Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE)

Olive Systems Group Inc•San Francisco, CA

14h

About The Position

Olive Systems partners with fast-growing AI and technology companies across the United States to help them build and scale engineering teams. It is building a network of experienced Forward Deployed Engineers for opportunities with partner companies, rather than hiring for a single position. Olive Systems is not the employer for an internal engineering role; it connects candidates with relevant opportunities based on their technical background, experience, and career preferences. Forward Deployed Engineers work closely with customers and engineering teams to solve complex technical challenges, often without predefined requirements. The role involves taking ownership of technical solutions from discovery through production deployment, building production-ready systems, and helping turn successful prototypes or custom solutions into scalable, reusable product capabilities. Opportunities may be remote, hybrid, or onsite, depending on the partner company. Location, compensation, employment arrangements, and work authorization or sponsorship requirements vary by opportunity. The hiring process includes an AI-powered technical evaluation focused on real engineering experience, a conversation with Olive Systems about background and preferences, and introductions to relevant partner-company opportunities. Partner companies may require additional interviews or assessments.

Requirements

Strong hands-on software engineering experience.
Proven track record of building and shipping production systems.
Ability to own complex technical challenges from start to finish.
Experience designing software architecture and making technical trade-offs.
Confidence working with ambiguous or evolving requirements.
Strong communication skills and experience collaborating with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Ability to move quickly from problem discovery to implementation.

Nice To Haves

Experience building AI-powered applications using LLMs, RAG, or AI agents.
Experience with cloud platforms such as AWS, GCP, or Azure.
Background in early-stage startups or fast-paced product environments.
Previous experience working directly with enterprise customers.
Experience developing MVPs, prototypes, or custom integrations.

Responsibilities

Work directly with customers to understand business challenges and translate them into technical solutions.
Design, develop, and deploy production-ready applications and systems.
Build prototypes and turn successful concepts into scalable products.
Work across backend, frontend, APIs, cloud infrastructure, data, and AI technologies.
Make architectural and technical decisions independently.
Collaborate with founders, product managers, and engineering teams.
Identify opportunities to turn custom solutions into reusable product capabilities.
Own technical solutions from initial discovery through production deployment.