What does a forward-deployed engineer actually do?
The night-shift Excel, the miscalibrated sensor, and a working system in weeks.
An observatory of the Industrial FDE market
The labs have thousands of AI engineers. What the market lacks is people who know the plant.
Industrial FDEs — the engineers who deploy AI inside factories — are scarce, and the market has priced that in. One interview with us, and you are matched for as long as you stay in the pool.
Interview once, match forever. Your profile is never public.
4×
AI leadership vacancies are growing four times faster than qualified candidates. [SOURCE]
$160k+
Every role in the pool publishes its base salary range. The demand is real, and it is priced.
JVs
Frontier labs are signing joint ventures with manufacturers — and hiring engineers who know the plant. [SOURCE]
How the pool works
01 · Interview once
One conversation with us puts you in the pool. No re-applying, ever.
02 · Match forever
Matches arrive passively by email, for months — a useful one every few days, no noise.
03 · Never public
Your profile stays off the open web. Every contact is brokered by us.
— open searches · Industrial FDE · US
All open roles →
Role / processSectorRegionBase range
Get every new search like these by email
Joining the pool is your alert — one interview, then matches arrive on their own.
Join the pool — free
From the observatory
Industrial FDE salaries: what the 2026 data says
Base ranges by level and sector, with sources.
FDE vs. solutions engineer: the difference is the plant
Why deployment experience is the scarce half of the profile.
You already have the half of this profile that can't be taught in a course.
Fifteen years on the floor is the scarce half of the Industrial FDE. Put it in front of the demand.
Join the Industrial FDE talent pool — free