Forward Deployed Engineer

🚀 Forward Deployed Engineer

📍 Remote / Field-Based | Travel Required

💰 $180,000 – $240,000 + bonus/equity

We’re supporting a high-growth organisation operating across defence, aerospace and autonomous systems as they look to appoint a Forward Deployed Engineer .

This is a highly hands-on role for an engineer who is comfortable taking technology out of the lab and into real operational environments .

You’ll work directly with customers, deployment teams and internal engineering, solving complex technical problems in the field and helping ensure systems perform when they matter.

The Role

• Deploy and integrate complex software and technology into customer environments
• Own technical delivery from initial deployment through operational use
• Troubleshoot complex distributed systems, networking and software issues in the field
• Work directly with government, defence and operational customers
• Build customer-specific integrations and contribute to core product development
• Diagnose issues independently using logs, debugging tools, network analysis and system monitoring
• Feed operational requirements and lessons learned back into the wider engineering organisation
• Support testing, demonstrations, deployments and operational missions
• Work closely with software, systems, hardware and product teams
• Operate effectively in environments where priorities, requirements and conditions can change quickly

We're interested in engineers who are comfortable being close to the customer, close to the technology and close to the mission .

Ideal backgrounds include:

• 🚀 Aerospace / space
• Defence & national security
• Autonomous systems / robotics
• UAV / UAS
• Distributed systems
• Mission-critical software
• Customer-facing engineering
• Field engineering / deployment engineering

Ideal Background

• 3+ years of professional software, systems or deployment engineering experience
• Strong proficiency in Python, C/C++, Go, Java or similar
• Strong Linux and shell scripting experience
• Solid networking fundamentals including TCP/UDP, DNS, NAT, multicast and firewalls
• Excellent debugging and problem-solving ability
• Experience deploying and supporting complex systems outside a controlled lab environment
• Strong communication skills with technical and non-technical customers
• Comfortable working independently in challenging and unpredictable environments
• Defence, aerospace or government experience is highly desirable
• Experience with Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD or infrastructure-as-code is a plus

🌎 Travel

This is a forward-deployed role and significant travel is expected.

You should be comfortable travelling up to 60–75% of the time , both domestically and internationally, including to remote, austere or restricted-access locations.

Flexibility around working hours and operational schedules is essential, as deployments and customer requirements may require support outside standard working hours.

🔐 Security

Due to the nature of the programmes, candidates will need to be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. Secret security clearance . Active clearance is preferred but not essential.

💰 Package

$180,000 – $240,000 base salary , depending on experience, plus potential bonus, equity and benefits .

If you're an engineer from defence, aerospace, autonomy, robotics or mission-critical software and you're comfortable travelling extensively, operating independently and solving problems in the field, I'd be keen to speak.

📩 Apply directly or message me for a confidential discussion.

All enquiries will be treated confidentially.