Forward Deployed Engineer

Forward Deployed Engineer

Forterra

Clarksburg, MD, US

Job Type: Full-Time

Function: Engineering Software

Industry: Transportation

Company Address: 22521 Gateway Center Drive, Clarksburg, Maryland 20871, US

About Forterra

Forterra (Formerly RRAI) is a leading provider of autonomous systems for ground-based movement in the working world. The company is among the earliest innovators in the field of driverless technology, focused on building systems which protect front-line soldiers and enable civilian workers in our industrial base. Forterra is a go-to provider of autonomous solutions for the U.S. Department of Defense, which harnesses autonomy for asymmetric warfare in critical conditions.

Job Description

About Forterra At Forterra, we are unleashing autonomy at scale to transform the battlefield. Our mission is to build the foundational platforms that enable an intelligent ecosystem to coordinate, adapt, and execute with speed and precision even in the uncertainty and disruption of modern conflict. In an era marked by rapid technological change and evolving threats, we design for flexibility, survivability, and operational dominance. Forterra delivers weapons, sensors, and battlefield effects through integrated autonomous networks reaching operational areas faster, safer, and without placing human lives at risk. Our systems operate with distributed control, dynamic routing, and real-time responsiveness, enabling sustained advantage across complex mission environments.

About the role

The Field Service Engineer plays a critical role in delivering advanced technical support across hardware and software systems to ensure customer success, system reliability, and operational excellence. Reporting to the Director of Customer Success, this role focuses on hands-on field support to diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve complex system issues.

The Field Service Engineer is responsible for maintaining system uptime, supporting deployments, and serving as a technical expert for customers, with a strong focus on root cause analysis, system integration, and continuous improvement.

This role will support extended deployments in operational field environments, including possible active combat zones.

What you'll do

Customer Product Support:

• Monitor customer system performance and proactively identify issues across hardware and software components.

• Provide on-site and remote support to diagnose and resolve complex system issues, minimizing downtime.

• Serve as a primary technical escalation point for customers, particularly for software, and networking-related issues.

Technical Expertise and Troubleshooting:

• Diagnose and resolve issues across systems, networking infrastructure, and software.

• Perform log analysis, system health checks, and root cause investigations for recurring or critical failures.

• Support system installations, upgrades, patches, and configuration changes in field environments.

• Troubleshoot connectivity issues (e.g., IP networking, routing, firewalls, VPNs) and system integrations.

Software & Systems Support:

• Work with engineering teams to debug and resolve software defects encountered in the field.

• Assist in deploying and validating software updates, ensuring system stability post-deployment.

• Support command-line operations, scripting, and system configuration within Linux environments.

Documentation and Communication:

• Maintain detailed records of service activities, including issue diagnostics, resolution processes, asset usage, and customer interactions.

• Generate comprehensive Field Reports and Work Orders to provide actionable feedback to quality and engineering teams.

• Communicate service bulletins, informational notices, and product updates effectively to internal and external stakeholders, ensuring clear understanding and implementation.

Customer Relationship Management:

• Build strong customer relationships by acting as a trusted technical advisor.

• Provide guidance on best practices for system operation, maintenance, and performance optimization.

• Proactively identify opportunities to improve customer experience and system reliability.

Travel and Field Operations:

• Regularly travel to various customer sites to deliver essential on-site support, ensuring responsiveness and timely issue resolution.

• Extended deployments in operational field environments, including possible active combat zones

• Ensure readiness and compliance with all safety standards during travel and field service operations.

Qualifications

• 5 or more years of relevant experience

• B.S. in computer science, engineering, robotics, or related field

• Proficiency in Linux systems (command line, system logs, basic administration)

• Solid understanding of networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, DNS, routing, firewalls, VPNs)

• Strong software troubleshooting skills, including log analysis and debugging

• Experience diagnosing complex systems involving both hardware and software components

• Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly to diverse audiences

• Strong documentation and organizational skills

• Ability to work independently in dynamic, customer-facing environments

• Experience in integrating software on hardware products

• Strong programming skills in languages such as C++ or Python

• Solid core software engineering skills: software design, unit testing, debugging

• Strong understanding of algorithms, data structures, and software design principles

• Experience working in teams and a willingness to proactively solve problems

• Ability to travel up to 75%, including internationally

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with autonomous systems, robotics, or distributed systems.

• Experience working closely with engineering teams to resolve field issues.

• Experience in software development for robotics and autonomous systems

• Experience with state machines, motion, path planning, and/or perception pipelines

• Knowledge of navigation, localization, and/or mapping algorithms

• Familiarity with real-time operating systems and embedded programming

US Salary Range $120,000—$150,000

The salary range for this role is an estimate and is based on a wide variety of compensation factors. The salary offered to candidates will vary based on a variety of factors including (but not limited to) relevant work experience, education, specialized training, critical expertise, training, and more. Equity in Forterra is included in most of our full-time, high-demand roles and is therefore considered part of Forterra's overall compensation package. In addition to base salary and equity, Forterra offers competitive benefits for full-time employees including:

• Premium Healthcare Benefits: Three plan options, including an HSA-eligible plan, with Forterra covering 80% of the plan premium for you and your dependents.

• Basic Life/AD&D, short and long-term disability insurance plans 100% covered by Forterra, plus the option to purchase additional life insurance for you and your dependents.

• Extremely generous company holiday calendar including a winter break in December.

• Competitive paid time off (PTO) offering 20 days accrued per year.

• A minimum of 7 weeks fully paid parental leave for birth/adoption.

• A $9k annual tuition reimbursement or professional development stipend.

• Fully stocked beverage refrigerators with all the Celsius your little heart desires.

• 401(k) retirement savings plan, including traditional, Roth 401(k), and after-tax deferral with company match up to 4%.