Head of Forward Deployed Engineering

Head Of Forward Deployed Engineering

Washington, District of Columbia

Onsite

Direct Hire

$215k - $300k

An early-stage defense AI startup building autonomous AI agents for national security and federal mission environments is hiring a Head of Forward Deployed Engineering. You'll lead the team responsible for bringing cutting-edge AI technology into customer environments, partnering closely with users while building scalable solutions using Python, Type Script, modern AI frameworks, cloud infrastructure, Kubernetes, and distributed systems. This is a unique opportunity to build and lead one of the company's most strategic engineering organizations from the ground up.

You'll recruit, mentor, and grow a high-performing team while remaining close to customers solving real-world mission problems. They're looking for someone who has led forward deployed, solutions engineering, or customer-facing engineering teams in fast-moving environments and enjoys operating where technical leadership, product strategy, and customer success intersect. As the company grows, you'll play a major role in shaping both the engineering organization and the future of the product.

• 8+ years of software engineering experience with at least 3+ years in forward-deployed or heavily customer-facing environments
• Experience leading teams
• Strong software development background using Python, Go, Type Script, or similar languages
• Experience building cloud-native applications on AWS or Kubernetes
• Ability to work directly with customers, understand complex operational problems, and translate them into scalable software solutions
• Experience mentoring, and growing engineering teams
• Strong communication skills with executive-level customers and internal leadership
• Startup or high-growth company experience strongly preferred

• Experience supporting defense, intelligence, or federal government customers
• Experience with AI/LLMs, agentic AI systems, or machine learning platforms
• Familiarity with distributed systems and modern infrastructure platforms
• Previous experience at companies such as Palantir, Anduril, Scale AI, OpenAI, or similar mission-driven technology organizations
• Having an active security clearance at TS or above

You will receive the following benefits:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• 401(k)
• Paid Vacation & Holidays
• Equity
• Opportunity to build and lead a critical engineering function at a rapidly growing AI startup

Applicants must be currently eligible for a security clearance.