Founding Forward Deployed Engineer

Why we’re opening this position

Claims handling has been the biggest pain point in insurance for decades. For insurers, the direct and indirect cost runs to 800B every year. For customers, it's the #1 driver of dissatisfaction.

Insurers and brokers alike all agree AI will solve this, but they can't scale it. Nor are the generic AI workflow vendors any match for the messy reality of claims handling. As Warren Buffett put it himself: "insurance always looks easier than it is".

Ellis was founded by insurtech veterans who have built and scaled fully automated AI claims handling. We're now building the leading vertical AI solution for it - designed from the ground up to integrate with systems no API can touch, and to reach human-grade accuracy in weeks instead of years.

Doing this requires building one of the most sophisticated back-office automation products anywhere, where AI autonomy meets the complex reality of insurance claims. It requires redefining what AI engineering can actually do.

Ellis is supported by top tier investors and successful business angels such as the founders of french unicorn Qonto and belgian unicorn Aikido.

The position itself

As a Founding Forward Deployed Engineer, you own the activity everything else depends on: delivery. And it's one of the hardest challenges in our space. How do we compress implementation cycles and ship a product that hits human-grade accuracy and reliability in weeks - when everyone else who has ever tried needed quarters, or years?

On the one hand, this means actually getting deals live:

• During the selling phase, you work with the revenue team to scope the product offer.
• Once the deal is signed, you take over and:
• Build a deep understanding of your client's process
• Design the target solution
• Design the roll-out process
• Integrate with our client's systems of record
• Once you're running in production, you drive the hypercare phase.

Every step of the way, you're:

• Working closely with the engineering team to help them build the features you need.
• In the trenches, working side by side with the founders.
• Using AI to speed up the process - from process mining to automatically detecting the root causes of AI errors.

But on the other hand - and more importantly - it means you're building the foundations of Ellis' business:

• Building our core product, turning your learnings into features and the solutions you've delivered into repeatable offerings: your custom build for today's client should be tomorrow's off-the-shelf product.
• Building a system to accelerate deal delivery by 10x, so Ellis can unlock the next stage of its growth. To get deals live in weeks, you'll work out how we automate large chunks of the process, and create AI agents built to do the heavy lifting. This is arguably even more important than the AI agents that automate claims themselves.
• Shaping the company vision: to your left and to your right, engineering and revenue will rely on your opinion to set their roadmaps.

Who we’re looking for

If you’re excited by now, it's already a good sign.

When it comes to your competencies:

• A technical appetite, whether from your studies or your work experience. You'll be shipping production config code (Python and YAML) - and even if you're using AI to do it, we need you to deeply understand what you're building.
• Exposure to one of the two sides of our business:
• Complex enterprise transformations
• Fast-paced startups
• Bonus points if you've had exposure to the financial services industry, or if you've founded your own business before.

When it comes to your approach to the job:

• A strong sense of ownership, work ethic, and a low-ego mindset: at Ellis, the best idea always wins, not the loudest voice.
• Excitement for open-ended problems without predetermined solutions. You've got all the support you need, but you're the one who makes the magic happen.
• You take your job seriously but not yourself - what's the point of all this if we're not having fun?

What we offer in exchange

Beyond working on one of the most interesting problems in AI automation, alongside an ambitious founding team, we also offer:

• A competitive salary and benefits package.
• Support for your growth - we pay for training, events, etc.
• A flexible remote work policy.

How to apply:

Send your resume at talent@ellisclaims.ai