Forward Deployed Engineer

Forward Deployed Engineer

Location: DC Metro Area
Work Model: On-site with customer (50% travel)
Compensation: $155,000–$225,000 base salary + 30% Bonus + Equity

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About the Client

We are a defense technology company on a mission to modernize how the U.S. military makes acquisition decisions — replacing slow, manual processes with intelligent, software-driven solutions. Our core platform serves Supply Chain, Science and Technology, Production, Sustainment, Logistics, and Modernization teams with AI-powered applications and best-in-class data, enabling teams to more rapidly imagine, develop, and field critical capabilities. Across the national security community and every branch of the armed forces, our tools are trusted to drive faster, more informed acquisition decisions.

About the Role

We are looking for self-motivated, customer-obsessed software engineers to join our Forward Deployed Engineering team. In this role, you will be directly responsible for building differentiated, net-new capabilities — from zero to one — working side by side with customers in the field. You are driven by the urgency of meaningful problems and energized by the opportunity to build something from scratch. You take ownership seriously, value face-to-face collaboration with end users, and are constantly pushing the limits of what software can do.

To excel here, you need to be a relentless problem solver with sharp judgment when it comes to balancing competing priorities and making smart tradeoffs. You thrive in ambiguous environments, prioritize outcomes over process, and stay flexible when circumstances change. Above all, you are focused on delivering real, measurable value to the people you serve.

This is a full-time position based out of Arlington, VA, Pittsburgh, PA, or Remote. Up to 50% travel may be required.

Responsibilities

• Conduct on-site customer visits to identify and deeply understand user pain points
• Contribute to the full software development lifecycle for new features and capabilities
• Iterate rapidly to progressively unlock value for end users
• Write clean, testable, and maintainable code

In a typical week, you might:

• Spend a day on-site with users, listening to their challenges and digging into the underlying pain points
• Partner with product managers and designers to scope, architect, and deliver new product initiatives and prototypes
• Build and ship working, customer-facing prototypes
• Assess and prioritize the most critical gaps in solutions currently under development, using direct user feedback to guide iteration
• Fail fast, learn quickly, and get back to building

Requirements

Must-Haves

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field — or equivalent professional experience
• 1+ years of front-end or back-end software development experience (SQL, Java, and/or TypeScript/React)
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• Strong desire to work in a fast-paced, high-stakes technical environment

Nice-to-Haves

• Active U.S. security clearance, or eligibility and willingness to obtain one with company sponsorship
• Experience in a startup or entrepreneurial setting
• Familiarity with federally accredited software development environments
• Background in a customer-facing or consulting capacity

Why This Role

We believe past performance is the clearest signal of future success. If you're a self-starter who thrives on solving complex problems and wants to make a tangible impact on national security, we'd love to talk.