Salesforce Forward Deployed Engineer

Who we are SMBHD is a Chicago Salesforce consulting firm built for small and mid-market businesses, and we are growing fast: about 30 people, two AppExchange apps, more work booked than people to do it, and deep work in Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Field Service, Experience Cloud, and integrations. We deliver in pods of three to four engineers that own a client engagement end to end. This year we rebuilt delivery around AI. Our engineers direct AI to produce most of the configuration and code, then spend their time where it matters: understanding the client, designing the right solution, and driving adoption. The role Internally we call this role Process Forward Engineer, and PFEs are how we deliver. You run discovery with the client, design the solution, direct the build, run the training, and own the outcome. There is no analyst upstream of you gathering requirements and no developer downstream of you building what you scoped. You do the whole thing, with AI doing the heavy production and an Analyst on your pod picking up the last mile. You work across two to four engagements at a time. Sometimes you are the lead on a project, sometimes you are working alongside a pod teammate on a bigger one. We are hiring at two levels: Process Forward Engineer: you have delivered Salesforce solutions and can own a workstream or a smaller project on your own Senior Process Forward Engineer: you have led multiple implementations from discovery through go-live and can run a strategic engagement, mentor a PFE, and shape how a pod works What you will do Run discovery sessions and workshops with client stakeholders and turn messy business problems into clean, buildable solutions Design and deliver solutions on the platform: Flow, Agentforce, configuration, and code where it earns its place Direct AI to produce the build, then read, test, and own every line of it Design integrations between Salesforce and client systems and own data migrations Deliver training and drive adoption so clients use what you built Demo your own work every week, internally first, then to the client Scope and estimate new work as engagements grow Bring what you learn in the field back into how we deliver Who you are You know Salesforce well: the data model, automation, security, reporting, and where the platform pushes back You can read code and direct someone (or something) to write it. You do not have to be the person typing Apex all day You are as comfortable in front of a VP explaining a design as you are in Setup building it You use AI every day already and you are looking for a firm that takes that seriously You want ownership. Handoffs frustrate you You want to grow with a company, not pass through one What we need from you PFE: 2 to 5 years delivering Salesforce solutions. Senior PFE: 5+ years and you have led implementations end to end Bachelor's degree in computer science, MIS, business, or a related field Hands-on Flow and declarative configuration; working knowledge of Apex and LWC (reading and directing it, not necessarily writing it) Experience leading client-facing discovery and requirements sessions Integration and data migration experience (REST APIs, middleware, data loading) Clear communication with technical and business audiences Based in the Chicago area and able to work from our office Nice to have Salesforce certifications (Admin, App Builder, PD1, cloud certs) Agentforce, Einstein, or other Salesforce AI experience Prompt engineering, agents, or LLM application work Field Service, Experience Cloud, or Revenue Cloud depth Construction, engineering, manufacturing, or professional services clients Benefits Medical, dental, vision, and disability insurance 401(k) with 6% match, no vesting period Flexible schedule Certification support and paid learning time A team that ships, not just advises Our core values Get S*&% Done Be Smart and Ambitious Be Compassionate Towards Everyone Come to Work Positive and Excited Be Collaborative with Sharp Elbows Own It and Make It Great