Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE)

Olive Systems Group•New York, NY

About The Position

Olive Systems is building a network of experienced Forward Deployed Engineers to connect with opportunities at partner AI and technology companies across the United States. This is not an internal engineering position at Olive Systems. Engineers will be matched with relevant opportunities based on their technical background, experience, and career preferences. Specific location, compensation, employment arrangements, and work authorization or sponsorship requirements vary by opportunity. Forward Deployed Engineers work closely with customers and engineering teams to address complex technical challenges, often without predefined requirements. The role combines hands-on engineering, product thinking, independent problem-solving, and end-to-end ownership of technical solutions, from discovery through production deployment. Opportunities may be fully remote, hybrid, or onsite, depending on the company. The process includes an initial AI-powered technical evaluation focused on actual engineering experience, a conversation with Olive Systems about background and preferences, and introductions to suitable partner-company opportunities. Additional interviews or assessments may be required by the hiring company.

Requirements

Strong hands-on software engineering experience.
A 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.