Forward deployed engineer job description: a template built from real postings

A good forward deployed engineer job description answers five questions before a candidate has to ask: which customers the engineer will build for, how much of the week is production code, how much travel is real, which level you are hiring, and what it pays. The FDE postings that Palantir, OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and Salesforce publish on their official job boards all ask for hands-on production code alongside customer work, put a number on travel, and print a pay range for US roles^2,3,4,5,6. Below is a copy-ready template with the decision behind each line, a dated comparison of those postings, and the pay-disclosure rules of five states.

Still deciding whether you need the role? Start with our guide to hiring a forward deployed engineer. For where the team should report, see when the forward deployed engineering model pays off.

What should an FDE job description include?

Seven blocks, in this order:

1. Role summary: customer type, outcome and reporting line.
2. Responsibilities by deployment stage.
3. Must-have and nice-to-have requirements, kept apart.
4. The split between coding and customer work.
5. Travel and on-site expectations.
6. Level: FDE, senior FDE or FDE manager, one per posting.
7. Pay range and benefits, in the posting itself.

Template text sits in boxes with [brackets] to fill in; the decision behind it follows.

How do published FDE job descriptions compare?

Five postings from the companies’ official job boards, checked on October 22, 2026. Each is one posting at one time; these companies run many FDE variants by city, industry and level, and ranges change.

Three patterns hold. None is a demo-and-handoff job: each asks for hands-on production code. Four of the five tie the role to the product, whether by sharing field feedback with Research and Product (OpenAI), codifying repeatable deployment patterns (Anthropic), turning field friction into reusable modules or feature requests (Google) or surfacing platform gaps (Salesforce)^3,7,5,63OpenAI, “Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) - SF,” 11 September 2026.7Anthropic, “Forward Deployed Engineer (London, UK),” 14 September 2026.5Google, “Forward Deployed Engineer IV, Applied AI, Google Cloud.”6Salesforce, “Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) (Mid/Senior Level),” 30 September 2026.. And three of the five pair the FDE with a separate strategy or engagement role: Palantir and Salesforce post Deployment Strategists who work alongside FDEs, and Anthropic’s FDE manager posting describes Engagement Managers who own delivery logistics and stakeholder management^13,6,1413Palantir Technologies, “Deployment Strategist (New York).”14Anthropic, “Manager, Forward Deployed Engineering (New York City),” 31 August 2026..

How should the role summary and responsibilities read?

The decision: name the customer and the reporting line. OpenAI’s healthcare FDE posting, for example, names payers, providers and health systems and the patient-data safeguards involved¹⁵15OpenAI, “Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE), Healthcare - SF,” 6 August 2026.. The reporting line tells a candidate whether this is an engineering job or a services job.

The decision: organize duties by deployment stage, not as a list of skills. OpenAI’s posting uses a similar sequence, from discovery and technical scoping through system design, build and production rollout³, and Anthropic’s Staff FDE posting adds anticipating security and procurement gates⁴4Anthropic, “Staff Forward Deployed Engineer (New York City, San Francisco, Seattle),” 14 October 2026.. A stage list shows the whole engagement and makes clear the job continues past the sale. Keep the last bullet only if someone will act on it; without an owner for turning field work into product, the role drifts toward services, a trade-off covered in our analysis of the forward deployed engineering model.

Which requirements are must-haves, and how much of the job is code?

The decision: list as a must-have only what you would reject a candidate for. Anthropic’s Staff FDE posting draws the line explicitly: candidates need not have shipped agents to production, but they do need deep experience building and operating production systems⁴. Salesforce makes customer-facing delivery experience a requirement and platform certifications a nice-to-have⁶. Set the years from the level you are hiring, not from the most famous posting; the five above run from 1+ years at Palantir to 8 for Google’s level IV role^2,52Palantir Technologies, “Forward Deployed Software Engineer (New York).”.

None of the five postings publishes a coding percentage; they signal it through requirements. Stating a split is the clearest way to separate your role from a pre-sales one, and so is saying what the FDE does not own. OpenAI’s healthcare FDE posting says the role owns the technical solution and does not require owning the commercial or executive relationship¹⁵.

