Freedom Mortgage

Forward Deployed Engineer - Fast Track

Freedom Mortgage$70K — $95K *
Technical Services
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Recent graduate in Computer Science, Data Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, Mathematics, or related field.
  • Proficient in Python for programming, data manipulation, and API interactions.
  • Working knowledge of SQL for querying datasets at scale.
  • Analytical mindset capable of breaking down complex problems and making structured cases for solutions.
  • High degree of intellectual curiosity and the ability to ask insightful questions.
  • Strong communication skills for technical and non-technical audiences.
  • Comfortable navigating ambiguity and undefined work environments.
  • Ability to commute to and work from Philadelphia three days a week.

Responsibilities

  • Collaborate on real client projects with senior FDEs, managing defined scopes.
  • Construct data pipelines and automation workflows using Foundry's tools.
  • Wrangle complex financial service datasets for usability in Palantir.
  • Develop proficiency in technical tools like Pipeline Builder and Ontology Manager.
  • Engage in architecture discussions, contributing valuable fresh perspectives.
  • Learn and apply AI-driven workflows to understand their business impact.
  • Participate in Moder Academy and provide constructive feedback for program improvements.

Benefits

  • Ownership of real projects from the start, with personal accountability.
  • Customized training through Moder Academy, directly shaped by participant feedback.
  • Dedicated mentorship from experienced FDEs with structured one-on-one sessions.
  • Hybrid work model with three days in-office for community building.
  • Clear career trajectory with promotions based on performance, not tenure.
  • Opportunity to influence the development of the FDE program as part of the first cohort.
Full Job Description

THE OPPORTUNITY

Moder is building its first cohort of Forward Deployment Engineers and we are doing it intentionally, carefully, and with you at the center of the design. The FDE Fast Track Program is a full-time, structured launch pad for recent graduates who want to do more than start a career. We are looking for people who want to help build one. Candidates in this Cohort will be the first people to go through “Foundry Academy”, the first to deploy on live client engagements, the first to stress-test our training curriculum, and the first to tell us what works and what doesn't. Your feedback will directly shape how Moder trains, develops, and grows FDEs for years to come. That is not a responsibility we take lightly and it is not an opportunity that comes around often. This program is for engineers who are technically sharp and genuinely curious about how AI gets deployed in the real world, not in demos, but inside financial institutions with messy data, legacy systems, and high stakes. If you want to understand how AI changes how a business operates, this is where that learning happens.

You will not be an observer. You are a contributor. From week one, you will be working on real problems, inside real platforms, alongside experienced engineers who are counting on your thinking, not just your output.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

You will work across three interconnected areas simultaneously. These are not phases, they happen together, from the beginning.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities:

Technical Delivery & Platform Engineering

  • Work on active Palantir Foundry deployments alongside senior FDEs, owning defined scopes within real client engagements — not sandbox projects.

  • Build data pipelines, ontology structures, and workflow automations in Foundry's Pipeline Builder and Workshop — moving from supported execution to independent delivery as your confidence builds.

  • Wrangle real, complex financial services datasets: cleaning, transforming, integrating, and making them usable inside Palantir's ontology layer. The data will not be clean. That is the point.

  • Develop hands-on proficiency in Foundry's core tools: Pipeline Builder, Workshop, Ontology Manager, Code Repositories, and AIP.

  • Contribute to architecture and technical design discussions — your perspective as someone newer to the platform is genuinely valuable, not just tolerated.

  • Build working familiarity with AI and LLM-driven workflows through Palantir AIP, understanding where AI adds real operational value and where it doesn't.

Client Engagement & Collaboration

  • Participate in client-facing sessions — discovery meetings, technical reviews, status updates — alongside senior FDEs, learning and contributing from the first month.

  • Support training and handoff sessions for client teams, helping communicate what has been built and why it works the way it does.

  • Develop the ability to translate technical realities into business language across a range of audiences, from data analysts to C-suite executives.

  • Represent Moder in-person at client locations when travel is required, carrying the kind of credibility that comes from actually knowing the work.

Program Development & Field Intelligence

  • Participate actively in Moder Academy — our structured onboarding covering the mortgage lifecycle, insurance operations, Palantir Foundry, and client engagement frameworks — and tell us honestly what is missing or unclear.

  • Maintain a structured learning log throughout the program, capturing client patterns, platform observations, and deployment insights that feed directly back to Moder's product and training teams.

  • Complete a capstone project — a client-facing workflow or internal accelerator that you own end-to-end — and present it to Moder leadership at the close of your program.

  • Provide formal feedback at structured checkpoints that will be used to improve the program for Cohort 2. Your candor is valued, not just encouraged.

Other Job Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Performs other related duties as assigned.

  • Comply with all company policies and procedures.

