Description:
The FDE Practice Manager is responsible for setting and elevating the Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE) capability across McCain, ensuring a high standard of technical excellence, business impact, and career development within the FDE community. This player-coach leadership role owns the Yellow-portfolio FDE talent pool, personally contributes to strategic engagements, and serves as the accountable leader for FDE quality, talent development, staffing, and practice standards. Working closely with Artificial Intelligence, engineering, and business stakeholders, the FDE Practice Lead will champion best practices and drive measurable value through AI-enabled transformation initiatives.
What You’ll Be Doing.
- Establish and maintain the FDE competency framework, role definition, and development pathways across McCain.
- Build, coach, mentor, and develop the FDE community through structured feedback, training, and professional development initiatives.
- Lead hiring, talent calibration, workforce planning, and performance management activities for the Yellow-portfolio FDE team.
- Own the allocation and assignment of FDE resources across Yellow business portfolios, aligning talent to business priorities and development objectives.
- Personally lead selected business engagements as a player-coach, providing hands-on guidance and in-flight coaching to FDE team members.
- Partner with Commercial, Marketing, and Manufacturing FDE leaders to build consistency in standards, practices, and outcomes across the broader FDE community.
- Collaborate with AI Platform & Engineering, Knowledge Engineering, AI Deployment & Enablement, and Governance leaders to drive alignment and delivery success.
- Develop and maintain FDE playbooks, engagement models, operating standards, and reusable methodologies that improve efficiency and business outcomes.
- Ensure all FDE-led initiatives adhere to McCain Responsible AI, security, governance, and risk management requirements.
- Represent the FDE practice with senior leadership teams, executive sponsors, and business stakeholders to drive alignment and adoption of AI-enabled solutions.
What You’ll Need To Be Successful.
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related discipline; advanced degree preferred.
- 10+ years of experience managing complex business, customer, or technology engagements.