How should you describe travel and on-site work?

The decision: give a number and a pattern. Every posting in the comparison states a travel figure, from about 25 percent at Salesforce to up to 50 percent at OpenAI and Google^6,3,5; Anthropic and Palantir’s new-grad posting give a band of 25 to 50 percent^7,1616Palantir Technologies, “Forward Deployed Software Engineer, New Grad - Commercial (New York).”. A percentage alone hides whether it means a week a month or three days every week. If travel is a condition of the job, list it under requirements; Google’s level IV posting places it among preferred qualifications while describing a high-travel role⁵. State the office policy too; Anthropic, for example, expects staff in an office at least 25 percent of the time⁷.

How should the posting change for senior FDEs and FDE managers?

Write one posting per level. A posting that spans levels forces a wide pay band, and New York’s guidance says a posting covering different possible seniority levels must give a range for each¹⁰10New York State Department of Labor, “Pay Transparency Act Frequently Asked Questions.”.

Both manager postings keep the manager close to the code: Anthropic calls its role a player-coach position, and OpenAI lists writing and reviewing production-grade code among what it looks for in its manager^14,1717OpenAI, “Manager, Forward Deployed Engineering- NYC,” 23 September 2026.. If your first FDE manager will also carry an engagement, say so. Entry-level variants exist too; Palantir posts a new-grad FDE role at $135,000 to $145,000¹⁶.

What pay information does the posting have to include?

If you are a covered employer and the role can be filled in any of the states below, the range belongs in the posting. This summarizes official guidance and bill text as checked on October 22, 2026, and it is not legal advice. The five states are examples, not a complete list: Minnesota, for one, requires employers with 30 or more employees in the state to give a starting salary range and a general description of benefits in each posting¹⁸18Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes, “181.173 Salary Ranges Required in Job Postings.”, and cities can add their own rules, as New York City does¹⁹19New York State Department of Labor, “Pay Transparency.”.

The decision: say what the range includes. Palantir notes its range excludes sign-on bonus, benefits and long-term incentives; Google lists a 20 percent bonus target and equity on top of base; Salesforce says its range is base salary only^2,5,6. For setting the numbers, see the pay section of how to hire a forward deployed engineer.

Which mistakes attract the wrong candidates?

• A solutions engineer role under the FDE title. If the work is demos and proofs of concept that another team implements, call it solutions engineering. Every FDE posting compared here asks for production code; Salesforce’s role description starts by stating that production experience is required⁶. A mislabeled posting attracts engineers who expect to build, and risks losing them once the work becomes clear.
• “Some travel.” It screens no one in or out. Give the percentage and the pattern.
• “Competitive salary” or open-ended ranges. New York, Washington and Illinois guidance all reject open-ended ranges, such as a salary “and up”^10,11,1211Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, “Equal Pay & Opportunities Act.”12Illinois Department of Labor, “Equal Pay Act Pay Transparency FAQ.”.
• An AI wish list as must-haves. Naming every framework as required screens out strong production engineers who could learn them on the job. Keep tools in nice-to-have unless the first engagement depends on one.

Where can you find FDE candidates once the posting is ready?

Publishing the posting on your careers page and job boards is the default route, and everything above is written for it. Much of the same material also feeds a hiring brief, which is what Torchlane asks employers to share. For employers who need forward deployed engineers, Torchlane is our top pick: you describe the problem, your team, the experience required and how you will evaluate the work, and Torchlane discusses fit. Introductions depend on a candidate’s background, evidence, fit and availability, and the employer stays responsible for assessment, employment terms and final selection¹1Torchlane, “Hire AI engineers and forward deployed AI talent.”. Torchlane does not publish a live candidate inventory or guarantee an introduction¹. Its hire page asks you to consider both business context and the technical depth the role requires, and notes that senior roles may require experience beyond its program, so state the level and must-haves from your posting in the brief¹.

We have a business connection with Torchlane.