Forward Deployed Engineer - USG

Location: Arlington, VA
Work Model: Hybrid
Compensation: $180,000 to $250,000 base + equity

Overview

A fast-growing technology company operating in the national security space is adding a Forward Deployed Engineer to support complex U.S. government programs. The role sits at the intersection of software development, deployment, and direct customer engagement, with the engineer owning problems from first requirements conversation through fielded solution and ongoing support.

This is a hands-on position with significant autonomy. Individual engineers carry substantial ownership, work on technically difficult problems in real operational environments, and have direct influence on both customer outcomes and the direction of the underlying platform. Work feeds back into the core product, so what gets built in the field shapes what the engineering organization builds next.

The environment is fast-moving and highly technical. Requirements evolve quickly, ambiguity is normal, and the engineers who do well here are the ones who treat that as the interesting part of the job.

What You'll Do

• Own technical projects end-to-end, from initial requirements through deployment and sustained support.
• Build production-quality software, integrations, and internal tooling.
• Work directly with government customers to understand complex technical requirements and turn them into working solutions.
• Prototype and test new capabilities in real-world operational environments.
• Troubleshoot hard software, systems, and infrastructure problems under time pressure.
• Partner closely with product and engineering teams to improve the platform based on field experience.
• Operate independently where requirements are ambiguous or changing.

What We're Looking For

• 2+ years of software engineering or comparably hands-on technical experience.
• Strong programming and software engineering fundamentals.
• Broad technical range across software, systems, infrastructure, and debugging.
• Demonstrated ability to pick up unfamiliar technologies quickly and solve loosely defined problems.
• Strong communication skills and comfort working face-to-face with customers.
• High ownership, sound technical judgment, and resourcefulness.
• U.S. citizenship (required).
• Ability to obtain a Top Secret security clearance (required).
• Willingness to travel as needed.

Preferred

• Active TS or TS/SCI clearance.
• Prior forward-deployed, deployment, or customer-facing engineering experience.
• Experience in a startup or high-growth technology environment.
• Experience supporting government customers or similarly complex technical environments.

Compensation

$180,000 to $250,000 base salary plus equity, depending on experience and qualifications. Competitive benefits are provided.