Forward Deployment Engineer

FDM; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Foresight Data Machines (FDM) is seeking a Forward Deployed Engineer to take ownership from factory floor to production deployments. You will work directly with customers inside large industrial facilities, tackling complex problems, analyzing real-world data, and building scalable production software across the stack.

Ideal candidates combine strong programming skills (Python, C++, Go, TypeScript or Java) with an analytical mind, excellent communication, and the ability to operate autonomously

Qualifications

• Strong programming ability in Python, C++, Go, TypeScript or Java.
• Highly analytical and curious mindset.
• Ability to operate independently in ambiguous environments.
• Strong communication and customer-facing skills.

Responsibilities

• Own problems from the factory floor through to production deployments.
• Work directly with customers inside major industrial facilities.
• Understand complex operational and technical problems.
• Analyze real-world data and build models.
• Develop production software across the stack.
• Prototype, deploy and iterate rapidly across AI, software, data and industrial systems.
• Take ownership of deployments from first principles to production.

Skills

Python

C++

Go

TypeScript

Java

Analytical mindset

Customer-facing skills

Job description

At Foresight Data Machines (FDM), we're building AI systems for some of the world's most complex industrial environments.

Our flagship product, ScrapChef, combines AI, physics, and industrial data to optimize steelmaking — helping major producers make better decisions around scrap purchasing, material mixes, and furnace operations.

This isn't AI sitting in a research environment. Our software runs in production and influences decisions worth millions of dollars. We're looking for exceptional engineers to help deploy and scale it.

What you'll do

As a Forward Deployed Engineer, you'll own problems from the factory floor through to production:

• Work directly with customers inside major industrial facilities
• Understand complex operational and technical problems
• Analyse messy real-world data and build models
• Develop production software across the stack
• Prototype, deploy and iterate rapidly
• Work across AI, software, data and industrial systems
• Take ownership of deployments from first principles to production

You'll work closely with software engineers, AI researchers, physicists, process engineers and plant operators.

Why FDM?

Real-world impact — Your code doesn't just improve a dashboard. It can influence how steel is purchased, processed and produced.

Exceptional technical problems — Combine software engineering with AI, physics, optimisation and industrial systems to solve problems that don't have obvious answers.

Extreme ownership — Small team, minimal bureaucracy and significant autonomy. You'll have the opportunity to shape both the technology and how we build it.

Work that ships — Prototype in days, deploy into production and see your work operating inside some of the world's largest industrial environments.

Be early — FDM is backed by investors and is at a stage where exceptional engineers can have a disproportionate impact on the company's trajectory.

Who we're looking for

We're interested in exceptional problem solvers, not people who simply tick every technology box.

You might be a:

• Software Engineer
• Data Scientist
• Physicist or mathematician who codes
• Startup engineer
• Competitive programmer
• Engineer with impressive technical side projects

You'll ideally have:

• Strong programming ability in Python, C++, Go, TypeScript or Java
• A highly analytical and curious mindset
• The ability to operate independently in ambiguous environments
• Strong communication and customer-facing skills

Industry experience isn't required. We care far more about your ability to learn, build and solve difficult problems.

Interested?

Show us what you've built.

Alongside your CV, tell us about some projects, achievements or technical problems you're most proud of — GitHub projects, research, hackathons, competitions, startups or anything else that demonstrates how you think.