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Augrade Inc

Forward Deployed Engineer (Design + Modeling)

$160K - $200K San Francisco, CA, US Mid Posted June 15, 2026

Role Description

We are empowering people to go from concepts to construction within hours, enhancing collaboration in the world of atoms & pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, for humanity over the next few decades.

For phase 1, we're training foundational AI models that create building code-compliant BIM models, cost analysis & documentation from 2D building blueprints.

We are a small team of 20+ and looking for people passionate about 3D generation/reconstruction.

We’re targeting $100B+ opportunity in construction’s design, estimation, and planning software—ripe for disruption by AI-first platforms.

If you're interested in joining an early stage AI startup building foundational models, geometric and physics engines from scratch to transform how the world designs and builds infrastructure, with real autonomy and the resources to solve hard problems, apply or reach out to us today.

About the role

We’re hiring a Forward Deployed Engineer who can bridge design expertise and BIM modeling execution. This is not a pure modeling role. We’re looking for someone who can both design from scratch in at least one discipline and model across multiple disciplines.

The goal of this role is to support a future state where one Forward Deployed Engineer can handle a project across disciplines with a high degree of autonomy. This person will bring real design judgment, strong modeling ability, and enough breadth to work across a range of complex building systems and project types.

What you’ll do

  • Create and review designs within at least one core discipline
  • Build and manage BIM models across multiple disciplines
  • Support project delivery across architectural, structural, and MEP contexts
  • Use your design expertise to help improve design checks, generation logic, and system outputs
  • Use modeling tools and internal platform workflows to execute modeling tasks efficiently
  • Work on a variety of complex project types and contribute to high-quality deliverables
  • Engage with clients when needed and communicate credibly in project-facing settings

What we're looking for

  • Architectural professionals capable of both building design and modeling beyond traditional architectural scope
  • Demonstrated ability to design from inception in at least one discipline (e.g., Electrical, Structural, Architectural, MEP/building systems)
  • BIM/modeling specialists with broad modeling capabilities and a focused design
  • Expertise in at least one design area with broad modeling capabilities
  • Comprehensive understanding of design rules, standards, and discipline-specific requirements
  • Experience managing complex projects, ideally including multifamily, commercial, data centers, airports, hospitals, and R&D/laboratory facilities
  • Strong client-facing and communication skills

Nice to have

  • Experience from engineering services, EPC firms, or design-heavy technical environments
  • Exposure to varied and complex building types rather than a narrow project background
  • Comfort learning and using new AI-enabled workflows and tools

Compensation Range: $160K - $200K

About Forward Deployed Engineering

Forward Deployed Engineers are embedded directly with customers to build custom solutions, integrate products into existing infrastructure, and bridge the gap between product engineering and customer success. The role combines deep technical skills with the ability to operate in client environments and translate business requirements into working software.

Originally pioneered by Palantir, the FDE model has spread across AI, enterprise SaaS, and cloud infrastructure companies. FDEs write production code, architect integrations, train customer teams, and feed product insights back to the core engineering organization. At companies like OpenAI, Salesforce, and Databricks, FDE teams are treated as elite engineering units that can ship custom solutions in days rather than quarters.

Typical FDE stack: Python, TypeScript, SQL, REST/GraphQL APIs, cloud platforms (AWS/GCP/Azure), and increasingly LLM APIs and AI orchestration frameworks. Strong communication and the ability to context-switch between technical and business conversations are as important as coding ability.

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