Forward Deployed AI Engineer, Germany

United States Digital Space LLC; United States; Hybrid; USD 102,762 - 148,435; Full time

Job summary

United States Digital Space LLC is seeking a Forward Deployed AI Engineer to design and deploy AI-powered workflows in secure environments. You will work closely with intelligence analysts and engineers to ship production-ready solutions, including RAG systems and multi-agent workflows, with on-site support and frequent travel.

The role emphasizes hands-on platform deployment, data fusion, and rapid prototyping in air-gapped settings, leveraging Docker, Kubernetes, and secure APIs.

Qualifications

• 3+ years hands-on software engineering building and deploying production systems.

Responsibilities

• Deploy the company's intelligence platform into customer secure environments (on-premise, air-gapped networks, classified data centers).
• Build and maintain containerized applications (Docker) and manage deployments in customer Kubernetes clusters.
• Develop APIs and data pipelines connecting the company systems to customer C4ISR infrastructure and intelligence tools.
• Troubleshoot deployment issues in disconnected environments without external internet access.
• Build Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems that combine SAR data with customer intelligence documents for context-aware analysis.
• Develop AI agents and workflows using frameworks like LangChain, LangGraph, or similar tools to automate analytical tasks.
• Implement prompt engineering strategies and conversational AI interfaces that enable analysts to query satellite data using natural language.
• Create Model Context Protocol (MCP) integrations connecting AI systems with customer data sources.
• Build data fusion pipelines combining SAR imagery with additional intelligence sources (AIS, RF signals, optical imagery, SIGINT).
• Develop automated workflows that correlate and cross-reference information across different data modalities.
• Create lightweight tools, dashboards, and alerting systems tailored to customer operational needs.
• Work embedded with intelligence analysts, data scientists, and military operators to understand mission-critical problems.
• Rapidly prototype AI-powered solutions (code first, polish later) that address immediate operational requirements.
• Conduct hands-on training sessions on platform capabilities and AI workflow usage.
• Gather customer feedback and translate it into technical requirements for the product and engineering teams.

Skills

Python

Go

TypeScript

Rust

LLMs

prompt engineering

RAG systems

LangChain

LangGraph

pydantic-ai

vector databases

Docker

Kubernetes

APIs

data pipelines

Linux

air-gapped environments

english communication

travel

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

LangChain

LangGraph

pydantic-ai

vector databases

Job description

Role Highlights

• Role: Forward Deployed AI Engineer
• Department: Forward Deployed Engineering
• Location: Germany (Berlin)
• Reports to: VP, Forward Deployed Engineering
• Working type: Hybrid (On-site at customer locations approx. 50% of time)
• Must be eligible and able to attain relevant national and NATO security clearances at the highest level.
• Must be based in-country and native level speaker of the country you're deploying to.

The Mission of the Forward Deployed AI Engineer

In this role, you'll be the hands‑on AI builder defense and intelligence customers rely on. You’ll deploy the company’s intelligence platform into secure (often air‑gapped) environments and rapidly ship AI‑powered workflows on top of it—everything from Docker‑based deployments to RAG systems fusing SAR imagery with intelligence reports. This is a ship‑code‑daily role: turning raw satellite data into mission‑critical tools analysts use to protect nations.

Who We Are

The company is the world leader in sovereign intelligence from space. We deliver persistent monitoring capabilities to detect and respond to changes in any location on Earth.

The company owns the world's largest and most advanced SAR (synthetic aperture radar) satellite constellation. To our customers we provide intelligence with unmatched quality, latency and revisit times, in any weather, day or night. To governments who choose to operate their own constellation we provide this proven capability as a sovereign system.

The company‑built constellations serve customers in defence and intelligence, environmental monitoring, insurance and emergency management. We enable fast decisions that contribute to a safer future.

Founded and headquartered in Finland, the company operates globally with over 1000 employees across Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia‑Pacific.

Day to day responsibilities

Platform Deployment & Integration

• Deploy the company's intelligence platform into customer secure environments (on‑premise, air‑gapped networks, classified data centers).
• Build and maintain containerized applications (Docker) and manage deployments in customer Kubernetes clusters.
• Develop APIs and data pipelines connecting the company systems to customer C4ISR infrastructure and intelligence tools.
• Troubleshoot deployment issues in disconnected environments without external internet access.

AI Solution Development & Customization

• Build Retrieval‑Augmented Generation (RAG) systems that combine the company SAR data with customer intelligence documents for context‑aware analysis.
• Develop AI agents and workflows using frameworks like LangChain, LangGraph, or similar tools to automate analytical tasks.
• Implement prompt engineering strategies and conversational AI interfaces that enable analysts to query satellite data using natural language.
• Create Model Context Protocol (MCP) integrations connecting AI systems with customer data sources.

Data Fusion & Intelligence Workflows

• Build data fusion pipelines combining SAR imagery with additional intelligence sources (AIS, RF signals, optical imagery, SIGINT).
• Develop automated workflows that correlate and cross‑reference information across different data modalities.
• Create lightweight tools, dashboards, and alerting systems tailored to customer operational needs.

Customer Engagement & Rapid Prototyping

• Work embedded with intelligence analysts, data scientists, and military operators to understand mission‑critical problems.
• Rapidly prototype AI‑powered solutions (code first, polish later) that address immediate operational requirements.
• Conduct hands‑on training sessions on platform capabilities and AI workflow usage.
• Gather customer feedback and translate it into technical requirements for the company's product and engineering teams.

What we are looking for

Must have skills

• 3+ years hands‑on software engineering building and deploying production systems.
• Strong Python programming skills (required) plus one of: Go, TypeScript, or Rust.
• Hands‑on experience with LLMs, prompt engineering, and RAG systems.
• Working knowledge of agent frameworks (LangChain, LangGraph, pydantic‑ai) and vector databases.
• Experience with Docker and deploying in secure / isolated / air‑gapped environments.
• Practical experience with APIs, data pipelines, and integrating systems in production.
• Familiarity with Linux and basic Kubernetes operations.
• Builder mindset: ship fast, iterate with feedback, and prioritize working solutions over perfect architecture.
• Strong communication + customer engagement, able to work embedded with intelligence analysts / military operators.
• Strong spoken and written English, able to explain technical concepts to non‑technical stakeholders.
• Willingness to travel 40–60% to customer sites within the region.

Nice to have skills

• Experience in defense, intelligence, or government operational environments.
• Deploying to on‑prem data centers and/or air‑gapped networks.
• Familiarity with geospatial data, satellite imagery, or remote sensing.
• Experience with MCP integrations, multi‑agent systems, or agentic workflows.
• Deeper Kubernetes, IaC (Terraform/Ansible), and/or offline CI/CD.
• Understanding of intelligence analysis workflows and defense/government requirements.
• Experience with data fusion, multi‑source intelligence integration, or GIS tools (ArcGIS, QGIS).
• Background in solution engineering, technical consulting, or customer success.
• Experience in defense tech (e.g., Palantir, Anduril, Scale AI, similar startups).

Benefits

Our benefits are designed to support your health and wellbeing—at work and beyond. We keep improving them based on employee feedback, and offerings vary by location. Talent Acquisition will confirm what applies for this role and location during the process.

Our commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

We want the company to be a place where people can be themselves and do great work. Different backgrounds and perspectives make us stronger, which is why we work to create an environment where people feel included, respected, and able to speak up. Whatever your background, we want you to bring your authentic self to the table.

We’re committed to fair, inclusive hiring and equal opportunity. Everyone is welcome to apply. If you need any adjustments or support during the recruitment process, tell us—we’ll do our best to help.