Forward Deployed Software Engineer, Public Sector

About the role

This position places you in direct collaboration with United States government clients such as the Army, Air Force, Joint commands, and the Intelligence Community to deliver critical AI solutions for national security missions. You will serve as a customer-facing engineer operating in a hybrid model, responsible for managing the complete software development lifecycle from initial prototype through production deployment and ongoing maintenance. In this capacity, you will design and build backend systems and data integrations that securely connect customer infrastructure with the Scale platform. You will translate ambiguous mission requirements into functional software features while acting as the primary technical liaison for stakeholder communication and adoption. The role requires you to drive software adoption and ensure mission success by bridging the gap between field needs and platform capabilities. You will work within the Public Sector Engineering team to uphold high standards of delivery and operational excellence. This position demands comfort with high-pressure, ambiguous environments where independent problem-solving is essential. Continuous feedback from government partners will guide improvements to the core platform and influence product direction.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Partner with government entities to define mission requirements and convert them into technical specifications and functional software components.
• Oversee the complete delivery lifecycle of software solutions, including design, construction, deployment, and maintenance within classified or controlled customer environments.
• Engineer backend systems and data integrations that enable seamless interoperability between customer infrastructure and the Scale AI platform.
• Articulate field-derived requirements to internal product and engineering teams to drive enhancements in the core platform.
• Function as the central technical contact for customer stakeholders to align objectives, resolve issues, and promote successful software adoption.
• Implement solutions that meet stringent security and compliance standards required by U.S. government agencies.
• Utilize modern software development practices to iterate quickly while maintaining reliability and operational stability.
• Conduct technical assessments to determine the feasibility of integrating generative models and large language models into government workflows.
• Maintain and optimize deployed systems to ensure high availability and performance across distributed infrastructures.
• Contribute to documentation and architectural diagrams that support knowledge transfer and long-term maintainability.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to prioritize workstreams based on mission impact and customer urgency.
• Support the development roadmap by providing feedback from deployed solutions to guide future platform investments.
• Ensure that all technical deliverables adhere to government policies regarding data handling, auditability, and traceability.
• Mentor junior engineers and interns when engaged on joint customer initiatives within the public sector division.

Requirements

• Possess a minimum of 5 years of professional software engineering experience, with a focus on forward-deployed, government, or customer-facing technology roles.
• Demonstrate expert-level proficiency in production-grade Python and TypeScript or other modern programming languages relevant to backend and full-stack development.
• Exhibit full-stack technical competence across Linux operating systems, standard networking protocols, containerization technologies, and major cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform.
• Thrive independently in high-pressure scenarios characterized by ambiguity, competing priorities, and evolving mission objectives.
• Hold an active Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance or the ability to obtain one in a timely manner.
• Show a proven track record of delivering software solutions in environments that require strict adherence to regulatory and compliance frameworks.
• Display strong written and verbal communication skills necessary for coordinating with diverse government stakeholders.
• Commit to ongoing learning and adaptation in fast-moving technical and policy landscapes inherent to public sector work.

Nice to have

• Hands-on experience deploying or constructing systems that leverage generative models, large language models, or other advanced AI technologies.
• Practical familiarity with infrastructure-as-code tools such as Terraform, orchestration platforms like Kubernetes, container runtimes such as Docker, and modern frontend frameworks including React and Node.
• A background in data engineering, with expertise in data governance, data modeling, and the design and implementation of ETL pipelines.

Practical notes

• This role requires travel to customer sites, with an expected range of 25% to 50% of work time spent on-site.
• Employment is full-time and contingent upon successful completion of background investigation and security clearance processing.
• Candidates must wait 90 days before reapplying for this same position if previously considered.