Senior Forward Deployed Engineer

Role Description

We are seeking a Forward Deployed Engineer to join our Deployment Services team within Customer Success. This role focuses on application-layer platform work:

• Python automation
• Database operations
• API integration
• Data migration tooling
• Backend service configuration for customer environments

This engineer will work alongside Senior Solutions Engineers to deliver platform services to defense, aerospace, and commercial customers. The role owns the data and API layer, including:

• Writing migration scripts
• Managing database operations
• Configuring backend services
• Building automation tooling
• Integrating platform APIs

Our customers operate in regulated, security-sensitive environments across:

• AWS
• Azure
• GovCloud
• On-premises Kubernetes
• Air-gapped networks

The ideal candidate is a strong Python developer with database and API experience, comfortable working directly with customers, and capable of building reliable automation tooling under time pressure.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3 years of experience in software engineering, platform engineering, or a technical customer-facing delivery role
• Strong Python development skills, including production scripts, automation tools, and data processing pipelines
• Hands-on experience with relational databases in production (PostgreSQL preferred)
• Working knowledge of REST APIs, including building integrations, debugging connectivity, and reading API documentation
• Experience with Kubernetes at an operational level
• Familiarity with identity and authentication systems (OAuth, OIDC, SAML, LDAP)
• Experience working directly with external customers in a technical capacity
• Strong troubleshooting skills
• Clear written and verbal communication skills for customer-facing interactions
• U.S. Citizen

Requirements

• Write and maintain data migration scripts for customer identity transitions
• Manage database operations across customer environments
• Configure and validate backend platform services per customer requirements
• Build and maintain Python automation tooling for repeatable deployment and configuration tasks
• Integrate platform APIs for customer-specific workflows
• Configure identity provider integrations per customer requirements
• Troubleshoot application-layer issues in customer environments
• Support agent and module deployment alongside the Solutions Engineer
• Coordinate with customer engineering teams on service configuration requirements
• Maintain migration runbooks, service configuration documentation, and customer environment notes

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with graph databases (Dgraph, Neo4j, or similar)
• Experience with Keycloak or other open-source identity providers
• Experience with AWS services or equivalent Azure experience
• Familiarity with Helm charts and Kubernetes application deployment
• Experience writing data migration tooling for production systems
• Experience with TypeScript/Node.js in addition to Python
• Familiarity with compliance or security frameworks
• Experience supporting defense, aerospace, or government customers
• Experience with monitoring and observability tools
• Industry certifications such as AWS Solutions Architect Associate, CompTIA (Security+), or similar
• Active security clearance (Secret or Top Secret)

Benefits

• The engineers who do this job well become some of the most technically well-rounded people in the industry
• You'll see how large, complex organizations actually work
• You'll build things that get used immediately
• Your career trajectory stays technical
• Regular syncs and access to internal engineering resources
• A clear path to influence the product you're deploying

Company Description

Istari is a digital engineering software company building open, scalable infrastructure for engineering data. Our platform lets customers simply and securely integrate engineering models across disciplines, organizations, and security levels.

• Focus is rewarded. Finish is remembered.
• Facts are friendly. Even when they are not fun.
• Fellowship is fundamental. Make others successful.