Forward Deployed Engineer
Production code on client data. The role that closes the gap between the pilot and the business.
$190,000–210,000 base · £700/dayVery high demand
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AI talent for companies
The AI role you have spent months trying to fill.
We qualify AI and data centre profiles on technical judgement, not on a keyword filter. No exclusivity, with a replacement guarantee.
Shortlist in 72 h
90-day guarantee
ES · UK · US
qualifyDecomposition case set in your own domainbefore the CV
feesNo exclusivity · you pay when they start18–20%
guaranteeReplacement: 90 days permanent, 7 days freelancecontract
The problem
Why this role gets hired badly
A Forward Deployed Engineer is not a backend developer with people skills. It is the intersection of three things that rarely meet in the same person, and a keyword filter cannot see it.
- Production engineering. Code that runs on real client data, not demos.
- Direct contact with the business. Sitting with the client and turning chaos into requirements.
- Domain ontology. Understanding the sector well enough to model it.
Hiring models
Two ways to fill the seat
No exclusivity agreement and no upfront payment in either of them. You are only invoiced when someone is actually working.
Permanent placement
18 to 20%
Contingency on gross annual salary
- No exclusivity and no upfront payment
- 90-day replacement guarantee
- AI and data centre profiles
- You only pay when the person starts
Embedded freelance
25 to 40%
Markup on the day rate
- Contracts from 1 to 12 months
- Replacement within 7 working days
- UK outside IR35, US C2C or W-2
- Conversion to permanent if it fits
Roles
Positions we fill
From the person who writes the code that ships the AI to the person who keeps the data centre it runs in standing up.
AI / ML Engineer
RAG, evaluations, fine-tuning, agents and guardrails inside real systems.
£450–1,000/day · $90–300/hVery high demand
AI Architect
Designs the whole platform: data, models, cost, latency and governance.
From $250,000 · from £850/dayHigh demand
Platform / MLOps Engineer
What keeps the deployment alive once the project team walks away.
£600–850/dayHigh demand
Data centre electrician
Medium voltage, UPS and critical distribution. A structural shortage in the market.
Contract and permanentVery high demand
HVAC and cooling technician
Liquid and air cooling for high-density racks.
Contract and permanentVery high demand
Indicative market ranges taken from public sources (LinkedIn, Indeed, ITJobsWatch, 2025 and 2026). They vary widely by seniority and company: these are ranges, not points.
Comparison
How we differ from a generalist recruiter
| Criterion | Generalist recruiter | Forward Deployed Studio |
|---|---|---|
| Who qualifies | Keyword filter on the CV | A former Forward Deployed Engineer |
| Technical test | The client runs it, if they can | Decomposition case in your domain |
| Scope | Permanent placement only | Permanent, freelance, training and delivery |
| Exclusivity | Exclusive agreement | No exclusivity, you pay on placement |
| If it fails | Depends on the small print | 90 days permanent, 7 days freelance |
| Cost to the candidate | Varies | Zero, always |
Where they come from
Where the talent comes from
We do not rely on searching the open market alone. We train and maintain the pool we draw the profiles from, and that is what shortens the timeline.
01
Reskilling academy
An 8-week programme that takes software, solutions or data engineers into the Forward Deployed role.
Cohorts in ES and IN
02
Private community
A club of engineers shipping AI on client site, with channels by vertical and by stack.
By invitation
03
In-person events
Meetups in London, Madrid and New York where we get to know people before putting them forward.
In person
04
Our own qualification
Every candidate works a real case in your domain before reaching your inbox.
Before the shortlistYou need to fill a seat
Tell us which deployment is stuck and we will come back with qualified profiles within 72 hours.
Are you an engineer looking to join our network or the academy? Write to us through the contact form and say so. We never charge candidates. In the United Kingdom we operate under the Employment Agencies Act 1973 and the Conduct Regulations 2003.