Forward Deployed Engineer

Forward Deployed Engineer

Mattermost is the leading collaborative workflow platform for defense, intelligence, security, and critical infrastructure. Trusted by the U.S. Department of War and Fortune 500s, our platform runs on-premises and in private clouds, delivering secure messaging, file sharing, workflow automation, audio/screenshare, and project management—all with full data and operational control. Mattermost powers high-stakes workflows across mission planning, real-time, real-world operations, DevSecOps, incident response, and cyber defense—enabling secure collaboration from tactical edge and DDIL environments to enterprise HQ. Teams operate across web, desktop, and mobile, with embedded interoperability for Microsoft Teams, Outlook, and Microsoft 365.

Mattermost Federal builds secure collaboration platforms used by U.S. defense, intelligence, and national security organizations operating in the most demanding environments in the world.

We are looking for Forward Deployed Engineers (FDEs) who want to solve real operational problems alongside mission teams. In this role you will work directly with operators, analysts, and engineers to deploy and build systems that are used every day in mission environments.

This is not a traditional engineering role. You will operate close to the mission, often inside classified environments, working through ambiguity and building solutions that have immediate operational impact.

The problems you will work on here are hard, ambiguous, and consequential.

What You'll Do

Forward Deployed Engineers operate at the intersection of engineering, operations, and mission execution.

You will:

• Work directly with defense and intelligence organizations to understand operational problems
• Deploy and integrate Mattermost in classified and mission-critical environments
• Build plugins, integrations, and automations that enable operational workflows
• Prototype new capabilities quickly and iterate based on operator feedback
• Debug complex systems operating in constrained environments
• Help shape the evolution of the Mattermost platform based on mission needs

You will move between writing code, deploying infrastructure, and working directly with operators, often within the same week.

Travel is typically approximately one week per month onsite with customers.

Commitment to the Mission

Forward Deployed Engineers at Mattermost Federal are mission partners, not external vendors.

Our customers operate in environments where coordination and decision speed matter. FDEs work side-by-side with mission teams to deliver systems that improve operational outcomes.

We are looking for engineers who:

• Care deeply about supporting national security missions
• Take ownership of outcomes, not just code
• Are comfortable operating in classified environments
• Thrive when solving complex problems with limited information

AI-Forward Engineering

Mattermost Federal is aggressively adopting AI-enabled workflows across mission operations.

FDEs will be among the first engineers deploying and operationalizing AI capabilities in secure environments.

You will help build and deploy systems such as:

• AI agents that summarize operational channels and generate SITREPs
• AI-assisted mission timelines and decision logs
• Knowledge retrieval across operational history
• AI tools that help operators understand fast-moving mission data

We are looking for engineers who are excited about experimenting with AI capabilities while maintaining mission-grade security and reliability.

What We Look For

• Strong engineering ability (Go, Python, TypeScript, or similar)
• Comfort working across the full stack from infrastructure to applications
• Ability to solve open-ended technical problems
• Strong communication skills with both engineers and operators
• Willingness to travel ~1 week per month

Ideal Background

• Experience working with DoD, IC, or national security organizations
• Experience deploying systems in secure or classified environments
• Familiarity with Kubernetes, distributed systems, and APIs
• Experience building integrations or operational tooling

Security Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship required: For candidates residing in the U.S.: This role may require the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance in the future. As such, U.S. applicants must be U.S. citizens and eligible under applicable clearance requirements.
• Active TS/SCI clearance preferred or ability to obtain one
• Applicants must meet eligibility requirements for access to export-controlled information as defined by U.S. export control laws, including EAR and ITAR.

Why This Role Exists

The best software is built close to the problem.

Forward Deployed Engineers at Mattermost Federal work directly with the people using the systems we build. You will see problems firsthand, build solutions quickly, and deploy them into environments where reliability, security, and speed matter.

If you want to build systems used in real missions and work directly with the people who depend on them, this role is for you. Mattermost takes a market-based approach to pay and pay may vary depending on your location. The successful candidate's starting pay will be determined based on job-related skills, experience, qualifications, work location, and market conditions. These ranges may be modified in the future.

Posting Range

$130,000 - $200,000 USD

Mattermost is an EEO Employer, we are a remote-first, open-source company. We are continually working to expand our hiring in more countries and regions, ensuring compliance with local laws and regulations, which takes time. Mattermost values your unique perspective—we welcome all applicants. We encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply and are committed to assessing candidates based on their skills and qualifications. We do not tolerate discrimination against staff or applicants based on race, religion, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy status, veteran status, or other personal characteristics. If you require accommodations during the interview process, please let us know—we're happy to assist.