Forward deployed engineers for manufacturing
Industries / Manufacturing
Plants hold a long record of sensor, quality and maintenance data, with few software engineers on site. Forward deployed engineers for manufacturing join the plant and operations teams and get one system running on the floor. 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 manufacturers use FDEs
The data is in the plant the engineers are not
Manufacturing AI projects fail in the space between IT and OT. Historian data is hard to reach. MES and ERP disagree on part numbers. The network team will not open a path from the line to a cloud API without good reason.
A forward deployed engineer works through those questions with your controls engineers and IT. They spend time on the floor with operators. They build something that fits the shift, not a dashboard nobody opens.
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
What FDEs fix
Manufacturing work an FDE can own
- Quality and defect analysis Joining inspection, process and supplier data, so quality engineers trace a defect to its cause faster. Vision models too, where cameras already exist.
- Maintenance knowledge for technicians Search across manuals, work orders and past fixes, on the floor. A technician finds the last time this fault happened.
- IT and OT data bridges Safe, one-way paths from historians and PLC data into analytics, designed with your controls and network teams.
- Planning and ERP automation Cleaning up the manual steps between demand, scheduling and purchasing that live in spreadsheets around the ERP.
Hiring forward deployed engineers for manufacturing
- 01
Pick one plant and one system
Name one plant or line, one system and the operations owner who signs it off. Say what OT data the engineer may touch, and through which network path. It costs nothing to send.
- 02
We read it and ask
We read every requirement ourselves and ask if anything is unclear. Then we look through the senior people who have applied to us, and our own contacts, for people who fit.
- 03
We send a shortlist
Each person has a CV and a short note on why they fit. A good candidate asks about your historian and MES in the first conversation.
- 04
You choose
You talk to whoever you like and choose. You do not have to hire anyone. You pay only when someone starts, and talent never pays.
Manufacturing rules to plan around
| Rule | What it means for the build |
|---|---|
| ISA/IEC industrial security standards | The common series of standards for securing industrial automation and control systems. New data paths should fit the zones and conduits your controls team already defined. |
| NIST guide to OT security | NIST's guide to operational technology security. It gives IT, OT and the engineer a shared language. |
| Safety first | Nothing the engineer builds writes to a control system without your controls engineers' design and approval. Most projects only read. |
| Defence supply chain | Plants making parts for DoD programmes may fall under CMMC. That changes where data can go. |
Systems integrator vs a forward deployed engineer
Automation systems integrator
- Deep in PLCs, SCADA and line equipment
- Projects built around hardware installs
- Software and AI often outside their core
- Change orders for anything new
Forward deployed engineer
- Software and data first, works with your controls team
- Builds the analytics and AI layer above the line
- Focused on one system and one plant
- Hands over a system your operations lead can run
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
Fees, how it works and related industries
-
Fees You pay only when someone starts. Talent never pays. - How it works From your requirement to a shortlist, step by step.
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Hire forward deployed engineers Send a requirement and get a shortlist of people who fit. -
FDEs for energy and utilities - FDEs for logistics and supply chain
- FDEs for data pipelines
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
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.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Does the engineer need to be on site?
Some time on site usually helps, especially at the start. Put how much in your requirement, and we look for people who can do it.
Will this touch our control systems?
Almost always read only. Anything that writes to a controller needs your controls engineers to design and approve it, and most projects never need to.
Can it run without cloud access?
Yes. Models and search can run on premises when the plant network or policy rules out a cloud path.
We have several plants. Where do we start?
With the plant whose data is easiest to reach and whose leader wants it most. A system that works in one plant is the best argument for the next.
Explore more
- How it works
What happens after you send your requirement, step by step.
- Fees
No deposit. One agreement and one invoice when someone starts.
- What is fractional
Senior leaders for part of the week, and when that makes sense.
- Locations
Talent based across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas.
How it works
Fees
What is fractional
Locations