Hire a forward deployed engineer
Forward deployed engineer
A forward deployed engineer is a senior software engineer who joins your team and builds one real system until people use it. To hire a forward deployed engineer, tell us what you need. We send you a shortlist of people who fit, and you choose. One agreement and one invoice.
- No deposit to get started
- Every requirement read by us
- A best-fit shortlist, not a pile of CVs
- One agreement, one invoice
The role
What a forward deployed engineer does
A forward deployed engineer takes one system from idea to daily use inside your company. They talk to the people who own the problem. They learn your data and your systems. Then they write the code, put it live and hand it over to your team.
The work is building, not advice. A good forward deployed engineer finds the real problem, cuts it down to a first version and ships it. They work in your code, your tools and your meetings.
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
Common work for a forward deployed engineer
- Put an AI agent into production Your agent works in the demo. Getting it to act on real systems, with the right permissions, is a different job.
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Add LLM features to your product Take a feature from spec to production, inside your codebase, with your product manager. -
Fix data pipelines Connect your source systems, clean what comes out and give your models and reports data people trust. - Build internal tools Tools your staff use every day, built against your real systems.
- Rescue a stalled prototype A proof of concept that never reached real users and needs evals, guardrails and a rollout.
When it works, and when it does not
Works well when
- You can name the problem, and the fix is a working system
- Someone on your side owns the problem and can make decisions
- The engineer can reach your data, your systems and your people
Struggles when
- You do not yet know which problem matters most
- The engineer cannot get access to the systems the work needs
- The work keeps growing without the agreed time growing with it
What to look for
Look for someone who has shipped a system for real users outside their own team. Ask them to walk you through one they owned from the first meeting to daily use. Ask what went wrong and what they changed.
Check both halves of the job. They need to write production code, and they need to run a room with your staff. If AI is central to the work, ask what they have shipped with it, not what they have read about it.
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
How to hire a forward deployed engineer with us
- 01
Send your requirement
Tell us the system, where it has to run and how much of the week it needs. It is free, and there is no deposit.
- 02
We read it ourselves
We read every requirement ourselves. If something is unclear, we ask.
- 03
We send a shortlist
We look through the senior engineers who have applied to us, and our own contacts. You get each person's CV and a short note on why they fit.
- 04
You choose
You talk to whoever you like and choose. You do not have to hire anyone.
- 05
One agreement and one invoice
You pay only when someone starts. You sign one agreement with us and get one invoice, on terms agreed in writing before anything starts.
Send your forward deployed engineer requirement
Describe the system you need built and where it has to run. We read every requirement ourselves.
- No deposit to get started
- Every requirement read by us
- A best-fit shortlist, not a pile of CVs
- One agreement, one invoice
More on forward deployed engineers
- What is a forward deployed engineer The role, where it came from and what the work involves.
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Forward deployed engineer vs consultant A consultant advises. A forward deployed engineer builds. - FDE vs solutions architect Both work with customers. Only one owns the code in production.
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Job description Duties, skills and requirements from real job posts, plus a template. - Use cases The systems companies bring a forward deployed engineer in to build.
- Industries How the work looks in finance, health, government and more.
FAQ
Forward deployed engineer hiring questions
How is a forward deployed engineer different from a freelancer?
A freelancer often works through a list of tasks. A forward deployed engineer owns one system and the result. They talk to your people, decide what to build first and stay until it is in use.
Should we hire a forward deployed engineer or a consultant?
If you do not yet know which problem to solve, a consultant can help you choose. If you know the problem and need a working system, you want a forward deployed engineer.
Can a forward deployed engineer work part of the week?
Yes. Tell us how much of the week the work needs. Some work needs a few days a week. Some needs a full week for a fixed period.
Can we hire the engineer full time later?
You can ask for a trial before a full-time hire. Say so in your requirement. The terms go in writing before anything starts.
Do you ask for a deposit?
No. Sending a requirement is free. You pay only when someone starts, and the hiring company pays our fee. Talent never pays.
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