Skip to content
Kernavique
Menu
Talk to us

Roles · AI platform engineering

Forward deployed engineers for Foundry, AIP and AI platform programs

A forward deployed engineer works inside a client’s program to make Palantir Foundry, AIP or another AI platform solve a real problem, from scoping to production. Palantir and its implementation partners hire them, and so do AI companies such as OpenAI, Databricks and Scale AI. Kernavique fills the role two ways: Capacity places forward deployed engineers on contract through their own companies, and Search makes permanent hires.

Talk to us

Last updated

Line illustration of cubes connected in a network, with a lime path linking the highlighted nodes.

Forward deployed engineer

What the role does

  • Takes an AI platform into a client’s operations, owning discovery, scoping, system design, build and production rollout with the customer.
  • Builds end-to-end LLM workflows and takes them into production; at Palantir the engineer also owns the customer’s generative AI strategy.
  • On Palantir programs, builds data pipelines and ontology in Foundry, working in tools such as Workshop and Ontology Manager.
  • Owns the architecture of the client’s data and AI solution and implements it across data engineering, AI and application code.
  • Feeds what the field teaches back to the product team, shaping the platform and the model roadmap.
  • Travels to the client: in ads read on October 11, 2026, OpenAI allows up to 50% travel, Palantir’s Forward Deployed AI Engineer up to 25% and Databricks’ Sr. Forward Deployed Engineer 20%.

Skills and credentials

  • Foundry pipelines and ontology

    Palantir partner ads ask for hands-on Foundry work. Accenture Federal Services wants Foundry data pipelines and ontology development, and Booz Allen’s Palantir Foundry Ontology Engineer ad lists Foundry Workshop, Ontology Manager and Maven Smart Systems.

  • AIP and LLM workflows

    Palantir’s Forward Deployed AI Engineer builds end-to-end LLM workflows and feeds what the field teaches back into the AIP product suite. The ad asks for past experience building with LLMs and ML basics: evaluation, training and problem decomposition.

  • Python and TypeScript

    Booz Allen asks for 3+ years of Python or TypeScript, and Palantir for strong coding in Python, Java, C++ or TypeScript/JavaScript. Bloomberry found Python in 66% of the forward deployed engineer postings it analyzed (updated January 25, 2026).

  • Customer-facing delivery

    OpenAI asks for 5+ years of engineering or technical deployment experience that includes customer-facing work, production code across frontend and backend, and experience building or deploying LLM-powered systems.

  • Platform certification

    Databricks’ Sr. Forward Deployed Engineer ad lists Databricks Certification. A Palantir Community forum post of July 27, 2026, said three Associate certifications would go live on August 3, 2026: Data Engineer, Application Developer and a new AI Engineer exam. The post describes each as timed, open-book and valid for two years, with hands-on Specialist exams in a live Foundry and AIP environment to follow.

  • Clearance for federal programs

    Federal Foundry work can need a clearance. Booz Allen’s ad in Arlington, Virginia, requires the ability to obtain a Secret clearance, and Accenture Federal Services’ Foundry role is on site in Washington, DC.

What the market pays

  • OpenAI

    $185K – $300K • Offers Equity

    Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) - SF

    San Francisco. Not stated.

  • Palantir

    $135,000 - $200,000/year

    Forward Deployed AI Engineer

    New York, NY. Not stated.

  • Palantir

    $135,000 - $200,000/year

    Forward Deployed Software Engineer - US Government

    Washington, D.C.. Not stated.

  • Scale AI

    $180,000 — $225,000 USD

    Frontier Agents Engineer (Forward Deployed Engineering)

    San Francisco, CA; New York, NY. Base salary.

  • Scale AI

    $252,000 — $315,000 USD

    Staff Frontier Agents Engineer (Forward Deployed Engineering)

    San Francisco, CA; New York, NY. Base salary.

  • Databricks

    $182,000 — $250,208 USD

    Sr. Forward Deployed Engineer

    San Francisco, California. Base salary.

  • Baseten

    $200K – $400K • Offers Equity

    Forward Deployed Engineer (Training)

    San Francisco (also New York). Not stated.

  • Nebius

    $179,500 – $224,300 USD

    Forward Deployed Engineer, Physical AI Infrastructure

    Remote - United States. Base salary.

  • Anthropic

    $320,000 — $405,000 USD

    Manager, Forward Deployed Engineering

    New York City, NY. Not stated.

These are ranges for permanent roles, copied exactly from employers’ own ads, and “Not stated” means the ad does not say whether its range is base. Arrangements for engineers on contract through their own companies vary by engagement. Each employer links to its ad. All read October 11, 2026.

How we fill it

  • Two to five forward deployed engineers who join your Foundry, AIP or AI platform program together under a lead, on contract through their own companies.

  • A single forward deployed engineer on contract, matched to the written scope of a program you already hold.

