---
title: 'Senior Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE), Vulcan at AIFT'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-forward-deployed-engineer-fde-vulcan-aift-taipei-aptgz5d9550h'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-07'
---

# Senior Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE), Vulcan at AIFT

- **Company:** AIFT
- **Location:** Taipei, Taiwan / Japan / United Arab Emirates
- **Posted:** 2026-05-22
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-07
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/aift/jobs/6002398004

## Job description

Job Overview

We are seeking a skilled, hands-on Senior Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) with a strong technical background and exceptional communication skills. Standing at the front lines of customer engagement, you will gain a deep understanding of the real-world pain points enterprise clients face when implementing and securing AI applications.

You will lead the custom integration, deployment, and delivery of our core AI and cybersecurity products—specifically Vulcan, our GenAI cybersecurity solution providing automated red and blue team services for compliance and security. Your primary focus will be successfully implementing these AI Security modules and defense systems directly into our clients' complex on-premise, private cloud, or hybrid cloud architectures. You are more than a technical consultant; you are a hands-on doer.

Learn more about us 👉

- Vulcan product: https://vulcanlab.ai/
- Vulcan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vulcanlab-ai/
- AIFT group: https://aift.io/

## Responsibilities

- Front-Line Deployment & Integration: Lead the end-to-end installation, configuration, and production deployment of AI Guardrail products within clients' specific infrastructure boundaries (On-premise, VPC, or hybrid cloud). Connect core products with clients' existing systems, including internal APIs, databases, and security management platforms.
- Environment Deployment & Troubleshooting: Optimize containerized configurations and performance within client environments (on-prem servers, private clouds, K8s clusters). Take ownership of troubleshooting, with a particular focus on GPU resource scheduling and restricted/network-isolated environments.
- Scenario-Based Solution Development: Design and implement data processing pipelines and automation scripts tailored to clients' unique business scenarios, specific AI models, or Agent execution frameworks (e.g., Harness). Automate repetitive tasks to increase efficiency during client onboarding.
- Technical Trust, Consulting & Training: Serve as the technical bridge between enterprise clients and internal product teams. Communicate closely with client tech and security leads to explain AI vulnerability defense mechanisms, address compliance concerns, and translate security policies into engineering requirements. Conduct technical training sessions to ensure smooth handoffs.
- Product Feedback & Engineering Feed-Forward: Collaborate closely with the engineering team to improve reliability and operational efficiency. Translate real-world pain points, extreme edge cases, client feedback, and performance bottlenecks encountered on the front line into actionable product specifications to optimize our core products.

## Requirements

- Deployment Expertise: Strong, hands-on experience in executing client-side/on-premise deployments is highly essential.
- Infrastructure & Operations: Highly proficient in container technologies (Docker, Docker Compose) and orchestration tools. Hands-on experience with Kubernetes (K8s) deployment and troubleshooting (e.g., Pod scheduling, network configuration, Storage Class). Proficiency in automation platforms like Ansible and Terraform.
- Programming & Architecture: Proficiency in programming languages such as Python (with the ability to quickly read/refactor code), Bash, or Go, backed by strong system architecture thinking. Experience with AI pair programming tools (e.g., OpenAI).
- Networking & Troubleshooting: In-depth understanding of network concepts (security, firewalls, VPNs, proxy configurations) in enterprise environments. Excellent log analysis and Linux system troubleshooting abilities, capable of independently identifying root causes in restricted or offline client environments.
- Monitoring Solutions: Advanced knowledge of monitoring and alerting solutions (Prometheus, Grafana, ELK stack) to track deployment health and system reliability.
- Soft Skills & Travel: Exceptional client-facing communication and stakeholder management skills. Ability to travel and accommodate short-term on-site stints or local deployments at client premises (e.g., large enterprises, financial institutions, high-tech manufacturing in Asia, UAE, etc.) based on project needs.

Interview Process

- HR phone interview: 1 hour
- Onsite Interview: 1.5~2 hours, meet with hiring team and HR

Why Join Us?

- Innovative Environment: Be part of a company at the forefront of technology to provide security in GenAI, with opportunities to work on groundbreaking projects.
- Growth Opportunities: Take your career to new heights with our career development programs and growth-focused culture.
- Dynamic Team: Join a multi-cultural and dynamic team of dedicated professionals who inspire and support each other.
- Compensation: Competitive salary and benefits package, commensurate with experience and performance.

## About AIFT

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: AIFT (Laboratory for AI-Powered Financial Technologies) is a Hong Kong-based research laboratory and innovation hub that develops AI and data science solutions to transform global financial services.
- **Entity Type**: Private (research lab with spin-off commercialization arm)
- **Headquarters**: Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, Hong Kong
- **Founded**: Not publicly available
- **Founders**: Co-founded by City University of Hong Kong and Columbia University. Key leadership includes Prof. Houmin Yan (Director), Shi Lei (Deputy Head of Commercialization), and Antony Zhu (Head of Product & Development).

