Forward Deployed Backend Engineer

NestAI; Helsinki; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

ESOP

Occupational healthcare

Sports & culture stipend (€200/year)

Mental wellbeing services

Choice of Mac or PC and work phone

Company events; lunch expenses

Job summary

NestAI in Helsinki is seeking a Senior Forward Deployed Engineer with a strong backend focus to lead the technical integration and data orchestration of our autonomous systems for partner networks.

You will design, build, and scale resilient API layers, streaming pipelines, and mission-critical backend services that run in low-latency, bandwidth-constrained edge environments, working on-site with partners and remotely as needed.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in server-side, distributed backend engineering.
• Proficiency in Python and C++ with async patterns.
• Experience with UAV/UGV or edge robotics protocols.
• Experience with Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD and edge deployments.
• Strong technical communication and collaboration with partners.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and scale microservices and data pipelines for NestOS edge systems.
• Develop RESTful, gRPC, and WebSocket backends for real-time telemetry.
• Integrate hardware telemetry and autonomous mission control with backend services.
• Collaborate on-site and remotely with partner teams and feedback loop.
• Lead technical integration and backend architecture for field deployments.

Skills

Python

C++

Distributed systems

Backend integration

Containerization

WebSockets

CI/CD pipelines

Technical communication

Edge computing

UAV/UGV experience

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

ROS/ROS2

MAVLink

SQL/NoSQL databases

REST/gRPC/WebSocket APIs

Job description

Company

NestAI builds the adaptive operating system for modern battlefield operations. Most AI systems are built once, validated at deployment, and expected to stay sufficient after that. That assumption holds until conditions change, and in defence, they always do. Our team develops adaptive intelligence for unmanned and command systems: AI that continuously learns from operational data and adapts to changing conditions, deployed in environments where there is no internet, no GPS, and failure is not an option. NestOS, our open, modular, and interoperable platform, enables this at scale and keeps capability evolution under sovereign European control.

Founded in 2025 by Peter Sarlin, whose previous company Silo AI became Europe's largest AI acquisition, NestAI has grown to over 200 engineers and scientists and partners with leading European defence forces and industry. We're ambitious about what we're building and honest with each other. The bar is high, and so are the standards we hold ourselves to. But this is also a place built on humility, trust, and looking after each other. If that sounds like the kind of work you want to do, keep reading.

We're looking for a Senior Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) with a strong backend focus, you will lead the technical integration, core backend architecture, and data orchestration of NestAI’s autonomous systems for our partner network. This is a high-stakes, field-adjacent position where software directly interfaces with edge robotics and critical field infrastructure. You will design, build, and scale resilient API layers, streaming data pipelines, and mission-critical backend services engineered to run reliably in low-latency, bandwidth-constrained operational environments.

We need a versatile backend engineer who combines a background in artificial intelligence and robotics with deep server-side experience. You will take ownership of connecting complex hardware telemetry, autonomous mission control systems, and LLM‑driven intelligence layers into robust backend platforms that power real-time field operations.

What you'll work on

• Take technical ownership of designing, building, and deploying highly available microservices, streaming pipelines, and server-side infrastructure (Python and C++) connecting NestOS edge systems with partner ecosystems.
• Build, deploy, and scale backend services for Large Language Model (LLM) applications—handling vector stores, retrieval-augmented generation pipelines, low-latency streaming endpoints, and autonomous AI agents.
• Engineer robust communication protocols, middleware, and backend interfaces to ingest telemetry, issue command-and-control instructions, and bridge software with UAV (drone) and UGV (ground robotics) hardware platforms.
• Design resilient RESTful APIs, gRPC services, and WebSocket pipelines designed for real-time telemetry streaming, edge-to-cloud synchronization, and high-concurrency environments.
• Utilize modern AI‑assisted engineering tools to accelerate development velocity and rapidly prototype client-requested features without compromising platform security, fault tolerance, or latency.
• Work directly alongside partner technical teams on‑site and remotely to troubleshoot complex field integrations, feeding partner feedback directly back into NestAI’s core platform architecture.

What we’re looking for:

If your background doesn't match every requirement but the work resonates with you, we'd encourage you to apply. How you think, learn, and take ownership matters more to us than ticking every box. Here is what we are looking for:

• 5+ years of experience as a Software Engineer with deep expertise in server‑side systems, distributed architecture, and backend integration.
• Strong proficiency in modern server‑side ecosystems (Python, and C++), distributed systems patterns, database architecture (SQL/NoSQL), and asynchronous message queues.
• Combined background in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, with practical experience working with UAVs, UGVs, or edge robotics protocols (e.g., ROS/ROS2, MAVLink, custom serial/network protocols).
• Systems Infrastructure & Networking: Solid experience with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), CI/CD pipelines, WebSockets, and deploying services across cloud, hybrid, or air‑gapped on‑premise edge environments.
• Excellent technical communication skills with the ability to confidently interface with external partner engineering teams, debug complex systems under pressure, and translate field requirements into backend features.
• Ability to travel occasionally (up to 10% of work time) to partner sites within Europe.

Nice to have:

• Hands‑on experience building and deploying backend infrastructure for Large Language Models (LLMs), including model serving, pipeline orchestration, prompt pipelines, and vector database integrations.

Why join NestAI

At NestAI, you’ll build meaningful, real‑world technology as part of a world‑class team of engineers, scientists, and experienced professionals. You’ll work on systems where reliability genuinely matters, contribute to Europe’s security and resilience, and solve problems that demand depth, trust, and craftsmanship.

If you want to build with purpose - and with leading experts in the field - you’ve come to the right place.

What we offer

We offer practical benefits to support your work and wellbeing:

• The chance to participate in the NestAI Employee Stock Option Program (ESOP)
• Occupational healthcare (currently provided through Deel)
• Possibility to expense €200 annually for sports, culture, commuting, and wellbeing
• Mental wellbeing services via Auntie
• Your choice of Mac or PC and work phone
• Company events and the possibility to expense lunch every other Friday

We are continuously developing our benefits offering as we grow.

Practicalities

Employment is subject to applicable security screening (including SUPO, where required).

NestAI is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all applicants based on their skills, experience, and potential.