Forward Deployed Software Engineer

Forward Deployed Software Engineer

Palantir builds software platforms that help governments and institutions solve their most critical and complex problems. The Delta team deploys Palantir's technology into tactical edge environments — small, on-prem form factors as compact as a single server blade — supporting forward-deployed units in the field.

Palantir's Forward Deployed Software Engineers on the Delta team function like a startup embedded within a customer. You will be part of a small team — typically a mix of engineers and non-technical personnel — responsible for figuring out which subset of Palantir's technology needs to be deployed to make that customer successful, then making it work in environments where resources are tight, connectivity is unreliable, and you often don't have hands-on access.

The core engineering challenges are real: fitting software within tight compute constraints, dynamically allocating resources based on customer workflow priorities, and deploying, monitoring, and supporting systems that move around the world with forward-deployed units. This role demands extreme breadth, high independence, and the grit to navigate the technical and operational complexity of the tactical edge.

What You'll Do

• Determine which Palantir technologies to deploy for a given customer and configure them to run on small, on-prem hardware form factors
• Solve resource-constrained deployment challenges: fitting software within tight limits, allocating compute dynamically based on operational priorities
• Deploy, monitor, and support systems operating in disconnected or degraded environments without hands-on access
• Work directly with customers — both technical and non-technical — to understand mission requirements and translate them into working software
• Navigate the full operational complexity of edge deployments from initial integration through sustained field operations

You Should Have

• 2-5 years of experience as a software engineer with hands-on hardware integration work
• Experience physically integrating software into hardware systems — military vehicles, ships, labs, or similar on-prem/edge environments, not virtual-only
• Experience deploying and managing containerized applications with Kubernetes
• Deep Linux systems experience including administration, networking, and on-prem infrastructure
• Proficiency in Python, Java, Bash, Go, and/or JavaScript
• Active Secret or Top Secret security clearance (preferred)
• Based in or willing to relocate to the DC metro area; able to be in-office 4 days per week and travel 25-75% of the time

Nice to Have

• Experience at a defense contractor, system integrator (Booz Allen, Leidos, Lockheed, etc.), or defense tech company
• Exposure to Palantir products (Gotham, Foundry, or Apollo) or similar forward-deployed software platforms