Forward Deployed Engineer (Washington, D.C)

About the role

As the first Forward Deployed Engineer at Realm, you will be the technical liaison for customers in the field, handling integrations, onsite deployments, and translating operational needs into scalable solutions. You will work directly with mine infrastructure and industrial systems to ensure the AI platform performs reliably in mission‑critical environments.

Key responsibilities

• Spend roughly 25% of time onsite with customers across the US, shadowing operators and understanding workflows.
• Rapidly prototype tools and integrations in the field to validate ideas and solve urgent problems.
• Lead technical integration work including APIs, data pipelines, hardware/software interfaces, and security‑sensitive deployments.
• Translate field insights into clear technical requirements for the engineering team.
• Represent customer technical realities internally and influence product direction.
• Support pre‑sales activities by demonstrating product value onsite with prospects.

Required profile

• 2+ years of software engineering or forward‑deployed/mission operations experience with a record of shipping impactful work.
• Strong technical fluency, ability to read, write, and debug code for rapid prototyping.
• Low ego, high emotional intelligence, and excellent collaborative instincts.
• Experience with enterprise, industrial, government, or security‑critical products.
• Ability to thrive in ambiguous environments and balance long‑term vision with immediate needs.

Required skills

• Proficiency with core development and DevOps tools such as Git and Linux.
• Experience building and consuming APIs and data pipelines.
• Hands‑on prototyping and AI‑assisted coding capabilities.
• Strong data analysis instincts and ability to form hypotheses from data.

What we offer

• Competitive compensation with significant equity upside.
• Full medical, dental, and vision benefits.
• Unlimited PTO and 401(k) with 4% match.
• Home office allowance and remote‑first work environment.