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Forward Deployed Software Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Job Summary The Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) is a rare hybrid: a strong software engineer who is also excited to sit across the table from the customer. You'll embed directly with government teams ...

About the role Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE) means embedding directly with organizations that rely on us, particularly those pursuing incredibly important missions in healthcare, tech, robotics ...

Forward Deployed Software Engineers (FDSEs) are embedded technical partners to high-stakes enterprise clients. In pharma engagements, they work directly with clinical, medical affairs, and R&D teams ...

Job Summary The Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) is a rare hybrid: a strong software engineer who is also excited to sit across the table from the customer. You'll embed directly with government teams ...

Job Summary The Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) is a rare hybrid: a strong software engineer who is also excited to sit across the table from the customer. You'll embed directly with government teams ...

OR · On-site

$130K - $155K/yr

Forward Deployed Software Engineers (FDSEs) are embedded technical partners to high-stakes enterprise clients. In pharma engagements, they work directly with clinical, medical affairs, and R&D teams ...

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Forward Deployed Software Engineer information

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$63.5K

$147.5K

$205.5K

How much do forward deployed software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 5, 2026, the average yearly pay for forward deployed software engineer in the United States is $147,524.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $120,000.00 and $173,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Forward Deployed Software Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Forward Deployed Software Engineer, you need strong programming skills (often in languages like Java, Python, or C++), problem-solving abilities, and a relevant degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with cloud platforms, data integration tools, and experience with version control systems like Git are typically required, along with industry certifications being a plus. Excellent communication, adaptability, and client-facing skills help you understand and address unique customer needs in dynamic environments. These skills ensure you can deliver effective, tailored software solutions in fast-paced, client-centric roles.

What is the difference between Forward Deployed Software Engineer vs Software Engineer?

AspectForward Deployed Software EngineerSoftware Engineer
Primary FocusCustomer-facing solutions, deployment, and real-world applicationCore software development, coding, and system design
Work EnvironmentOn-site with clients or in dynamic, fast-paced settingsOffice or remote, primarily in development teams
Required SkillsStrong coding, communication, and client interactionDeep technical coding skills, system architecture
Industry UsageTech, consulting, and enterprise solutionsBroadly across tech, finance, healthcare, and more

Forward Deployed Software Engineers focus on deploying software solutions directly with clients, often requiring client interaction and deployment skills. Software Engineers primarily develop and maintain software systems. While both roles require strong coding skills, the FDE role emphasizes deployment, customer engagement, and real-world application, making it more dynamic and client-oriented.

What are Forward Deployed Software Engineers?

Forward Deployed Software Engineers (FDSEs) are software engineers who work directly with clients to understand their business needs and build custom technical solutions. Unlike traditional software engineers, FDSEs are often embedded with clients, sometimes on-site, to ensure that the software they develop aligns closely with client requirements. They act as a bridge between the product development team and the client, solving complex technical challenges in real-world environments. FDSEs need strong technical skills, adaptability, and excellent communication abilities, as their role combines engineering with client-facing responsibilities.

How does a Forward Deployed Software Engineer balance technical development work with client-facing responsibilities?

As a Forward Deployed Software Engineer (FDSE), you often split your time between hands-on coding and directly engaging with client teams to understand their unique needs. This dual focus means you’ll frequently participate in meetings to gather requirements, troubleshoot issues on-site, and explain technical solutions in accessible terms. Successfully balancing these responsibilities requires strong communication skills, adaptability, and the ability to quickly learn new domains. While challenging, this blend of work provides FDSEs with deep exposure to real-world problems and accelerates their professional growth.
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Forward Deployed Software Engineer