  • Permanent forward deployed engineers, hired against a specification we write back to you after the brief call.

  • Start a forward deployed engineer on contract and convert them to a permanent employee at the end of the term, on terms agreed before the engagement starts.

Questions buyers ask

What does a forward deployed engineer do?
They work inside a client’s program, close to its users and its data, and take an AI platform from scoping to production. OpenAI’s San Francisco ad (published September 11, 2026) has its forward deployed engineers own discovery, scoping, system design, build and production rollout with strategic customers. Palantir likens its Forward Deployed AI Engineer to “a hands-on AI startup CTO”.
Forward deployed engineer or solutions engineer: what is the difference?
A forward deployed engineer is accountable for production systems, not for closing a sale. OpenAI’s ad measures its forward deployed engineers on production adoption, measurable workflow impact and feedback that changes product and model roadmaps. Bloomberry’s analysis of 1,000 postings (updated January 25, 2026) found that 0% were quota-carrying roles and only 8% mentioned on-target earnings. If the person you need mainly supports a sale before it closes, the role is closer to a solutions engineer, and the brief should say so.
What does a forward deployed engineer earn?
In the employer ads we read on October 11, 2026, Palantir gives $135,000 to $200,000 a year for its Forward Deployed AI Engineer in New York. OpenAI’s ad, read the same day, gives $185K to $300K with equity offered in San Francisco, and Scale AI’s gives a $252,000 to $315,000 base for its Staff Frontier Agents Engineer. Bloomberry (updated January 25, 2026) puts the median at $173,816 among postings that disclosed a range, and does not say whether that is base. Every ad is linked in the table above.
Should we hire forward deployed engineers on contract or permanently?
It depends on how long the work lasts and who owns it afterwards. A program with a defined scope and end date suits engineers on contract through their own companies, and contract Foundry roles are advertised on job boards such as Dice. Where the engineer will carry a product or a client relationship for years, hire permanently. Contract to permanent lets you start on contract and decide once you have seen the work.
How soon will we see forward deployed engineers?
We agree the shortlist timing with you at the brief call, based on the role and the market. Each engineer on the shortlist is named, with our notes on what they have built in Foundry, AIP or another AI platform.

Terms on this page

AIP
Palantir’s Artificial Intelligence Platform, used alongside its Foundry data platform.
LLM
Large language model, the kind of model behind chat assistants and many AI products.
FDE
Forward deployed engineer: an engineer who works inside a customer’s organization to put a product into production.

Sources

  1. 01

    OpenAI, Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) - SF

    Dated Sep 11, 2026. Read Oct 11, 2026. jobs.ashbyhq.com

  2. 02

    Palantir, Forward Deployed AI Engineer

    Read Oct 11, 2026. jobs.lever.co

  3. 03

    Palantir, Forward Deployed Software Engineer - US Government

    Read Oct 11, 2026. jobs.lever.co

  4. 04

    Scale AI, Frontier Agents Engineer (Forward Deployed Engineering)

    Dated May 15, 2026. Read Oct 11, 2026. job-boards.greenhouse.io

  5. 05

    Scale AI, Staff Frontier Agents Engineer (Forward Deployed Engineering)

    Dated May 15, 2026. Read Oct 11, 2026. job-boards.greenhouse.io

  6. 06

    Databricks, Sr. Forward Deployed Engineer

    Dated Aug 21, 2026. Read Oct 11, 2026. databricks.com

Show all 14 sources
  1. 07

    Baseten, Forward Deployed Engineer (Training)

    Dated Aug 19, 2026. Read Oct 11, 2026. jobs.ashbyhq.com

  2. 08

    Nebius, Forward Deployed Engineer, Physical AI Infrastructure

    Dated Jul 6, 2026. Read Oct 11, 2026. careers.nebius.com

  3. 09

    Anthropic, Manager, Forward Deployed Engineering

    Dated Feb 5, 2026. Read Oct 11, 2026. job-boards.greenhouse.io

  4. 10

    Accenture Federal Services, via Dice, Forward Deployed Engineer - Palantir Foundry

    Read Oct 11, 2026. dice.com

  5. 11

    Booz Allen Hamilton, via Dice, Palantir Foundry Ontology Engineer

    Read Oct 11, 2026. dice.com

  6. 12

    Dice, Palantir Foundry engineer jobs, remote search

    Read Oct 11, 2026. dice.com

  7. 13

    Bloomberry (Henley Wing Chiu), What I learned analyzing 1K forward deployed engineer jobs

    Dated Jan 25, 2026. Read Oct 11, 2026. bloomberry.com

  8. 14

    Palantir Community, Palantir certifications are getting a refresh, with a brand-new AI Engineer exam launching 3 August

    Dated Jul 27, 2026. Read Oct 11, 2026. community.palantir.com

Hiring for this role?

A 30-minute call. We write the brief back to you.

Talk to us