What does a Forward Deployed Engineer do at Spectral Labs?

Forward Deployed Engineers at Spectral Labs are embedded directly with enterprise customers to implement and customize the platform, build integrations, and solve technical problems in real-world client environments. They combine software engineering skills with direct customer interaction, writing production code while also serving as the primary technical point of contact.

What skills are required for this Forward Deployed Engineer role?

The Forward Deployed Engineer role at Spectral Labs typically requires strong software engineering skills (Python, TypeScript, SQL), experience with APIs and system integration, comfort with cloud platforms, and the ability to communicate complex technical topics to non-technical stakeholders. Most FDE roles require 3-7 years of engineering experience.

Is this Forward Deployed Engineer position at Spectral Labs remote?

Remote availability varies by Spectral Labs FDE role. Some positions are fully remote, others require travel to customer sites, and some are hybrid. Check the full job description above for the specific location requirements for this posting.

Spectral Labs

Forward Deployed Engineer

$150K - $250K San Francisco, CA, US Mid Posted October 13, 2026

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Role Description

Spectral Labs is building foundation models for engineering physical systems. We're looking for a forward deployed engineer to get those models working inside our customers' engineering teams: scoping deployments, integrating with CAD and PLM environments, fine-tuning and evaluating on customer data, and bringing what you learn back to research and product. You bring 0–2 years as a software engineer with work that shipped to real users, strong Python, and the judgment to tell what a customer asked for from what they need. An engineering background or time as a CAD user is a big plus. We're excited about people who can make an impact, whatever their background.

This is a fully in-person role at our office in SF, with travel to customer sites. Compensation and equity total $150–250k annually. We sponsor visas end-to-end, and benefits include health insurance (with a 100%-premium option), dental, a 401(k) match, and company-expensed meals and commuting.

Compensation Range: $150K - $250K

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.