Subscribe
Rivet Industries

Forward Deployed Enablement Engineer

$130K - $180K San Jose, CA, US Mid Posted May 08, 2026

Role Description

About Rivet

Rivet is an American company building integrated task systems — fusing hardened hardware with software, sensors, AI, and networking — for industrial workforces and defense personnel. We create capabilities that multiply the effectiveness of every individual and withstand the world’s toughest environments.

We serve the people who build, operate, maintain, and defend our way of life. From technicians and engineers to first responders and service members, they embody the hard work, ingenuity, and meritocratic values that drive Western prosperity. Yet too often they are forced to rely on outdated tools that fail under modern pressures. Rivet exists to reset that priority.

At Rivet, you’ll join a mission-driven team that fuses disciplines to deliver decisive outcomes where they matter most. Whether shaping our technology, strengthening our partnerships, or building our culture, every role here contributes to equipping the front lines with the modern systems they deserve.

Work Authorization Requirement: Due to the nature of our business and applicable contractual requirements, this position is restricted to U.S. citizens. Candidates must provide documentation verifying U.S. citizenship upon hire.

Role: Forward Deployed Enablement Engineer

Compensation*: $130,000 - $180,000/year + benefits

Role Description

The Forward Deployed Enablement Engineer (FDEE) at Rivet leads the deployment and integration of customer systems. Embedded with end users, the FDEE creates value where hardware, application software, enterprise architectures, and data integrations meet. This is where functional fielded performance is made real, delivery conditions are urgent, and ambiguity requires rapid, high judgement decisions.

As an FDEE, you will work directly with customers to quickly understand their most significant problems. You will design and implement high-impact, mission-critical systems for frontline operators and their organizations.

Success in this role requires a commitment to meet customer-specific benchmarks and standards while introducing breakthrough capabilities. At Rivet, you will put state-of-the-art frontline technologies in the hands of people doing the world’s toughest jobs.

Responsibilities

  • Deploy, debug, and integrate high impact solutions for frontline personnel
  • Iterate with customer stakeholders to achieve outcomes shaped by today’s practical technology constraints while anticipating new roadmap innovations
  • Be a trusted customer advocate and voice for Rivet’s core engineering priorities
  • Drive our roadmap from the point of need – conceive new system enhancements, products, and offerings through real-world learning

Role Requirements

  • 3+ years managing enterprise deployments of complex integrated technology solutions onsite in collaboration with customers
  • Experience with complex software implementation, networking, Linux systems, edge hardware
  • Professional experience with frontline teams, assets, hardware, software, and/or operations
  • Background of collaborative work in startup environments, new product development, and/or advanced projects
  • We are building sophisticated, controlled systems with hardware and software; you will be embedded with the team in office or at the customer point of need; ability to travel, 35-70%
  • This position requires U.S. citizenship due to contract obligations; active US Security Clearance or the ability to be cleared
  • Total compensation may vary within this range and is determined by years and level of relevant experience, job-related skills, education, and other factors. In addition to base salary, this role may be eligible for equity grants and other forms of compensation. Eligible employees also receive a competitive benefits package, including unlimited PTO.

EOE

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.

Get the FDE Pulse Brief

Weekly market intelligence for Forward Deployed Engineers. Job trends, salary data, and who's hiring. Free.