AI Forward Deployed Engineer

AI Forward Deployed EngineerFind out more about this role by reading the information below, then apply to be considered.Washington, DC $150,000–$250,000 base + 0.5–1% equity | In-office 5 days/week | 7 openingsLevel: Member of Technical StaffExperience: 1–4 yearsStart: Candidates should be available to start soonAbout the CompanyThis AI company is building technology to systematically identify and combat fraud, waste, and abuse in US government spending. Its agentic platform combines public and government-restricted data including federal spending and contracting databases, Medicare and Medicaid claims and reasons across that information to identify specific cases of potential fraud.The platform doesn't just surface anomalies. It provides the evidence chain auditors need to investigate and take action. The company is already in active discussions with federal health agencies, defense, homeland security, and state governments. With significant contracts within reach, the biggest constraint is now engineering capacity. The company is building its first cohort of Forward Deployed Engineers to work directly with government partners.About the RoleWe're looking for early-career engineers who already operate like founders. As a Forward Deployed Engineer, you'll sit at the intersection of software engineering, applied AI, and real-world government missions. You'll build and deploy AI systems that solve high-impact problems, working directly with government stakeholders and taking ownership from initial concept through production.This is a Member of Technical Staff role with significant autonomy and responsibility.What You'll OwnBuild and deploy LLM-powered agent systems for real-world government applicationsDevelop production systems using RAG, tool calling, multi-agent architectures, and advanced context managementBuild data pipelines and ML infrastructure supporting AI systemsTake features and systems from concept through productionWork directly with government stakeholders to understand problems and translate them into technical solutionsCommunicate complex technical concepts clearly to non-technical audiencesIterate quickly based on real-world feedback and changing requirementsWhat We're Looking For1–4 years of professional engineering experience with genuine production ownership.We're looking for engineers with:Strong Python skills and end-to-end software engineering abilityHands-on experience shipping LLM and agent systems to productionExperience with RAG, tool calling, multi-agent systems, and context managementExperience building data pipelines and ML infrastructureStrong engineering fundamentals, not just AI coding-tool proficiencyExcellent verbal communication skillsThe ability to represent the company confidently with government stakeholdersA collaborative, low-ego approachA strong sense of ownership and a bias toward actionStrong BackgroundsParticularly relevant experience includes:Founder or founding engineer at an AI startupForward-deployed or applied engineering at companies such as Palantir, Anduril, Shield AI, Vannevar Labs, Scale AI Federal, or Applied IntuitionApplied engineering at agentic AI companies such as Sierra, Decagon, Glean, Cresta, Perplexity, Cursor, or CognitionExperience at US government technology organizations such as USDS or 18FBig Tech experience combined with clear evidence of zero-to-one ownershipExperience from startup accelerators or fellowships such as Neo, Z Fellows, South Park Commons, or PioneerNice to HaveActive US security clearance, Secret, Top Secret, or TS/SCIExperience with Medicare, Medicaid, or healthcare fraudFine-tuning and model evaluation experienceReinforcement learning or simulation environmentsExisting connections to Washington, DC or Northern VirginiaGovernment & Location RequirementsThere are two teams within the Forward Deployed Engineering group.Defense & Homeland SecurityUS citizenship is requiredWork on-site at the Pentagon approximately 2–3 days per weekTop Secret clearance sponsorship availableFederal Health & State/Local GovernmentUS citizenship preferredExceptional O-1 candidates may be consideredWork directly with federal health agencies and state/local governmentsFor all candidates:Must be based in Washington, DC or willing to relocate quicklyMust work in person 5 days per weekMust be available to start soonWho This Role Is Not ForThis opportunity is unlikely to be a fit for:Candidates with internship-only experienceEngineers without strong software fundamentalsCandidates who rely heavily on AI coding tools without understanding the underlying systemsBig-firm consulting backgrounds without meaningful product or engineering ownershipPure ML researchers without production engineering experienceEngineers who prefer to work independently without customer or stakeholder interactionCandidates unwilling to relocate to DC or work in personCandidates who are uncomfortable working on US government applicationsInterview ProcessThe process is designed to assess both technical depth and the ability to operate effectively with customers and stakeholders.You'll be evaluated on your engineering fundamentals, production AI experience, problem-solving ability, communication, and ownership. xhyhwjd This is an opportunity to join an early FDE team, work directly on high-impact government problems, and build production AI systems where the results have real-world consequences.