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Hire FDEs who make AI work in the real world

Our forward deployed engineers embed with your team, build the agent or workflow you actually need, and get it live in your systems. Nearshore, in your time zone, with a shortlist in 48 hours.

Book an FDE
Download our free FDE guide

Book an FDE today and get two free weeks.

Trusted by leading brands

Forward deployed engineers

Why hire forward deployed engineers?

A forward deployed engineer, or FDE, is a senior engineer who works inside your team and owns one outcome: getting AI running in your real systems, with your real data, for your real users. Not a prototype in a notebook. A workflow your operations team uses on Monday.

The role combines solutions engineering with software engineering, and you may also see it called an AI solutions engineer or an applied AI engineer.

Read the full guide to forward deployed engineers

Production AI, measured in outcomes

75% to 35%

Lux Research needed to connect clients with analysts faster. FullStack built Luxer, an AI assistant that answers from Lux's own library, matches each topic with the right expert, and books the meeting. Before, 75% of inquiries took more than seven days to schedule. Now 35% are scheduled within 48 hours.

30%+

AI-native workflows cut Paciolan's modernization timelines by more than 30%.

500 to 5

For a regulatory compliance provider, FullStack built an agentic system that routes each sentence to the right model. Reviewers went from 500 sentences per call to five, at 93% accuracy, on par with human auditors.

Compare engagement models

FDE, staff augmentation, or a managed project?

Criteria
Staff augmentation
Forward deployed engineer
Managed project
Where they work
Staff augmentationIn your team, on your backlog
Forward deployed engineerIn your team, on one AI outcome
Managed projectIn our team, on a scope
Who directs the work
Staff augmentationYou
Forward deployed engineerShared: you set the goal, they own the path
Managed projectWe do
What you get
Staff augmentationCapacity
Forward deployed engineerA production AI system your people use
Managed projectA delivered scope
Best when
Staff augmentationYou know what to build
Forward deployed engineerYou know the problem, not the AI solution
Managed projectThe scope is fixed and clear

1-minute quiz

Find out if you really need an FDE

Answer six quick questions below and we'll assess your situation and point you to the engagement model that fits. No email needed.

Vetting

Seven skills every FDE is assessed on

  • Every FullStack FDE is assessed on these skills before they are ready for you.

  • Production code

    They write code in typed Python and SQL that ships, not scripts that demo.

  • Enterprise integration

    REST, GraphQL, webhooks, OAuth, and SAML. They can get through your IT gate.

  • Data and retrieval

    Data engineering on Snowflake, Databricks, Postgres, and vector stores. RAG that returns the right answer, not just an answer.

  • Agents and LLMs

    Claude, OpenAI, Gemini, LangGraph, MCP, and other AI tools. Agent workflows with tool calls, memory, and fallbacks.

  • Evals and guardrails

    Accuracy, hallucination, and cost measured before anything goes live.

  • Cloud and security

    AWS, GCP, Azure, Kubernetes, and IAM. Comfortable inside a locked-down customer environment.

  • Discovery and judgment

    Runs the room with your business stakeholders, scopes the use case, and knows when not to use AI.

Not sure which fits? Take the 1-minute quiz. No email needed.

Meet the talent

Meet a few of our Forward Deployed Engineers

Real profiles from Connect, our talent platform.
Names and photos stay hidden until you book a call.

See more FDEs on Connect

Why FullStack

Why hire FDEs from FullStack?

Engineers who are measured on what goes live, not on hours billed.

  • From pilot to production

    Most AI pilots stall. Our FDEs are measured on what goes live, not on hours.

  • Roughly half the cost of a US hire

    Senior nearshore FDEs, in your time zone.

  • Inside your systems fast

    Pre-vetted engineers, comfortable in locked-down environments, with a shortlist in 48 hours.

  • Two free weeks

    Book an FDE today and the first two weeks are on us.

Book an FDE

How it works

How to book an FDE on demand

We send you a curated shortlist of engineers from our network who match your requirements and availability.

  1. Step 1

    Share your use case

    Your account manager and an FDE lead join the first call to scope the outcome, not just the role.

  2. Step 2

    Match with an FDE

    Get a shortlist of senior, AI-enabled engineers with real technical depth who have deployed similar work.

  3. Step 3

    Review real skill assessments and interviews

    Every engineer in our network passes an extensive and rigorous vetting process, including a complex coding challenge that we record, grade, and share with you. In Connect, our talent portal, you can review real screen recordings of these assessments and interviews, along with comments on technical expertise from our expert vetting team.

    How we vet talent

  4. Step 4

    Interview in one click, then start with two free weeks

    Schedule interviews through Connect, meet your prospective engineer, assess fit, and ask your questions before you decide. If it isn't working in the first two weeks, you pay nothing and we swap or stop.

    Book an FDE

Testimonials

What our clients say

FullStack engineers are highly skilled and dependable, consistently delivering high-quality work. Their strong English skills also make communication a breeze.

Mary Kate Nawalaniec

Measurabl

FullStack consistently delivers high-quality candidates with amazing response times. They are transparent in their communications and an excellent partner.

Tammy Christensen

Launch Consulting

FullStack's use of video interviews and code tests sets them apart from the competition.

Mitch Heard

Newzip

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a forward deployed engineer?
A forward deployed engineer, or FDE, is a senior engineer who works inside your team and owns one outcome: getting AI to run in your real systems, with your real data, for your real users. The role started at Palantir and has since spread across AI companies and consultancies. The difference from a regular engineer is where the work happens and who owns the result.
An FDE deploys inside your cloud infrastructure, deals with your permissions, data pipelines, and legacy systems, runs discovery with your business stakeholders, and stays through change management until adoption is measured. Unlike a solutions architect who designs from a distance, an FDE is an embedded engineer who builds the solution and helps debug production issues alongside your internal teams.
How is an FDE different from staff augmentation?
Staff augmentation adds capacity to a backlog you direct. An FDE owns one AI outcome: you set the goal, and they own the path to getting it live through deep integration with your systems. That keeps your engineering teams focused on your core product while the FDE takes the AI work live.
Do I need an FDE, a regular engineer, or a project team?
If you know your pain points but not the AI solution, you need an FDE. If you know what to build and need more hands, staff augmentation fits. If the scope is fixed and clear, a managed project fits. Our Labs team builds it, and an FDE can join to take the AI parts live.
How much does an FDE cost?
Senior nearshore FDEs typically cost roughly half as much as a US hire, and they work in your time zone. Pricing depends on seniority and skills, and your dedicated account manager will walk you through it and provide ongoing support. Because FDEs have deployed similar work before, they bring proven implementation patterns and a faster route to business value.
How fast can an FDE start?
We send you a shortlist within 48 hours of your first call.
What skills do your FDEs have?
Every FDE is assessed on production code, enterprise integration, data and retrieval, agents and LLMs, evals and guardrails, cloud and security, and discovery and judgment.
What if it isn't working?
You pay nothing for the first two weeks, and we swap or stop.

contact us

Book an FDE today and get two free weeks

Tell us the outcome you need. We'll have a shortlist in 48 hours.

Book an FDE

Not sure which fits? Take the 1-minute quiz. No email needed.