Salesforce

Forward Deployed Engineering Lead - Data Science & Integration

Salesforce$172K — $260K *
Aerospace & Defense
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 8+ years of hands-on experience delivering scalable production solutions, preferably in customer-facing roles.
  • Strong background in Computer Science, Data Science, or related engineering fields.
  • Expertise in programming languages such as Python, Java, and SQL.
  • Proven experience building and deploying AI/ML solutions, including MLOps pipelines and model development.
  • Demonstrated experience with enterprise integration platforms like MuleSoft Anypoint Platform or comparable tools.
  • Deep expertise in data modeling and analytics using platforms like Snowflake or Databricks.
  • Exceptional communication skills to convey complex concepts to diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities

  • Serve as the technical lead in high-profile customer engagements, designing and deploying tailored solutions.
  • Architect and implement API-led integration solutions using advanced platforms like MuleSoft.
  • Design workflow automation solutions using orchestration tools to enhance operational processes.
  • Integrate AI/ML models and custom pipelines to support logistics and mission-critical decisions.
  • Collaborate with customer IT teams to expedite compliance and production readiness under DoD regulations.
  • Partner with internal teams to develop integration patterns informed by direct customer feedback.
  • Mentor junior team members and contribute to shared engineering resources.

Benefits

  • Opportunity to impact national security through advanced data solutions.
  • Work closely with mission owners in high-stakes environments.
  • Access to cutting-edge technology and tools.
  • Collaborative work culture that encourages innovation and feedback.
  • Position involves significant field experience with hands-on implementation.
Full Job Description

To get the best candidate experience, please consider applying for a maximum of 3 roles within 12 months to ensure you are not duplicating efforts.

Job Category

Software Engineering

Job Details

*Must be a U.S. citizen (U.S. born or naturalized) living on U.S. soil who does not hold dual citizenship with the ability to meet customer and government screening standards applicable to this role.**

**Candidates interested in the Hawaii location must be based in Oahu or DC, Northern VA, WMATA.**


**PLEASE NOTE: Qualification for this job is contingent upon acceptable results from a background investigation as well as your having and maintaining the specific level of U.S. government background investigation and clearance required for this role.**

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About the Role

We believe technology should serve the greater good—powering mission outcomes, stewarding taxpayer resources, and enabling innovation at speed and scale. We are seeking a highly accomplished and senior-level Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) to join our elite Public Sector team. This is a unique and high-impact position, blending the roles of a hands-on data scientist, integration architect, and strategic partner embedded directly with customers.

In this role, you will be the primary driver for bringing cutting-edge data science pipelines, intelligent automation, and enterprise integration solutions to life for mission-critical work across the U.S. Department of Defense, Intelligence Community (IC), and Aerospace & Allied Nations.

This role demands a seasoned technologist who thrives working forward-deployed at customer sites, building bespoke solutions leveraging enterprise workflow orchestration platforms such as Regrello and API-led connectivity platforms such as MuleSoft, while also designing and delivering advanced AI/ML systems. Candidates with equivalent experience in comparable platforms are strongly encouraged to apply; direct experience with these specific tools is a plus. You will work directly with mission owners and internal teams—from initial concept through deployment and ongoing optimization—to solve the most complex data and integration challenges in national security environments.

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Mission Impact

- Deploy Cutting-Edge Data Science & Integration Innovation—from API-led integration ecosystems to orchestrated operational workflows to advanced ML pipelines—directly at customer sites in defense, intelligence, and aerospace environments, accelerating mission transformation. Experience with platforms such as MuleSoft and Regrello, or comparable tools, is leveraged to deliver these outcomes.

-Become a Trusted Partner Embedded with Mission Owners, working in classified and unclassified environments to deeply understand operational challenges and translate them into end-to-end data science and integration solutions using best-fit tooling.

- Drive Innovation at the Front Lines by serving as the connective bridge between customer missions and internal engineering teams, gathering frontline feedback to help co-design integration patterns, workflow templates, and data science capabilities that strengthen national security outcomes.

- Improve Efficiency, Mission-Readiness, and Trust by helping the U.S. and allied governments deploy integrated data technology stacks that deliver faster response times, better personnel utilization, and more effective logistics and asset management.

- Drive Tangible Outcomes through Hands-On Implementation, taking responsibility for end-to-end technical delivery of complex data pipelines, integration flows, and predictive models—personally writing critical code, configuring systems, and troubleshooting issues in the field while guiding junior team members.

- Build Transformative Data Science Solutions by taking primary ownership of designing, developing, and implementing high-quality, scalable production ML and analytics systems, including predictive models, intelligent automation pipelines, and LLM-augmented workflows.

-Engineer Bespoke Integration Architectures, designing and building custom API-led integrations using enterprise integration platforms—such as MuleSoft Anypoint Platform or equivalent middleware solutions—to ensure seamless connectivity across enterprise data sources, operational systems, and cloud environments in highly regulated settings. Demonstrated experience with comparable iPaaS or API management platforms (e.g., Dell Boomi, Azure API Management, Apigee, AWS API Gateway) is strongly considered; direct MuleSoft experience is a plus.

- Orchestrate Complex Workflows, leveraging modern workflow automation and process orchestration platforms—such as Regrello or equivalent solutions—to model, automate, and optimize multi-stakeholder operational processes in manufacturing, logistics, supply chain, and mission operations contexts. Candidates with hands-on experience in comparable platforms (e.g., Temporal, Prefect, Apache Airflow, ServiceNow) are strongly encouraged to apply; direct Regrello experience is a plus.