PhysicsX

San Francisco, CA • On-site

Full-time

Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 4 days ago


Job description

About us
PhysicsX is a deep-tech company with roots in numerical physics and Formula One, dedicated to accelerating hardware innovation at the speed of software.
We are building an AI-driven simulation software stack for engineering and manufacturing across advanced industries. By enabling high-fidelity, multi-physics simulation through AI inference across the entire engineering lifecycle, PhysicsX unlocks new levels of optimization and automation in design, manufacturing, and operations - empowering engineers to push the boundaries of possibility. Our customers include leading innovators in Aerospace & Defense, Materials, Energy, Semiconductors, and Automotive.
The Role
Your role, first and foremost, is to help our customers solve their most important problems. As a Software Engineer, this takes the form of building and deploying applications that utilize the power of our physics AI models to enable our customers to build better, faster, and cheaper.
As a member of the delivery team, you'll work directly with customers, data scientists, and machine learning engineers to develop applications that change the way advanced engineering is done. We're looking for someone who can grasp advanced engineering concepts across multiple industries, fundamentally understand the problems that engineers face, and build tools to solve these problems.
You'll also have the opportunity to travel to customer sites in North America, Europe, Asia, Oceania, for an average of 3-4 weeks per quarter, where you'll collaborate closely with customers to build solutions on-site.
Who We're Looking For
Technical ability: We work across a wide range of engineering disciplines, all of which are high complexity. Someone with a track record of solving hard problems is a must, a background in Mechanical Engineering or similar is a plus. This role deals with breadth across the full stack, having a solid foundation in software engineering, API design, and deploying applications to production is desired.
Proactivity & high ownership: You'll be responsible for driving impact for our customers, whatever that might look like. We're looking for someone who is a go-getter and is naturally inclined to find problems and solve them end-to-end. You own the responsibility to get things done and will pick up the skills and experience needed to solve novel problems quickly.
Solution-focussed:We build tools that customers need, not just the ones they want. So you must be someone who is customer-obsessed and can work alongside our customers to understand their problems and build applications that change the way they do engineering.
What a day might look like
Collaborate with cross-functional teams: Collaborate with data scientists and machine learning engineers to ship physics models to our customers in a way that delivers maximum value. Work with designers and front-end engineers to shape the UX in line with customer needs.
E2E application design: Work with customers to shape tools that are impactful for their teams. Construct low-lift prototypes of your ideas and ship them directly to the customer. Rapidly iterate on this experience through constant user feedback.
Backend development: Build and maintain RESTful APIs (FastAPI) and microservices in Python to serve Large Physics Models to the end users. Working with other software engineers in our platform team, deploy these applications to the cloud so they become key tools in our customer's day-to-day workflow. We use a mixture of Helm, Kubernetes, Terraform, and AWS/Azure for provisioning and running our infrastructure.
PhysicsX development: Distill down complex solutions built across multiple use cases into fundamental components. Pitch and execute the development of features on top of our core platform offering. Drive the direction of PhysicsX to be better positioned to solve ever harder problems with our customers.
What we offer
Build what actually matters
Help shape an AI-native engineering company at a formative stage, tackling problems that genuinely matter for industry and society. This is work with real-world impact - and something you can be proud to stand behind.
Learn alongside exceptional people
Work with a high-caliber, collaborative team of engineers, scientists, and operators who care deeply about doing great work, and about helping each other get better. We come from diverse backgrounds, but we share a commitment to operating at the highest level and addressing some of the most complex challenges out there. If you're ambitious, thoughtful, and driven by impact, you'll feel at home.
Influence over hierarchy
We operate with a flat structure: good ideas win - wherever they come from. Questioning assumptions and challenging the status quo isn't just welcomed, it's expected.
Sustainable pace, long-term ambition
Building meaningful technology is a marathon, not a sprint. We believe in balancing focused, ambitious work with a life beyond it.
And it doesn't stop there ...
Equity options - share meaningfully in the company you're helping to build.
5% contribution to 401(k) - build long-term security with a strong retirement plan.
Free team lunch 1x/week - good food, great company, and space to connect.
Private health insurance - comprehensive cover for you, offering total peace of mind.
Enhanced parental leave - 3 months full pay paternity and 6 months full pay maternity leave, to provide extra flexibility during the moments that matter most.
20 days of Annual Leave (+ Public Holidays) - because taking time to rest matters.
Personal development - dedicated support for learning, development, and leveling up over time.
Gympass / Wellhub (subsidized) - for you and up to 3 family members, supporting both physical and mental wellbeing.
Flexible Spending Account (FSA) - set aside pre-tax dollars for eligible healthcare expenses.
Watch this space, we're continuing to build this as we grow...
Salary range:
$150,000 - $250,000 depending on experience
Seniority will be assessed as part of the interview process
We value diversity and are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of sex, race, religion, ethnicity, nationality, disability, age, sexual orientation or gender identity. We strongly encourage individuals from groups traditionally underrepresented in tech to apply. To help make a change, we sponsor bright women from disadvantaged backgrounds through their university degrees in science and mathematics.
We collect diversity and inclusion data solely for the purpose of monitoring the effectiveness of our equal opportunities policies and ensuring compliance with UK employment and equality legislation. This information is confidential, used only in aggregate form, and will not influence the outcome of your application.