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Financial technology (FinTech), AI research & development, blockchain/tokenisation
- **Target customers**: B2B – banks, financial institutions, SMEs, and enterprise clients in the finance sector
- **Mission / purpose**: "Conducting pioneering research, attracting the brightest talents, realizing visionary concepts, and providing the best business solutions for future financial services." [hkaift.com](https://hkaift.com/careers/)

## Products & Services
- **AI-Driven Financial Service**: Research and solution development for AI-powered risk management, investment intelligence, and customer analytics.
- **AI-Enhanced Financial Technology**: Advanced analytics and machine learning models for credit scoring, fraud detection, and regulatory compliance.
- **Social Media Analytics for Financial Technology**: Platforms that mine social media and news data for market sentiment and investment signals.
- **FinSights (Supply Chain Finance)**: A solution showcased at InnoEX 2026 that leverages trusted logistics data to optimize trade finance. [hkaift.com](https://hkaift.com/)
- **Tokenised Deposit Platform**: A joint initiative with JETCO to enable commercial banks to issue and manage tokenised deposits. [hkaift.com](https://hkaift.com/)
- **Tolo Digitech (Spin-off)**: Partnered with fintech firm FUNDel to build a trade finance platform integrating Port Community System data. [hkaift.com](https://hkaift.com/)
- **Portfolio Management System for E-Commerce Loan Securitisation**: A system referenced in AIFT’s portfolio (see About page). [hkaift.com](https://hkaift.com/about-us/)

## Market Standing
- **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Headcount of ~26 employees (as of 2025-2026), with a -17.4% yearly change reported on LinkedIn. [linkedin.com](https://hk.linkedin.com/company/laboratory-for-ai-powered-financial-technologies-limited)
- **Notable Investors / Partners**: JETCO (joint tokenisation platform), FUNDel (trade finance spin-off), Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks (HKSTP), City University of Hong Kong, Columbia University.
- **Growth Signals**: Spin-off company Tolo Digitech launched in 2026; participation in InnoEX 2026; active patent filings (e.g., entity association recommendation, cryptocurrency asset classification). However, headcount declined year-over-year, so growth trajectory appears mixed.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Academic pedigree**: Founded jointly by City University of Hong Kong and Columbia University, giving it deep research capabilities and access to top talent.
- **Ecosystem position**: Located in Hong Kong Science Park, a major R&D hub, and holds strong ties with local banks, regulators, and fintech players.
- **Full-stack FinTech approach**: Combines AI, blockchain, and data science to address both research and commercial deployment (spin-offs, partnerships).
- **Proven commercialization**: Multiple patents granted via Google Patents and live solutions (tokenised deposits, trade finance platform).

## Strategic Focus
- Commercializing research outcomes into market-ready FinTech products.
- Expanding tokenised deposit and digital asset infrastructure for banks.
- Scaling supply chain finance and trade finance solutions via data partnerships (e.g., Port Community System).
- Building a pipeline of spin-off companies to take innovations to market.
- Attracting talent for both research and product development roles (openings listed on [Greenhouse careers page](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/aift) and internally).

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven**: Work at the intersection of AI and finance to solve real-world problems in banking, risk, and trade.
- **Young and growing**: Described as a "young company" with opportunities to get in "on the ground floor" and grow as projects gain momentum. [hkaift.com](https://hkaift.com/careers/)
- **International connections**: Collaborations with top universities and global financial institutions provide a broader perspective.
- **Practical skill development**: Talent training is part of the mission – developers and analysts can build expertise in FinTech ecosystems (Python, Spring Boot, Docker, blockchain, etc.). [hkaift.com](https://hkaift.com/careers/)
- **Vibrant community**: Active member of Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong’s largest R&D base, with access to a network of tech companies and events.
- **Work environment**: Office-based in Hong Kong Science Park (Shatin); roles include Software Engineer, Assistant Quantitative Analyst, Data Analyst, and Research Assistant. [hkaift.com](https://hkaift.com/careers/)
- **Culture**: Emphasizes open innovation, cross-boundary collaboration (universities, VCs, financial institutions), and a flat, research-driven atmosphere.

## Sources
1. [hkaift.com (Home Page)](https://hkaift.com/)
2. [hkaift.com (Careers Page)](https://hkaift.com/careers/)
3. [hkaift.com (About Us Page)](https://hkaift.com/about-us/)
4. [LinkedIn Company Profile](https://hk.linkedin.com/company/laboratory-for-ai-powered-financial-technologies-limited)
5. [HKSTP Directory Page](https://www.hkstp.org/en/directory/innohk/laboratory-for-ai-powered-financial-technologies-limited)
6. [Greenhouse Careers Page](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/aift)

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