Lead Forward Deployed Engineer

RANGR Data is an advanced data engineering and analytics consulting firm, and a certified partner of Palantir. We help clients implement and support the most advanced data operations platform: Palantir Foundry

Role Overview

As Lead Engineer, you are responsible for driving the technical success of client solutions by leading a team of engineers in designing, building, and delivering scalable, high-quality implementations. You work closely with the Engagement Director to translate client objectives into actionable technical strategies and ensure solutions align with business needs.

This is a hands-on leadership role, you architect and design solutions, write and review code, set technical standards, and guide engineers through complex problem-solving. You serve as the technical leader for the engineering team, steering solution design, and delivery while fostering collaboration across the team and with stakeholders. A Lead Forward Deployed Engineer is a Senior Engineer that combines technical excellence with team leadership to elevate the entire team's performance.

What You'll Own

Technical Leadership

• Define solution architectures and guide engineering design decisions.
• Performs senior engineer responsibilities and acts as the team's technical leader.
• Serves as a Palantir subject matter expert and provides guidance to the rest of the team.
• Write and review code, ensuring quality, scalability, and maintainability.
• Establish and enforce technical standards, practices, and reusable components.
• Partner with Engagement Directors to align technical feasibility with client goals.

Team Leadership

• Mentor, coach, and grow engineering talent through feedback and guidance.
• Ensure engineers are unblocked and supported in their work.
• Promote a culture of collaboration, technical learning, and shared ownership.
• Conduct peer reviews and ensure engineering excellence across the team.

Delivery Leadership

• Break business requirements into technical tasks, estimates, and priorities.
• Execute assigned engineering tasks and report progress transparently.
• Ensure project dashboards and tasks are updated for visibility and alignment.
• Monitor engineering progress, ensuring milestones are delivered on time.
• Continuously refine solutions based on client feedback and performance results.
• Provide timely status updates, proactively escalate risks, and course-correct as needed.
• Ensure lessons learned and technical improvements are fed back into future work.

Hands-On Engineering

• Build, deploy, and refine production-grade client solutions.
• Write clean, maintainable, and reusable code.
• Debug issues and resolve implementation challenges quickly.
• Contribute to the creation of reusable components and best practices.

C ulture & Collaboration

• Foster cross-functional collaboration with Engagement Directors and Forward Deployed Engineers.
• Uphold transparency and accountability in technical discussions.
• Champion innovation and encourage exploration of better tools, frameworks, and methods.

How You Lead

• Hands-On Mentor – Lead by doing, guiding engineers through example and coaching.
• Technical Steward – Ensure solutions are designed for long-term value and maintainability.
• Problem Solver – Tackle complex challenges with structure, creativity, and simplicity.
• Team Builder – Invest in the growth and success of engineers under your guidance.

Reporting & Scope

• Reports to the Director of Delivery.
• Leads Forward Deployed Engineers in client delivery.
• Collaborates closely with Engagement Directors on delivery alignment.

Measures of Success

• Everyone is Palantir certified – Foundry Application Developer
• Everyone is Palantir certified – Foundry Data Engineer
• Solution quality (low defects, scalable design, reusability).
• Delivery outcomes (on-time, on-budget, meeting client expectations).
• Team growth and performance improvement.
• Engineering efficiency and knowledge sharing.

• Embody Rangr Data core values and lead by example in all interactions:

• • Be Confident, Act Humbly (Humbly Confident)
• Lead Through the Chaos (Client Empathy)
• Master Our Craft. Deliver Results. (Professional Expertise)
• Act with Purpose. Focus on What Matters. (Efficiently Competent)
• Together, We Ride. (Generous Collaboration)

Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related technical field.
• 3–10 years of experience in data engineering, software engineering, or a related discipline.
• Proficiency in SQL, Python, and data modeling, with the ability to design, optimize, and scale pipelines.
• Hands-on Palantir Foundry expertise, including:
• Building and managing pipelines (Code Workbooks, Contour, Foundry Transform).
• Developing and maintaining Ontologies, Object Models, and data integration patterns.
• Configuring security models, provenance, and governance in Foundry.
• Experience with Workshop, Reports, and application-building within Foundry.
• Palantir Foundry Application Developer and Data Engineer Certification is a plus
• Proven ability to translate business problems into scalable Foundry solutions, balancing speed with long-term maintainability.
• Strong team leadership experience, including:
• Leading and mentoring teams of 2–5 engineers, with a track record of growing technical capabilities.
• Driving sprint planning, backlog prioritization, and delivery in collaboration with product managers.
• Setting technical standards, conducting code reviews, and ensuring quality and reliability in deployments.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong problem-solving skills and a strategic mindset, with the ability to align technical solutions to business outcomes.

Do you want to get a taste of Palantir Foundry: Learn @ Palantir