Forward deployed engineer jobs at UK visa sponsors

A forward-deployed engineer (FDE) is a software engineer who works directly with a company's customers to make its product work in their world. FDEs integrate systems, write production code against real customer data, and carry what they learn back to the core product team.

Palantir popularised the role, alongside its "deployment strategists". In the last two years it has spread across AI labs and AI-native startups, which hire FDEs to turn models into working systems for enterprise customers. Several of the employers below, including Mistral AI, Anthropic and OpenAI, list FDE roles.

What the job looks like

Expect hands-on coding (often Python and TypeScript, data pipelines and LLM tooling), a lot of time with customers, and some travel. Titles vary: Forward Deployed Engineer, Deployment Strategist, Applied AI Engineer and AI Solutions Engineer often describe similar work.

To work in the UK on a Skilled Worker visa you normally need a job offer from an employer that holds a sponsor licence, which means it appears on the Home Office register of licensed sponsors. Every employer on this page does.

The employer assigns you a certificate of sponsorship, and the role has to meet the visa's skill and salary requirements, which depend on the occupation. See GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa, your job for the current salary rules.

Holding a licence doesn't oblige an employer to sponsor every role. Check the posting, or ask the recruiter early, before you spend time on interviews.