Forward Deployed Engineer — One Process, Multiple Opportunities

MakeHire works with fast-growing AI and technology companies hiring Forward Deployed Engineers.

Instead of applying separately to every company, you go through our evaluation process once. If you’re a strong fit, we introduce you to relevant FDE opportunities based on your experience, interests, compensation expectations, and preferred work setup.

This is not a single internal role at MakeHire.

What an FDE actually does

• Forward Deployed Engineers work directly with customers on problems that often don’t come with a clear specification.
• You figure out what needs to be built, turn it into a technical solution, ship it, and help take it into production.

That can mean:

• Turning ambiguous customer problems into technical solutions
• Building prototypes quickly and taking successful ones into production
• Working across backend, frontend, APIs, infrastructure, data, and AI systems
• Making architecture and product decisions with limited direction
• Working directly with customers, engineers, founders, and product teams
• Identifying repeatable solutions that can eventually become part of the core product

Who we’re looking for

You don’t need “Forward Deployed Engineer” on your resume. Strong candidates may come from backgrounds such as:

• Technical Founder or Founding Engineer
• Senior / Staff Full-Stack Engineer
• AI / Applied AI Engineer
• Hands-on Software Architect
• Forward Deployed or Implementation Engineer

What matters most is that you’ve personally built and shipped production systems, can own problems end to end, and are comfortable working when requirements are incomplete or changing.

Experience with LLMs, agents, or other AI systems is highly relevant, but isn’t required for every opportunity.

One evaluation, multiple opportunities

1. Short AI interview

Take it whenever works for you.

We’ll discuss systems you’ve actually built: architecture, technical decisions, trade-offs, production issues, and what you learned.

No algorithm puzzles. No keyword matching against your resume.

2. Conversation with MakeHire

We’ll learn what you’re actually looking for: company stage, domain, compensation, location, work setup, and career goals.

3. Relevant introductions

When we find a strong match, we’ll introduce you for a specific role.

Strong candidates may also join the MakeHire FDE Network, so you don’t need to restart the process every time a new opportunity opens.

Location

We’re primarily working with companies hiring in the US.

Roles may be remote, hybrid, or onsite. Work authorization and sponsorship requirements vary by company.

If your background looks relevant, we’ll invite you to a short AI interview as the next step.

Pay: $160,000.00 - $220,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Flexible schedule
• Paid time off

Work Location: Remote