Senior Forward Deployed Engineer, U.S. Government

Zekai; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybride; USD 200 000 - 250 000; Plein temps

Avantages offerts par ce poste

Equity

Performance-based bonuses

Health insurance premium reimbursement

401(k) plan with company match

Remote-first workforce

Résumé du poste

Zekai is seeking a Senior Forward Deployed Engineer to lead the development and deployment of applied AI systems for U.S. Government missions in the Greater Washington DC area.

The role covers model experimentation, infrastructure, and production deployment in high-security environments, with forward-deployed work for government partners. You will own complex technical initiatives, drive architectural decisions, and translate mission needs into scalable, reliable AI systems while providing

Qualifications

• Extensive professional software engineering experience delivering production-grade systems.
• Advanced Python engineering with end-to-end ownership.
• Experience deploying LLM applications and agentic AI systems.
• Experience designing scalable data pipelines, ML infra, and model evaluation.
• Familiarity with RL workflows, simulation environments, or model experimentation.
• Ability to lead initiatives, make architectural decisions, and mentor engineers.
• Ability to operate independently in high-security, mission-critical environments.

Responsabilités

• Lead design and deployment of agentic AI systems for high-impact missions.
• Architect and integrate LLM applications and multi-agent workflows.
• Serve as senior technical partner to government stakeholders.
• Develop data curation and evaluation pipelines for model training.
• Scale infrastructure for model inference, experimentation, and deployment.
• Build systems turning data, models, and tools into operational autonomy.
• Own full lifecycle: architecture, implementation, deployment, reliability, security.
• Drive decisions, resolve engineering challenges, and mentor engineers.

Connaissances

Advanced Python

LLM applications

Agentic AI

Data pipelines

ML infrastructure

Leadership

Forward deployment

Outils

Python tooling

RL workflows

Description du poste

Hiring now · posted 1d ago Tech Contract · On-site / hybrid

Senior Forward Deployed Engineer, U.S. Government

$200,000–$250,000/yr

Yearly base salary stated in the job posting. Final pay depends on level and location.

Greater Washington DC area (onsite requi 1 openings Language: English Posted 30 Oct 2026 Get similar roles by email

Job Title: Senior Forward Deployed Engineer, U.S. Government

Job Type: Full-time

Location: Greater Washington DC area (onsite requirement 3-4x per week)

The Role

We're hiring a Senior Forward Deployed Engineer to lead the development and deployment of applied AI systems across research and production. This role spans model experimentation, infrastructure, and deployment in high-assurance, mission-critical environments, including forward-deployed work with strategic U.S. Government partners.

You’ll own complex technical initiatives, drive architectural decisions, and translate mission requirements into reliable, production-ready AI systems while providing technical leadership and ensuring mission success.

What You'll Work On

• Lead the design and deployment of agentic AI systems supporting high-impact U.S. Government missions, from prototype to production.
• Architect and integrate LLM applications, including multi-agent systems, tool-using agents, RAG workflows, and human-in-the-loop autonomy.
• Serve as a senior technical partner to government stakeholders, translating mission needs into scalable, reliable systems.
• Lead the development of large-scale data curation and evaluation pipelines for model training and improvement.
• Design and scale infrastructure for model inference, experimentation, evaluation, and deployment across frontier AI platforms.
• Build AI systems that turn mission data, models, and tools into real operational autonomy.
• Own the full technical lifecycle, including architecture, implementation, deployment, reliability, security, and iteration.
• Drive technical decisions, resolve complex engineering challenges, and provide mentorship and guidance to other engineers.

What We're Looking For

• Extensive professional software engineering experience, with a proven track record of owning and delivering complex, production-grade systems.
• Advanced Python engineering skills with demonstrated end-to-end technical ownership.
• Strong hands-on experience developing and deploying LLM applications and agentic AI systems.
• Experience designing and scaling data pipelines, ML infrastructure, and model evaluation systems.
• Familiarity with RL workflows, simulation environments, or model experimentation.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical initiatives, make architectural decisions, and mentor engineers.
• Ability to operate independently in ambiguous, partner-facing environments with strong technical and operational accountability.
• Comfortable working in high-security, high-reliability, and mission-critical environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Active U.S. security clearance or eligibility and willingness to obtain one.
• Experience supporting U.S. Government, defense, intelligence, or national security missions.
• Prior experience at a startup, defense organization, Department of War, or government-focused technology company.
• Experience leading technical initiatives and working directly with government stakeholders.
• Background operating in fast-moving startup environments, mission-critical government settings, or both.

Compensation & Benefits Notice

The national pay range for this full-time position is base salary of $200,000 –$250,000. All employees are eligible for equity compensation, and employees may also receive performance-based bonuses, dependent on role and subject to company policies. our partner provides a comprehensive benefits package, including up to 100% reimbursement for health-insurance premiums, paid time off, a 401(K) plan with a company match, and additional benefits designed to support a high-performing, remote-first workforce.

our partner is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation during the application process, reach out to support@our partner.

Our hiring process utilizes artificial intelligence tools to assist in candidate screening and assessment. Our AI tools are designed to complement, not replace, human decision-making.

Disclaimer

The information contained in this job posting, including but not limited to role responsibilities, qualifications, compensation, and benefits, is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute a binding offer of employment. our partner reserves the right to amend, modify, or withdraw any portion of this posting at its sole discretion and without prior notice. All employment decisions are made in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

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Agentic AI & LLM Systems Engineering Python & Production Software Engineering ML Infrastructure & Model Evaluation Technical Leadership & Forward Deployment