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Forward deployed engineers for energy and utilities

Industries / Energy

Utilities and energy companies hold a long record of asset, outage and field data, under some of the strictest cybersecurity rules in any industry. Forward deployed engineers for energy build inside those rules and get one system into use. You tell us who you need, and we send people who fit.

  • No deposit to get started
  • Every requirement read by us
  • A best-fit shortlist, not a pile of CVs
  • One agreement, one invoice

Why utilities use FDEs

Old assets, strict rules and a lot of paper

Utility AI work often starts with documents and records. Inspection reports, work orders, interconnection applications, regulatory filings and asset histories. They are spread across systems bought at different times.

A forward deployed engineer works with operations, field crews and the compliance team to put that information to use. Anything near the bulk electric system or OT networks stays inside the security boundaries that already exist.

Tell us the role and the hours. We send you a shortlist of people who fit.

  • No deposit to get started
  • Every requirement read by us
  • A best-fit shortlist, not a pile of CVs
  • One agreement, one invoice
Send your requirement

What FDEs fix

Energy work an FDE can own

  • Interconnection and permitting queues Checking applications for completeness, extracting technical data and drafting responses. Engineers spend time on studies, not paperwork.
  • Asset and inspection records Structuring inspection reports, drone notes and field notes into asset histories that planners can search and prioritise.
  • Field crew knowledge Search across procedures, manuals and past work orders, available to crews in the field, with sources attached.
  • Compliance evidence Collecting and organising evidence for audits, so compliance staff are not hunting through shared drives each cycle.

Hiring forward deployed engineers for energy

  1. 01

    Say how close it sits to OT

    Name the system, its owner and how close it sits to operational technology. Corporate IT, OT and anything inside a CIP boundary each change the plan. Sending your requirement is free.

  2. 02

    We read every requirement

    We read it ourselves and ask if something is unclear, such as personnel risk assessments or training you require. Then we look through the senior people who have applied to us, and our own contacts.

  3. 03

    You get a shortlist

    Each person on it has a CV and a short note on why they fit your requirement.

  4. 04

    You choose

    Talk to whoever you like. You do not have to hire anyone. You pay only when someone starts. The terms are agreed in writing first.

Energy rules to plan around

RuleWhat it means for the build
NERC CIP standardsNERC's Critical Infrastructure Protection standards are FERC-approved reliability standards. Users, owners and operators of the bulk power system must comply. Systems and people that touch BES Cyber Systems fall under access, training and change control requirements.
OT security guidanceNIST's guide to operational technology security gives IT, OT and the engineer a shared language.
Read before writeNew tools read from operational data. Anything that could influence grid operations goes through your engineering and operations approval process.
Public utility commissionsRegulated utilities may need to explain technology spending and decisions to their commission. Clear documentation helps.

Consultancy vs a forward deployed engineer

Utility consultancy

  • Strong on strategy, rates and regulatory filings
  • Large teams and long programmes
  • Implementation often subcontracted
  • Deliverable is a plan or a report

Forward deployed engineer

  • One engineer writing and deploying the code
  • Works with crews, planners and security directly
  • Focused on one system and a definition of live
  • Hands over a running system and its docs

For companies

Tell us who you need.

Send your requirement. It is free and there is no deposit. We read it ourselves and send you a shortlist of people who fit. You pay only when someone starts.

  • No deposit to get started
  • Every requirement read by us
  • A best-fit shortlist, not a pile of CVs
  • One agreement, one invoice
Get started

Tell us what you need.

Send your requirement. We send you a shortlist of senior leaders who fit. One agreement and one invoice, with the terms agreed in writing before anything starts.

  • No deposit to get started
  • Every requirement read by us
  • A best-fit shortlist, not a pile of CVs
  • One agreement, one invoice
Which side are you on?

Send your requirement

  • No deposit to get started
  • Every requirement read by us
  • A best-fit shortlist, not a pile of CVs
  • One agreement, one invoice

Apply to join

Talent never pays to apply, be shortlisted or be placed.

Availability, days per week

FAQ

Questions people ask

Can the engineer work inside our CIP environment?

Only if the work needs it and the engineer completes your required access steps. Where the work allows, start with a project outside the most sensitive boundaries.

Does this fit oil, gas and renewables as well as utilities?

Yes. Developers, operators and service companies across energy have the same pattern of field data, documents and strict security.

Can models run on our own infrastructure?

Yes. Open-weight models and search can run on premises or in your private cloud when policy rules out external APIs.

How long does the work run?

That depends on the system. Put the expected length in your requirement. The terms are agreed in writing before anything starts.