Forward Deployed Engineer

Location - San Francisco, CA (Hybrid — 4 Days Onsite Preferred)

Compensation - $150,000 – $200,000 Base

Total Compensation (OTE): $250,000 – $350,000+ - Competitive Equity

Visa - Visa status not explicitly restricted (ability to work in the U.S. required)

Company Stage - Seed Stage (~$30M Raised)

Industry - AI, Enterprise Software, Transformation Technology, Applied AI, Business Transformation

About the Company

The company is pioneering a new model for applying frontier AI and software engineering to transform real businesses.

Rather than simply selling software, the company partners deeply with founder-led businesses to design, build, and deploy technology that fundamentally improves operations, decision-making, and long-term enterprise value.

Founded by the former Head of Engineering for Palantir Commercial alongside senior leaders who helped create Palantir's Forward Deployed Engineering model, the company combines elite engineering talent with business transformation expertise.

As one of the earliest Forward Deployed Engineers, you'll work directly with founders, executives, and partner companies to solve complex business problems using AI, software systems, automation, and emerging technologies.

This is a rare opportunity to learn directly from the people who pioneered the modern Forward Deployed Engineering model while helping deploy frontier technology into real operating businesses.

What You'll Do

• Own customer and partner engagements from discovery through deployment
• Work directly with founders, executives, and business leaders to identify high-impact technical opportunities
• Design, build, and deploy AI-powered software systems that solve real business problems
• Develop production applications, workflows, automations, and internal platforms
• Apply LLMs, AI tools, and frontier technologies to operational transformation initiatives
• Translate ambiguous business problems into scalable engineering solutions
• Serve as the bridge between engineering teams and business stakeholders
• Participate in technical discovery, solution architecture, implementation, and rollout
• Help shape product strategy and long-term technology direction across partner organizations
• Collaborate closely with leadership on transformation initiatives beyond pure software engineering
• Travel to customer sites when needed to support deployments and strategic initiatives
• Continuously evaluate emerging technologies and apply them where they create measurable business value

Ideal Candidate Background

Experience Requirements

• 1.5–5 years of experience in Forward Deployed Engineering, Full-Stack Software Engineering, or customer-facing engineering roles
• Experience building and deploying production software into real business environments
• Experience working at startups or in highly ambiguous engineering environments preferred
• Experience delivering AI, automation, workflow, or operational software solutions
• Experience working directly with customers, executives, or cross-functional stakeholders preferred
• Founding Engineer, early startup engineer, or technical leadership experience is highly valued
• Demonstrated ownership from problem definition through production deployment
• Interest in business strategy, investing, or value creation is a strong plus

Technical Requirements

• Strong proficiency in at least one major programming language (Python, TypeScript, Java, C, or similar)
• Hands-on experience building software products used in production
• Experience with AI, LLMs, generative AI tools, or modern developer AI workflows
• Strong software engineering fundamentals across backend or full-stack development
• Experience designing technical solutions for ambiguous business problems
• Familiarity with cloud infrastructure and modern software deployment practices
• Strong debugging, systems thinking, and architectural reasoning skills
• Ability to quickly learn new technologies as the AI landscape evolves
• Experience with automation, APIs, integrations, or workflow systems preferred
• Ability to balance engineering quality with rapid execution

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or another technical discipline preferred
• Strong academic background from a highly regarded engineering program is a plus

Soft Skills

• Excellent communication with both technical and business stakeholders
• High ownership mentality
• Exceptional curiosity beyond pure software engineering
• Strong business judgment
• Comfortable operating with ambiguity
• Empathetic and collaborative working style
• Ability to influence technical and non-technical audiences
• Startup mindset with a bias toward execution
• Passion for solving meaningful business problems using technology

Preferred Backgrounds

• Forward Deployed Engineering teams
• Early-stage startups
• Founding Engineer roles
• Full-stack product engineering
• AI application engineering
• Enterprise software companies
• Technical consulting with strong engineering depth
• Developer tools startups
• AI infrastructure startups
• Engineers with exposure to business strategy or investing

Compensation & Benefits

• Base Salary: $150,000 – $200,000
• Annual Bonus: Approximately $100,000 – $150,000
• Total Compensation: $250,000 – $350,000+
• Competitive Early Equity Package
• Direct Mentorship from Founders of the Modern FDE Model
• Opportunity to Work Across Multiple Businesses and Industries
• High Ownership and Strategic Influence
• Hybrid Work Environment (San Francisco)
• Opportunity to Help Build a Category-Defining Company
• Rapid Career Growth and Leadership Opportunities

Why Join

This is an opportunity to work alongside the engineers who pioneered Forward Deployed Engineering while applying frontier AI and software engineering to transform real businesses.

You'll own projects from strategy through implementation, working directly with executives and founders while deploying AI systems, automation platforms, and production software that create measurable business outcomes.

Rather than being limited to implementation, you'll participate in technical architecture, customer strategy, business transformation, and long-term value creation while learning from one of the strongest teams in enterprise software.