  • Maintain regular and punctual attendance.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We are not looking for the most experienced candidate. We are looking for the most curious candidates, with the technical foundation to do real work and the disposition to thrive in environments that are still being defined.

Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Required

  • Recent graduate (undergraduate or graduate) with a degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, Mathematics, or a related technical field.

  • Programming ability in Python — you write it independently, not just read it. Data manipulation, API calls, scripting, and a working understanding of how data moves between systems.

  • Working SQL proficiency for querying and exploring datasets; comfort working with structured data at meaningful scale.

  • A highly analytical mindset: you break problems down, find the data that matters, and build a structured case for what to do — rather than waiting for direction.

  • High degree of intellectual curiosity and inquisitiveness — you ask questions others skip past, investigate the edges of problems, and are never fully satisfied with 'it works.'

  • Clear communication in writing and in conversation, to both technical and non-technical audiences. We will assess this directly in the interview process.

  • Comfort with ambiguity and open-ended environments where what you need to do is discovered through engagement, not handed down in a spec.

  • Ability to commute to and work from Philadelphia at least three days per week.

Preferred

  • Coursework, projects, or research involving data engineering, machine learning, enterprise data platforms, or applied AI. Foundry experience is rare at this level — curiosity and technical aptitude matter far more.

  • Any exposure to AI/ML concepts including LLMs, retrieval-augmented generation, or agentic systems — enough to understand why they matter in an enterprise context.

  • Prior experience in a client-facing, consulting, or applied research capacity — you have translated between technical work and a non-technical audience before.

  • Background or coursework in financial services, mortgage, insurance, or a regulated industry. You do not need to be an expert — an informed curiosity is enough.

  • Familiarity with cloud environments (AWS, Azure, or GCP) at any level.

WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU

We know you have options. Here is why you should choose Moder:

Ownership from Day One

You will not spend your first months observing. You will be given defined ownership over real scopes within live client engagements. When something ships, your name is on it.

Training That Is Actually Designed Around You

Moder Academy is a comprehensive onboarding program covering the mortgage and insurance lifecycle, Palantir Foundry platform certification, and Moder's client engagement framework. As a Cohort 1, you also get to improve it. If something is missing or unclear, we want to know — and we will fix it.

A Mentor Who Is Actually Invested

Every candidate is paired with a dedicated senior FDE from day one. Weekly 1:1s, structured feedback, and real mentorship — not a name on an org chart. Your mentor's goal is to help you get to Associate FDE, and their success is tied to yours.

Philadelphia Presence — Built-In Community

The hybrid model is not a compromise — it is a feature. Three days in the office means you are in the same room as the team, learning through proximity, building relationships that remote work cannot replicate. Philadelphia is also a growing hub for financial services technology, and being embedded in that environment matters for your career.

A Career Path With No Guesswork

The program is an explicit entry point to the FDE track. Strong performance converts directly to an Associate FDE offer. The path after that is written down, not implied: Associate FDE → FDE → Senior FDE → Principal FDE. Your advancement is tied to what you deliver, not how long you wait.

The Chance to Shape What Comes Next

Cohort 1 will have more influence over Moder's FDE program than any group that follows. The playbooks you help build, the feedback you provide, and the standards you set will define what Moder looks for and how it develops engineers for years. That is a real legacy.

ABOUT THE FDE FAST TRACK PROGRAM & CAREER PATH

The FDE Fast Track Program is not a trial period — it is the beginning of a career track. Candidates in Cohort 1, who perform will receive Associate FDE offers. The track beyond that is clear and merit-based.

The full path:

FDE →  Associate FDE  →  FDE  →  Senior FDE  →  Principal FDE

Advancement is tied to client outcomes, technical depth, and the quality of insight you bring back to Moder's product and training teams — not to time in seat. The best FDEs at Moder shape what we build next.

Work Complexity:

Addresses problems that are not immediately evident but typically not complex. Problems are typically within the immediate job area. Problems are typically solved through drawing from standard procedures and basic analysis.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Work is normally performed in a typical interior office work environment which does not subject the employee to any hazardous or unpleasant elements. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Job Responsibilities:

The statements reflect the general duties and responsibilities considered necessary to perform the essential functions of the job and should not be considered as an all-inclusive list of all the work requirements of the position. The company may change the specific job duties with or without prior notice based on the needs of the organization.

#LI-BM1

About Freedom Mortgage

Freedom Mortgage Corporation is a privately held, full-service mortgage lender that provides loans to clients nationwide. The company was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. Freedom Mortgage offers a wide range of mortgage products, including conventional, FHA, VA, and USDA loans. The company is committed to providing exceptional customer service and has received numerous awards for its efforts. Freedom Mortgage is also dedicated to giving back to the community and supports a variety of charitable organizations.
Learn more about Freedom Mortgage
Size
10,000 employees
Industry
Founded
1990

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