Forward Deployed Engineer

About Sand

Sand Technologies is a global Physical AI company using data and AI to make critical industries work better. We partner with governments, cities and enterprises to improve how essential systems operate across healthcare, water, energy, telecommunications and infrastructure.

Our work delivers proven real-world impact. We have built AI systems that help manage London’s water supply, supported telecom network planning across hundreds of cities, and developed digital healthcare platforms serving tens of millions of people across Africa. From intelligent command centers to AI-powered infrastructure platforms, we help organizations sense, analyze and act in complex environments.

Our people are ambitious, curious and relentlessly practical. Our teams work alongside clients in the field, solving hard problems and deploying solutions that last. With colleagues across Africa, Europe, the UK and the US, we operate across the full stack - from research and engineering to deployment and capability building.

Our mission is simple: to harness AI to solve humanity’s most pressing challenges.

About the role

Sand is expanding across Africa and beyond, partnering with governments and public sector officials to deliver transformative AI and data solutions. Our flagship healthcare initiative - the Health Operating System (HOS) - is already live. In Rwanda, hundreds of clinics have already been digitized, transforming rural facilities into next-generation health centers that are redefining care in Africa. Sand’s groundbreaking HOS data products, and clinical systems to drive better outcomes - from maternal health to chronic disease management - are already reaching more than 1 million patients. Designed for digital empowerment, the HOS equips thousands of frontline health workers with the tools and support they need to magnify their impact and strengthen community health.

Now, we are scaling rapidly. By the end of 2025, our HOS will be operational in 10 countries, and by 2026, we plan to expand even further across the continent. This is not an idea - it’s already happening, and the momentum is accelerating. But healthcare is only one example; Sand is growing in various industries, namely water, energy, and telecommunications.

As an in-country Forward Deployed Engineer, you will be responsible for the end-to-end deployment, integration, and performance of Sand’s technology systems across healthcare, water, energy, or telecommunications. This includes ensuring seamless data capture, exchange, and governance between government systems and Sand’s platforms.

This role is both strategic and hands-on - requiring a strong technical foundation, excellent problem-solving skills, and the ability to translate system performance into real-world healthcare impact. Beyond deployment, you will play a key role in engaging with ministries and IT teams to ensure access to systems, alignment on data-sharing agreements, and adherence to national data standards. Your understanding of data management processes - from data capture workflows to interoperability and quality assurance - will be crucial to enabling reliable reporting, analytics, and decision-making at national scale.

Specific Responsibilities

• System Deployment: Hands-on technical implementation and rollout of Sand’s solutions in-country.
• Integration Management: Ensure interoperability with existing systems and technologies.
• Technical Leadership: Build and mentor local technical teams to manage and maintain Sand’s platforms.
• Data Partnership Facilitation: Act as the primary technical counterpart to secure system access, enable data capture and sharing, and establish sustainable governance frameworks.
• Data Awareness: Flag any anomalies or risks to the central engineering and data teams for resolution
• Quality Assurance: Monitor and troubleshoot technical issues, ensuring uptime and reliability.
• Collaboration: Work closely with the engagement, product, solutions and engineering teams and government counterparts to align technical requirements with implementation needs.

Requirements - Essential

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related technical field.
• 5+ years’ experience in system deployment, IT project management, or technical leadership.
• Strong knowledge of system integration, networking, and troubleshooting.
• Awareness of data management principles - able to identify data capture issues, understand data flows, and escalate concerns appropriately.
• Experience engaging with ministries or public-sector teams to coordinate system access, data-sharing agreements, and integration requirements.
• Proven experience leading local technical teams and capacity-building efforts.
• Excellent problem-solving, communication, and documentation skills.
• Language: Fluent in French with professional working ability in English (for French-speaking countries).

Requirements - Additional

• Experience in health informatics or digital health projects.
• Familiarity with open-source health platforms (e.g., DHIS2, OpenMRS).
• Comfort working with data dictionaries, reporting requirements, and identifying common data quality issues during deployment.
• Knowledge of data security, privacy, and interoperability standards in healthcare.
• Advanced degree or certifications in technical leadership or systems engineering.

Work Environment

This is a hybrid role with significant in-person requirements. While some responsibilities can be performed remotely, the role demands regular presence on the ground to build relationships, oversee implementation, and liaise with local stakeholders. At the same time, given the high degree of virtual collaboration with colleagues and partners across multiple geographies, the successful candidate must be highly self-driven, comfortable working in small in-person teams while contributing to larger efforts virtually, and disciplined in using online collaboration tools and video conferencing to maintain constant communication.