Forward Deployed Engineer, U.S. Department of War
About The Position
The Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) at Rivet leads the deployment of mission-critical systems supporting frontline soldiers and operators across the United States Army and broader Department of War. Embedded directly with soldiers, operators, and program stakeholders, the FDE creates value where tactical hardware, mission software, enterprise systems, and real-world operational constraints meet. This role operates at the intersection of engineering and mission execution. Delivery conditions are urgent, environments are often austere or bandwidth-constrained, and ambiguity requires rapid, high-judgment decisions. As an FDE, you will work directly with Army users to understand operational problems, rapidly prototype and deploy integrated capabilities, and ensure systems perform reliably in training, field exercises, and mission environments. You will help translate emerging technology into durable operational advantage. Success in this role requires balancing customer-specific mission requirements with long-term platform scalability, reliability, and product vision. At Rivet, you will put advanced operational technology directly into the hands of soldiers executing some of the world’s most demanding missions.
Requirements
- 3+ years deploying, integrating, or supporting complex hardware/software systems in military, defense, tactical, or other mission-critical operational environments
- Experience with software development, Linux and Android-based systems, networking, embedded systems, systems integration, and DevOps/infrastructure tooling
- Demonstrated ability to diagnose and solve technical problems quickly in field, operational, or resource-constrained environments
- Experience working directly with operators, soldiers, field users, or mission stakeholders in high-trust customer environments
- Comfortable operating with ambiguity, rapidly changing priorities, and urgent deployment timelines
- Ability to travel frequently (35%–70%) to customer sites, field exercises, testing events, and operational locations
- U.S. citizenship required due to customer and contract requirements
- Ability to obtain and maintain a clearance required
Nice To Haves
- Mixed reality development experience is preferred
- Background in startup, advanced technology, defense technology, robotics, autonomy, aerospace, or other fast-moving engineering organizations preferred
- Active U.S. Security Clearance preferred
Responsibilities
- Deploy and operationalize mission-critical technology directly alongside Army units in training, testing, and operational environments
- Rapidly diagnose and solve complex hardware, software, networking, and integration problems under field conditions and mission timelines
- Partner with soldiers, operators, and Army stakeholders to turn evolving mission requirements into reliable deployed capability
- Drive product direction from the tactical edge by converting operational feedback into scalable platform improvements and new system concepts
- Represent Rivet in high-trust customer environments where technical judgment, execution speed, and mission understanding are critical
Benefits
- Eligible employees also receive a competitive benefits package, including unlimited PTO.
- equity grants
- other forms of compensation
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
No Education Listed
