What does a Forward Deployed Engineer do at WPP?

Forward Deployed Engineers at WPP 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 (FDE) role?

The Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) role at WPP 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 WPP remote?

Remote availability varies by WPP 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.

WPP

Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE)

$130K - $180K Remote Mid Posted August 09, 2026

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Role Description

The Role ------------

Our robots are now deployed with real customers who pay real money and expect them to work. You will be the engineer on the ground who makes that true. You will own deployments end to end: site assessment, installation, integration with customer systems, on-site debugging, and the handoff to a reliable steady state.

This is not a support role. You will write software, close the loop between field failures and the core engineering team, and shape the product roadmap with the highest-signal data in the company: what actually breaks in the real world.

What You Will Do --------------------

Lead on-site deployments of OM1-powered robots at enterprise customers across manufacturing, logistics, and retail
Integrate our robots with customer infrastructure: networks, safety systems, facility workflows, and operator training
Debug across the full stack in the field, from hardware and firmware to perception, navigation, and cloud telemetry
Build deployment tooling, runbooks, and remote diagnostics so that each deployment is easier than the last
Translate field observations into prioritized engineering requirements and drive them to resolution
Serve as the technical face of OpenMind to customer engineering and operations teams

What We Look For --------------------

Strong engineering fundamentals in languages such as Python, Go, and/or C++, with comfort in Linux environments
Hands-on experience with robots, embedded systems, or other hardware deployed outside a lab
Proven ability to debug complex systems under pressure with incomplete information
Excellent communication with non-technical stakeholders; you can explain a failure to a plant manager and a fix to a roboticist
Willingness to travel up to 50 percent to customer sites
High agency. You see a problem, you own it, and you do not wait for permission

Nice to Have ----------------

Experience with ROS2, real-time systems, or fleet telemetry
Prior forward deployed, solutions engineering, or field applications experience at a robotics, autonomy, or infrastructure company
Experience working in industrial environments (manufacturing, warehousing, energy), retail, or healthcare technology

Compensation Range: $130K - $180K

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.