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Forward Deployed Software Engineer, Public Sector

Scale AIAustin, TX; Colorado Springs, CO; Honolulu, HI; Omaha, NE; St. Louis, MO; Washington, DCPublic Sector Engineering
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Salary
Not listed
Job type
Full-time
Posted
9 Oct 2024
Status
Open · checked 7d ago

About this role

Scale AI is seeking a Forward Deployed Software Engineer for the Public Sector team to build and launch artificial intelligence applications for U.S. government clients across multiple cities including Austin, Colorado Springs, Honolulu, Omaha, St. Louis, and Washington, DC. This hybrid role suits an experienced engineer who thrives in fast-paced environments and wants to solve mission-critical challenges directly alongside defense and intelligence organizations.

Role Overview

As a Forward Deployed Software Engineer on the Public Sector Engineering team, you will embed directly with government customers like the Army, Air Force, Joint commands, and the Intelligence Community. Your primary responsibility is to understand critical mission requirements, scope problems, and build reliable AI applications. You will operate as a customer-facing engineer who owns the entire software delivery lifecycle, taking solutions from initial prototypes to stable production systems deployed at client sites. Working closely with product and engineering teams, you will translate field signals into valuable insights that shape future platform capabilities.

Key Responsibilities

Embed directly with government partners to analyze needs, define scope, and develop functional software solutions.
Manage the complete delivery lifecycle by designing, building, deploying, and maintaining applications directly at customer locations.
Construct resilient backend infrastructure and data integrations linking external customer environments with the core Scale platform.
Serve as the main technical contact for stakeholders to drive adoption and maximize mission success.
Relay field feedback to product teams so successful architectural patterns scale across the broader organization.

Requirements

Bring at least 5 years of software engineering background, ideally within customer-facing, government, or forward-deployed environments.
Demonstrate strong production-level coding capabilities in Python and TypeScript, or comparable modern programming languages.
Possess broad technical competence across the stack, covering cloud platforms, containers, Linux, and foundational networking.
Show the ability to function independently in ambiguous settings, navigating urgency and making strong technical trade-offs.
Hold an active TS/SCI clearance or maintain eligibility to obtain one.
Expect significant on-site collaboration, involving regular travel between 25% and 50%, or potential relocation to Washington, DC, or St. Louis.

Nice to Have

Practical background in building or launching systems powered by generative models or LLMs.
Familiarity with React, Node, Docker, Kubernetes, and Terraform.
Data engineering capabilities encompassing ETL pipelines, data governance, and data modeling.

Skills and Tools

Python
TypeScript
AWS, GCP, Azure
Kubernetes and Docker
Linux and networking fundamentals
React and Node
Terraform

Salary and Benefits

Scale AI provides comprehensive compensation structures that feature base salary, equity incentives, and robust benefits packages based on location and experience. Base salary ranges vary by region, with positions in Hawaii, Washington, DC, Texas, and Colorado ranging from $165,600 to $263,304 USD, and St. Louis positions ranging from $138,000 to $219,420 USD. Eligible employees receive comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance coverage, retirement plans, a learning and development stipend, generous paid time off, and potential commuter benefits.

About the Company

Scale AI builds reliable artificial intelligence systems designed to drive critical decisions for leading enterprises and government agencies. By providing high-quality data and full-stack technologies, the company empowers organizations such as Meta, Ernst & Young, Mayo Clinic, the Government of Qatar, and U.S. military branches to deploy impactful AI applications. Scale AI operates as an inclusive, equal-opportunity workplace dedicated to diversity and reasonable accommodations.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should visit the official Scale AI careers page or follow application instructions provided by the company to submit their materials for review.

Skills and tech stack

PythonAWSGCPAzureKubernetesDockerReactTypeScriptTerraform

Questions candidates ask

What locations are available for this role?

This position is based out of Austin, TX; Colorado Springs, CO; Honolulu, HI; Omaha, NE; St. Louis, MO; or Washington, DC.

What level of security clearance is required?

Candidates must either hold an active TS/SCI clearance or be eligible to obtain one.

How much travel is expected for this position?

The role requires significant on-site time with customers, with expected travel between 25% and 50%, along with possible relocation to Washington, DC, or St. Louis.

What programming languages are required?

Applicants need strong production coding experience in Python and TypeScript, or comparable modern programming languages.

What benefits are included with employment?

Eligible employees receive health, dental, and vision coverage, retirement benefits, a learning and development stipend, generous PTO, equity opportunities, and potential commuter benefits.

Ready to apply?

The application is on the official Scale AI careers page.

Apply on company site