Forward Deployed Engineer

A Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) is a technical specialist who works directly at a client's site to solve high-stakes, custom problems. Unlike traditional engineers who build generic products, FDEs embed with customers to develop and deploy bespoke, full-stack solutions, acting as a hybrid of a software engineer, consultant, and product expert. This role is particularly popular with AI companies, as it helps them navigate under-explored problems and gather insights for future product development.