Forward Deployed Engineer (Palantir)

Forward Deployed Software Engineer (Tactical Edge)
Location: Washington, D.C. / New York (on-site)
Compensation: $135K–$200K + equity

This is not a typical software engineering role. You’ll operate like a startup CTO embedded inside high-stakes environments, working directly with customers solving real-world, mission-critical problems.

You’ll:
Deploy software onto edge devices and constrained environments
Work on air-gapped, on-prem systems with real operational impact
Own end-to-end delivery — from architecture to deployment to support
Troubleshoot live systems where failure is not an option

This is for engineers who want ownership, intensity, and real-world impact.

What You’ll Actually Be Doing
Build and deploy software in tactical edge environments (low-resource, on-prem, distributed systems)
Work directly with customers to solve complex operational problems in real time
Debug everything from network issues to container orchestration failures
Operate across the stack - infra, backend, deployment, systems
Travel (~25%) to support deployments in the field
Collaborate with small, high-performing teams with minimal oversight

What Makes This Different
You’re not building features - you’re deploying capability into the real world
You’ll deal with constraints most engineers never see (limited compute, disconnected systems, mobility)
You’ll be expected to figure things out without playbooks
The problems are ambiguous, the stakes are high, and the feedback loop is immediate

What We’re Looking For
You should realistically tick most of the below:
2–5 years as a software engineer (strong fundamentals required)
Experience working close to systems, infrastructure, or hardware integration
Comfortable coding in Python, Java, Bash (or similar)
Strong understanding of Linux systems
Exposure to Kubernetes / container orchestration
Ability to operate in uncertain, high-pressure environments
Security clearance (Secret or Top Secret)

Bonus points for:
Experience with on-prem deployments or edge systems
Background in defence, robotics, distributed systems, or infra-heavy environments
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