Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE)

Olive Systems Group•San Francisco, CA

About The Position

Olive Systems is building a network of experienced Forward Deployed Engineers for opportunities with its partner companies, which include fast-growing AI and technology companies across the United States. This is not an internal engineering position at Olive Systems. Olive Systems will consider candidates’ technical background, experience, and career preferences when connecting them with relevant partner-company opportunities. 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 solve complex technical challenges, often without predefined requirements. They take ownership of technical solutions from initial discovery through production deployment, combining hands-on engineering with product thinking and independent problem-solving. The selection process includes an AI-powered technical evaluation focused on real engineering experience, followed by a conversation with Olive Systems about professional background, career goals, compensation expectations, preferred working environment, and availability. Suitable candidates may be introduced to partner companies, which may require additional interviews or assessments.

Requirements

Strong hands-on software engineering experience.
Proven track record of building and shipping production systems.
Ability to take ownership of 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.
Take ownership of technical solutions from initial discovery through production deployment.