engineering
Posted Sep 3, 2025Forward Deployed Engineer, Gov
at openai
Washington, United StatesHybrid
Responsibilities
- - Prototype and build full-stack systems using Python, JavaScript, or comparable stacks that deliver real mission impact.
Requirements
- About the team The OpenAI for Government team is a dynamic, mission-driven group leveraging frontier AI to transform how governments achieve their missions.
- Our team works to empower public servants with secure, compliant AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT Enterprise, ChatGPT Gov) and mission-aligned deployments that meet government technical
- - Deeply embed with public sector customers to design and build novel applications powered by OpenAI models.
- You might thrive in this role if you - Bring 5+ years of engineering or technical deployment experience, ideally in customer-facing or government environments. - Active TS/SCI clearance or equivalent - Have scoped and delivered complex systems in fast-moving or ambiguous contexts. - Write and review production-grade code across frontend and backend, using Python, JavaScript, or similar stacks. - Are familiar with cloud deployment models (Azure, AWS), Kubernetes, Terraform, and related infrastructure. - Have
- About OpenAI OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that general-purpose artificial intelligence
Additional details
- About the role Forward Deployed Engineers (FDEs) lead complex deployments of frontier models in production.
- You will embed with our most strategic government and public sector customers—where model performance matters, delivery is urgent, and ambiguity is the default.
- You’ll map their problems, structure delivery, and ship fast.
- This includes scoping, sequencing, and building full-stack solutions that create measurable value, while driving clarity across internal and external teams.
- You will work directly with defense, intelligence, and federal stakeholders as their technical thought partner, guiding adoption, maximizing mission impact, and ensuring successful deployments at scale.
- Along the way, you’ll identify reusable patterns, codify best practices, and share field signal that influences OpenAI’s roadmap.
- This role is based in Washington DC, Seattle or San Francisco.
- We use a hybrid work model of 3 days in the office per week.
- Travel up to 50% is required, including on-site work with customers.
- In this role you will - Own technical delivery across multiple government deployments, from first prototype to stable production.