Forward Deployed Engineer (TS/SCI Clearance)

Los Angeles +2 · Remote$180k – $220k + EquityNo Visa Sponsorship

About this role

We are looking for a Forward Deployed Engineer with 4+ years of experience to serve as the technical owner for mission-critical national security software deployments at Vannevar Labs. You'll sit at the intersection of engineering and customer engagement — translating operator requirements into production-grade software deployed directly into government environments. This is a rare opportunity to do hands-on, high-stakes engineering work that directly shapes U.S. defense outcomes.

What will you be doing?

Deploy and sustain production software directly inside government and DoD IT environments, owning delivery end-to-end from requirements through fielding

Serve as the primary technical point of contact for mission owners, operators, and intel analysts — translating ambiguous field requirements into shipped software

Scope and build low-cost pilots with government mission teams (pre-sales) and execute full technical deployments post-contract close (post-sales)

Contribute hands-on backend code (Python-preferred) across customer use cases, including large-scale text, multimedia, and geospatial data

Navigate government IT ecosystems (RMF, IdAM, SIEM, CDSs) and collaborate cross-functionally with product, design, and platform engineering teams

Key Requirements

Active U.S. TS clearance with SCI eligibility (candidates eligible and willing to obtain clearance may be considered if technically exceptional)

4+ years of full-stack engineering experience with strong backend fundamentals — Python preferred; assessed via backend coding and algorithms interview

Demonstrated experience deploying software inside government or DoD IT environments (RMF, IdAM, SIEM, CDSs)

Proven ability to own a project end-to-end in a field-facing or customer-embedded context with minimal oversight

U.S. citizen based anywhere in the U.S., willing to travel 20–30% to customer and classified operational sites

Company at a glance

Founded in 2019, this company develops software and hardware solutions for U.S. national security missions across military branches, intelligence agencies, and partner nations, serving customers including the CIA and FBI with deployment across 125+ government operations.

Founded2019
Team Size51-200
WorkspaceRemote
StageSeries B
IndustryDefense and Space Manufacturing
Locations
Los Angeles, CA, United States ·New York City, NY, United States ·Remote ·San Francisco, CA, United States
Investors
Aloft VC ·Costanoa Ventures ·Felicis Ventures ·General Catalyst ·Point72 ·Point72 Ventures ·Shield Capital

Top Benefits

  • 401(k) match
  • Fully paid parental leave
  • Unlimited PTO
  • Child care reimbursement during travel
  • Pet care reimbursement during travel
  • Lifestyle stipends

What happens next

Skip the application pile. I get you in front of the people who decide.

Confirm the fit

A few questions to make sure this role is the right shape for you. Two minutes.

I pitch you to the company

I write the intro, send it to the founder, and handle the back-and-forth.

A meeting lands on your calendar

When the company wants to meet, I get the call on your calendar. You just show up.

Culture & values

Engineering team is small, flat, and mission-obsessed, operating more like focused startups than a traditional defense contractor

Culture defined by high ownership and low bureaucracy

Forward Deployed Engineers run mission workstreams like founders with autonomy over architectural decisions and direct stakeholder interfaces

CTO personally meets with every engineering candidate, reflecting technical leadership's commitment to culture fit

Strong bias toward builders who thrive in ambiguity and can drive work through to deployment without perfectly defined playbooks

Cross-functional and tight-knit collaboration between FDEs, product, design, platform engineering, and mission domain experts

Engineers rewarded for speaking both technical and mission fluency

Team combines world-class software engineers with veteran strategists in intentional blend

Engineers own missions end-to-end from requirements gathering through deployment and sustainment

Fast-paced work environment with genuinely consequential impact

Team operates with startup-level agility while maintaining profitability and staying power

Culture that respects the whole person, not just the engineer

Know someone who'd be great for this?