Forward Deployed Engineer

Raydar

$180K — $250K *
Aerospace & Defense
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 4 to 7 years of experience as a software engineer or Forward Deployed Engineer.
  • Strong engineering fundamentals and fluency in Python for production code.
  • Proficiency with Linux, shell scripting, and hands-on debugging.
  • Experience with end-to-end deployment in client-facing or internal settings.
  • Familiarity with unstructured environments and technical work in the field.
  • Track record of success in high-performance engineering organizations, preferably startups or defense tech companies.
  • Excellent communication, judgment, and ability to work independently.

Responsibilities

  • Build production features and enhance agent capabilities alongside the core engineering team.
  • Deploy and manage agentic AI systems in sensitive government and defense environments.
  • Own integrations, infrastructure, and technical relationships with customers.
  • Rapidly prototype solutions and adapt to ambiguous operational conditions.
  • Transform field-driven requirements into effective product enhancements.
  • Maintain infrastructure across diverse hardware and security settings.
  • Travel periodically to federal customer sites, mainly in the Washington, D.C. area.

Benefits

  • Relocation support available.
  • Opportunity for direct involvement in mission-critical projects and product development.
  • Join a small, high-caliber team in an early-stage company.
Full Job Description
This Forward Deployed Engineer is a core engineer at the point of contact with high-consequence customers. You will write production code, extend the platform, and personally deploy agentic AI systems into sensitive government environments. You will own the full arc from scoping and integration through live operation and customer trust.

What you'll do
• Build production features and extend agent capabilities with the core engineering team.
• Deploy and operate agentic AI systems in government and defense environments.
• Own integrations, infrastructure, live operation, troubleshooting, and technical customer relationships.
• Build rapid prototypes and field-expedient solutions under ambiguous conditions.
• Turn field requirements and edge cases into durable product improvements.
• Maintain infrastructure across varied hardware, networking, and security environments.
• Travel periodically to federal customer sites, primarily in the Washington, D.C. and DMV area.

Requirements
• 4 to 7 years of experience as a software engineer or Forward Deployed Engineer.
• Strong engineering fundamentals and production Python fluency.
• Comfort with Linux, shell scripting, integrations, infrastructure, and hands-on debugging.
• Experience owning a deployment end to end in a client-facing or internal environment.
• Experience doing technical work in an unstructured, customer-facing, or field environment.
• Success in a high-bar engineering organization, ideally a venture-backed startup or leading defense-technology company.
• Strong communication, judgment, urgency, and independent execution.
• U.S. citizenship and eligibility to obtain a security clearance. An active clearance is strongly preferred.
• Ability to work five days per week in the New York City office and travel periodically to federal customers.

Benefits
• $180,000 to $250,000 base salary.
• 0.30% to 0.48% equity.
• Relocation support is available.
• Direct ownership of mission-critical deployments and core product development.
• Opportunity to join a small, high-caliber team at an early stage.

This role cannot sponsor visas. Candidates must be U.S. citizens and eligible to obtain a security clearance.

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