Forward Deployed Engineer

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We are building a data source of truth and AI tools for defense acquisition, fusing information from thousands of structured and unstructured sources to provide a cohesive picture of budgets, programs, and more, empowering decision‑making across government, military, and industry.

You’ll be on the front lines of deploying technology that redefines how defense and government organizations operate. Our Forward Deployed Engineers bridge the gap between product, data, and mission—embedding directly with users across government, military, and industry to understand their workflows, challenges, and objectives. You’ll help architect and implement solutions that transform how they make decisions, run programs, and execute missions.

• Deploy and operationalize Obviant’s analytics platform within the Department of War and related organizations, ensuring successful adoption and measurable mission outcomes.
• Work side‑by‑side with users to understand their workflows, pain points, and objectives.
• Design, implement, and iterate on configurations, data models, and workflows that bring clarity and automation to complex operational processes.
• Collaborate with our product and engineering teams to translate mission requirements into scalable product improvements.
• Act as the connective tissue between users and the technical stack—guiding organizations on how to use Obviant most effectively, and how to evolve their processes alongside it.
• Drive user training, onboarding, and sustained engagement to ensure enduring success in the field.
• Travel to customer sites and work directly alongside mission teams to support deployments and field adoption.

• 3+ years of professional experience, ideally in a mission‑oriented or client‑facing technical role.
• Candidates with 2+ years of relevant FDE experience, including an active or recent DoD security clearance, will also be considered.
• Clearance‑ready: U.S. Citizen with eligibility and willingness to obtain a clearance.
• Strong technical acumen—able to understand complex systems, data workflows, and technical architectures.
• Experience implementing or deploying software in operational or government environments.
• Excellent problem‑solving and communication skills, with the ability to convey technical concepts to non‑technical users.
• Comfortable working in ambiguous and fast‑changing environments, often interfacing with senior government stakeholders.
• Passionate about the defense mission and driven by impact more than optics.
• Prior experience in defense, national security, or government contracting preferred but not required.

You care about government & are mission‑oriented – Our work is important, and is critical to improving a system that impacts us all.

Perseverance and endurance – Hard problems are worth solving, and solving them can take a long time. There is no such thing as exhausting all options, it’s just time to look for new ones.

Empowerment > micro‑management – We’re building a culture of high‑performers. Our job is to equip them with what they need and eliminate roadblocks for them to succeed. We trust their judgment, skills, and experience from there.

We’re collaborative and communicate well – Constructive dialogue that takes all viewpoints into account is the only way we get to the right decision. Respect, trust, and complete transparency with each other is critical — keep it all in the open.

You’re really good at what you do… but it speaks for itself – High output, no ego. Being humble is extremely important to us.

You don’t mind change and are comfortable with uncertainty – We’re deliberate about setting goals, but we’re comfortable changing course and dealing with discomfort to get there. We’re still figuring things out, and that demands being flexible and iterative.

Work doesn’t feel like “work” to you – We’re passionate about what we’re going after, and we devote more time to it than a typical 9‑5. That often means putting in extra time at night and occasionally on weekends. However, maintaining your own personal balance comes above all…