Forward Deployed Engineer - AI

C2 Labs, Inc.; Knoxville (TN); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

C2 Labs is hiring a Senior Forward Deployed Engineer to design, build, and ship AI and technology products. You will work close to the mission, turning real-world workflows into working software and agents, and helping define the next generation of our AI platform.

This high-ownership role suits someone who loves AI, automation, and transformation, with work that is used daily in government contracting and enterprise settings.

Qualifications

• 5-8 years building software, platforms, cloud systems, or applied technology products (or equivalent intensity).
• 1-3 years shipping AI, automation, or LLM-powered products in production.
• Hands-on experience with AI/LLM systems (agents, RAG, automation, evaluation).
• Strong software engineering skills (Python required; modern web/TypeScript a plus).
• Cloud delivery experience (AWS and/or Azure), APIs, CI/CD, and Infrastructure as Code.

Responsibilities

• Build and ship AI-powered products, agents, copilots, and automation with measurable operational impact.
• Translate complex workflows into reliable technology products.
• Design and implement modern AI architectures (agents, orchestration, RAG/knowledge systems).
• Integrate AI with enterprise systems, cloud services, and data sources.
• Drive digital transformation by automating manual processes.
• Ensure secure-by-design solutions with governance and auditability.
• Support sales and business development with technical discovery and credible delivery plans.
• Contribute across the stack including product and project management.

Skills

Python

AI/LLM systems

Cloud experience

APIs

CI/CD

IaC

Security/governance

Communication

Government contracting experience

Education

Bachelor's degree in technical field

Tools

Copilot Studio

Power Platform

Job description

C2 Labs (www.c2labs.com) helps government and commercial organizations transform how they work through AI, automation, cloud, cybersecurity, and modern software. We build real products and platforms that remove manual work, speed decisions, and scale securely in regulated environments. If you want to ship AI that actually lands in production, not sit in a slide deck, this is the role.

Preferred to live in the Knoxville, Tennessee metro area (or willing to relocate).

Position Summary

C2 Labs is hiring a Senior Forward Deployed Engineer to design, build, and ship AI and technology products that change how teams operate. You will work close to the mission, turn messy real-world workflows into working software and agents, and help define the next generation of our AI platform. This is a high-ownership role for someone who loves AI, automation, and transformation - and wants to see their work used every day.

What You'll Do

• Build and ship AI-powered products, agents, copilots, and automation that create measurable operational impact.
• Turn complex business and mission workflows into simple, reliable technology products.
• Design and implement modern AI architectures (agents, orchestration, RAG/knowledge systems, evaluation, and human-in-the-loop controls).
• Integrate AI with enterprise systems, APIs, cloud services, and data sources so solutions work in the real world.
• Drive digital transformation by replacing slow manual processes with automated, intelligent workflows.
• Build with strong governance in mind: secure use of AI, clear human decision points, auditability, and responsible automation.
• Elevate customer experience and service: make tools intuitive, reliable, and easy for operators to adopt and trust.
• Support sales and business development with technical discovery, demos, solution framing, and credible delivery plans.
• Contribute across the stack as needed: software, data, cloud/infrastructure, DevOps, security, product and project management, and analysis.
• Raise the bar for quality: secure by design, observable, maintainable, and proven in production.
• Capture what works as reusable product patterns so the whole company moves faster.

What We're Looking For

• U.S. Citizenship required.
• Builder mindset: you ship products, not just prototypes.
• 5-8 years building software, platforms, cloud systems, or applied technology products (or equivalent intensity).
• 1-3 years shipping AI, automation, or LLM-powered products in production.
• Hands-on experience with AI/LLM systems (agents, RAG, automation, evaluation).
• Strong software engineering skills (Python required; modern web/TypeScript a plus).
• Cloud delivery experience (AWS and/or Azure), APIs, CI/CD, and Infrastructure as Code.
• Comfort spanning multiple domains: engineering, data, security, governance, product, and project delivery.
• Customer-oriented mindset: experience and service quality matter as much as technical cleverness.
• Clear communication with technical and non-technical stakeholders, including sales and business development conversations.
• Excitement about AI-driven transformation in government contracting and government agency environments.

Nice to Have

• Bachelor's degree in a technical field or equivalent practical experience.
• Working understanding of UX/UI design principles.
• Active Top Secret (TS) clearance preferred.
• Experience delivering technology in government contracting or government agency settings.
• Familiarity with compliance-aware environments (FedRAMP, RMF, NIST, CMMC-adjacent).
• Experience with Microsoft AI/automation ecosystems (Copilot Studio, Power Platform) or similar enterprise AI platforms.
• Prior forward deployed, field, or customer-embedded engineering experience.
• Prior support of sales cycles, proposals, or business development technical pursuits.

Why C2 Labs?

You will help build an AI-native product and engineering culture where automation is the default, transformation is the mission, and ownership is real. Small team. High impact. Work that matters in government contracting and across government agencies - with room to shape the products from day one.

EEO STATEMENT:

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered without discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or protected veteran status. Employment offers will be contingent on passing a pre-employment drug screen.