What is a Forward Deployed Engineer, and when do you need one?
A Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) is an engineer placed inside a client team to build and deploy AI solutions on that team's own systems and workflows, and to stay until the solution is adopted. You need one when AI tools exist but are not yet changing how work gets done.
Why the role exists
Most AI projects stall between the demo and daily use. Models work in isolation, but real workflows involve legacy systems, messy data and people with habits. An FDE closes that gap by working where the work happens.
What an FDE actually does
They map a workflow, find the steps an agent can take over, build the integrations and evaluations, roll out to a small group, measure, and then scale. They also train the team that will own the system after them.
Signs you need one
You have AI licences with low usage; pilots that never reached production; or a backlog of automation ideas with no one who understands both the business process and the engineering.
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