Forward Deployed Engineer

fde; Los Angeles (CA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Hadrian is seeking a Forward Deployed Engineer to embed on enterprise aerospace/defense programs in Los Angeles or the SF Bay Area. You will configure Opus, write edge software, and own the discovery-to-deployment loop with direct customer access.

Location flexibility includes periodic on-site time with clients; compensation ranges from $120K to $250K, reflecting junior configurator to senior program owner levels.

Qualifications

• Experience embedding on aerospace/defense programs as a Forward Deployed Engineer.
• Ability to configure Opus and develop edge software for production environments.

Responsibilities

• Embed on enterprise aerospace/defense programs to drive deployment.
• Configure Opus and build edge software for full discovery-to-deployment lifecycle.
• Engage directly with customers and coordinate with cross-functional teams.

Skills

FDE experience

Edge software

Tools

Opus platform

Job description

Embed on enterprise aerospace/defense programs as a Forward Deployed Engineer at Hadrian's autonomous factories. Configure Opus, build edge software, and own the full loop from discovery to deployment with direct customer access. Based in Los Angeles (Torrance) or the SF Bay Area with periodic on-site time at customers. Hadrian builds rockets/satellites/jets/ships faster and cheaper via AI + robotics + full-stack manufacturing (Factory 3 launching in Mesa, AZ). Verified on Hadrian's Ashby board.

Hardware, not chatbots: Hadrian builds autonomous factories for aerospace and defense, and its FDE embeds on enterprise programs to configure Opus (its factory-autonomy platform), write edge software, and run discovery-to-deployment with no intermediary layer. The $120K–$250K band is unusually wide — it's really two jobs (junior configurator vs. senior program owner) under one title — and one of the few FDE seats where 'production' means physical parts coming off a line.

Forward Deployed Engineer at Hadrian. Location: Los Angeles / SF Bay Area, CA. Compensation: $120K–$250K. Posted August 19, 2026.