy to maintain
- Support the design of data pipelines and integrations with the Enterprise Data Platform
- Contribute learnings and reusable components into the core AI Platform
AI and automation
- Build AI-powered workflows using modern AI frameworks and tools
- Harness engineering for Agentic applications including memory, tools, skills and evals
- Use AI development tools to improve engineering productivity and solution quality
Production support
- Deploy applications into production with production-grade observability
- Investigate issues, identify root causes and work with other teams to resolve them
- Improve reliability through testing, monitoring and continuous enhancements
- Maintain documentation and contribute to operational best practices
Security and engineering standards
- Build applications that meet security and compliance standards
- Implement authentication and role-based access using enterprise identity platforms
- Work with security and platform teams to ensure solutions are ready for production
Collaboration
- Work with engineers, architects, product teams and business stakeholders
- Share knowledge and contribute reusable components and best practices
- Help break down business problems into practical technical solutions
Required qualifications
- Proven experience in software engineering
- Experience building and deploying production applications
- Experience working closely with users or business stakeholders to deliver software solutions
- Experience with enterprise applications, financial services, commodities or other complex business environments is helpful but not essential
Technical skills
- Python
- React
- Node.js
- PostgreSQL or other relational databases
- REST APIs and system integrations
- AWS or another cloud platform
- Docker and CI/CD pipelines
- SQL and data modelling
Technical Knowledge
- Strong proficiency in Python and full-stack engineering: React (or equivalent modern front-end framework), PostgreSQL; additional languages (Go, Java) a plus
- Understanding of database systems, SQL, NoSQL, data modelling, ETL pipelines, REST/gRPC APIs and microservices architecture
- Experience with modern cloud engineering including platforms (AWS), Docker and Kubernetes; CI/CD in GitLab (or equivalent); infrastructure-as-code (e.g. Terraform)
- Working knowledge of identity and access management with OIDC / SAML and Azure Entra ID
- Experience with LLMs, RAG systems, prompt engineering and AI evaluation frameworks; familiarity with MLOps, model deployment and AI observability/guardrails
- Strong familiarity with AI-assisted development tools (e.g. Claude Code)
Department overview
The AI Hub is responsible for enabling AI and adoption across Trafigura.
Reporting Structure
- Reports to the Head of AI. Embedded with the assigned business domain.
- The role has regular working relationships with domain leadership and users; and with peer IT functions including Enterprise Architecture and Platform Engineering.
Equal opportunity employer
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and take pride in a diverse workforce! We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or other employment practices for reasons of race, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital or veteran status, medical condition or handicap, disability, or any other legally protected status.