- Own the Entire Data Lifecycle- on-site with customers—from strategic data modeling to hands-on ETL/ELT pipeline construction, feature engineering, and integration strategy—ensuring data is always ready, optimized, and secure for advanced analytics and AI applications.

- Lead Rapid Prototyping and Iteration, developing proofs-of-concept and MVPs side-by-side with customer teams to demonstrate data science and integration capabilities and set the pace for rapid, mission-aligned delivery.

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Mission Responsibilities

- Serve as the forward-deployed technical lead on high-profile customer engagements—designing, building, and deploying tailored data science and integration solutions for defense, intelligence, and aerospace missions on-site.

- Architect and implement enterprise integration solutions—using platforms such as MuleSoft Anypoint Platform or equivalent iPaaS tooling—including API design, development, and management across REST, SOAP, and event-driven integration patterns within secure customer environments.

- Design and deploy workflow automation solutions—leveraging platforms such as Regrello or equivalent orchestration tooling—to model complex operational processes, coordinate cross-functional teams, and surface data-driven insights at key mission decision points.

- Lead integration of AI/ML models, custom data pipelines, and automation flows that enable predictive maintenance, personnel planning, and mission-critical logistics decisions.

- Work with customer IT and security teams to accelerate Authority to Operate (ATO) and production go-lives per DoD IL5/IL6 and applicable regulatory frameworks.

- Partner with internal product and engineering teams to co-develop integration patterns and data science capabilities informed by frontline customer feedback.

- Enable customers to adopt modern data platforms and integration middleware for field operations, asset visibility, command center analytics, and secure operational workflows.

- Mentor junior FDEs and share lessons learned with the broader engineering community to shape playbooks, integration templates, and reusable data science assets for government innovation.

- Translate mission priorities into actionable data and integration roadmaps aligned with agency strategy, presenting findings and recommendations to senior stakeholders.

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What We're Looking For

We're looking for a builder, a problem solver, and a mission-first leader who thrives in forward-deployed environments. The ideal candidate brings:

- 8+ years of experience in a hands-on, end-to-end delivery role for high-quality, scalable production solutions, ideally in customer-facing or field-deployed settings.

- Strong background in Computer Science, Data Science, or a related engineering discipline.

- Expert-level proficiency in one or more programming languages (e.g., Python, Java, SQL).

- Extensive hands-on experience building and deploying AI/ML solutions, including model development, MLOps pipelines, LLM integration, prompt engineering, and agentic frameworks (e.g., LangChain, LlamaIndex).

- Demonstrated expertise in enterprise integration platforms and API-led connectivity design, with experience in tools such as MuleSoft Anypoint Platform, Dell Boomi, Apigee, Azure API Management, or equivalent; direct MuleSoft experience is a plus.

- Demonstrated expertise in workflow orchestration and process automation platforms, with experience in tools such as Regrello, Temporal, Prefect, Apache Airflow, or equivalent; direct Regrello experience is a plus.

- Deep expertise in data modeling, processing, and analytics with demonstrable proficiency in enterprise data platforms (e.g., Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery, Redshift).

- A "get-things-done" attitude with a proven ability to deliver fast and impactfully in ambiguous, customer-site environments.

- Exceptional communication and presentation skills—able to articulate complex data science and integration concepts to both technical and non-technical mission stakeholders.

- Proven ability to lead technical engagements, mentor junior FDEs, and own technical delivery end-to-end.

- **Ability to travel 50-75% of the time to customer sites, including classified facilities.**

- **Must be a U.S. citizen (U.S. born or naturalized) living on U.S. soil who does not hold dual citizenship.**

- **Eligible for and willing to obtain a U.S. Security Clearance.**


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Preferred Qualifications

- Prior experience in a forward-deployed, field engineer, or embedded technical advisor role with direct customer engagement.

- Experience supporting U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), Intelligence Community (IC), or Federal Civilian agencies.

- Background in defense, aerospace, or military logistics operations.

- Familiarity with IL5/IL6/CNSS #1253 requirements or deployment to classified environments.

- Direct hands-on experience with MuleSoft Anypoint Platform, including advanced DataWeave and Runtime Fabric deployments.

- Direct hands-on experience with Regrello for operational workflow orchestration in manufacturing, supply chain, or logistics domains.

- Expert-level Python and/or Java proficiency in a professional data science or integration engineering setting.

- Experience developing and deploying LLM-augmented solutions within highly regulated or classified industries.

- Relevant platform certifications such as:
- MuleSoft Certified Developer / Architect
- Databricks Certified Associate/Professional
- AWS/GCP/Azure Data or ML Engineer certifications
- Data Science and Analysis Certifications or relevant experience

- Experience with event-driven architectures, messaging systems (e.g., Kafka, RabbitMQ), and streaming data pipelines.

- Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, containerization (Docker/Kubernetes), and DevSecOps practices in regulated environments.

This position requires a USA TS/SCI security access level.

About Salesforce

ExactTarget is a provider of on-demand email marketing software solutions. Their suite of on-demand one-to-one marketing applications enables clients to send business-critical and event-triggered communications to increase sales, optimize marketing investments, and strengthen customer relationships. They offer four editions of their on-demand software application along with integrated solutions such as ExactTarget for AppExchange and ExactTarget for [Microsoft](/organization/Microsoft) Dynamics CRM.

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