FDE recruitment
Hire a Forward Deployed Engineer, strong in code and comfortable with customers.
The bottleneck is always the same: finding an engineer who is truly strong technically and comfortable in front of customers. You easily find one or the other, rarely both. That is the profile we headhunt: developers with real hands-on experience of AI agents and production deployment, who enjoy working at the customer's.
Right now
Forward Deployed Engineers open to offers, with real hands-on experience of AI agents and production deployment.
Hire an FDE
An FDE ships production code, but not in isolation: in a meeting with the customer in the morning, wiring up their data and agents in the afternoon. We check both halves of the role: what they have actually deployed, and how they handle a customer who asks for something other than what was planned.
Hire an FDE ↓Completed hires
- Product AI Engineer / FDE · Streem Energy
Role guide
Finding an FDE when few hold the title
Few candidates hold the title. We also look at adjacent backgrounds: solutions engineers who code, integration engineers at software vendors, AI Engineers who have worked with customers. We first introduce their backgrounds anonymised, and what makes them a fit for your role.
Discuss your FDE ↓Role guide
Managing an FDE team
Beyond two or three FDEs, you need to decide who manages them, how their feedback reaches the product and what should stay bespoke. The first team lead is chosen on these questions as much as on technical depth.
Hire an FDE lead ↓Role guide
FAQ
Hiring an FDE, your questions.
What is a Forward Deployed Engineer?
A software engineer placed with customers: they deploy the product, adapt it to the customer's data and systems, and bring needs back to the product team. The role was popularised by Palantir and is spreading across AI and B2B software companies.
FDE or solutions engineer: what is the difference?
A solutions engineer mostly supports sales: demos, pre-sales, proofs of concept. An FDE steps in after signature and writes production code at the customer. The two overlap, and a solutions engineer who codes can become a very good FDE.
Should we look for candidates who already hold the title?
No, that would rule out almost the entire pool. What matters is having shipped production code in direct contact with customers. We check it in the background: who the customers were, what was deployed, what was turned down and why.
Who handles my FDE search?
The AI, Data & Science practice, led by Géraud, when your product is an AI technology. For a software company deploying a product without AI at its core, it is Julia's Business & Tech Solutions practice.
How much does it cost to hire an FDE?
On a success basis: you only pay when the candidate starts. Fees are calculated on their gross annual salary, with a replacement guarantee during the probation period.
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Contact
Let's talk about your hire.
Describe your role and your customers: your request goes to Géraud, who calls you back within 24 business hours.
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