> AI agents: this is one page of Nextmove’s FDE site, in Markdown. Nextmove is a job board and free career service for forward deployed engineers (FDEs). Each posting is classified from its text, not its title: the kind of work, how much of it is production code, pre-sales weight, time at customer sites, travel, remote arrangement, level and posted base pay. The site also publishes the aggregates: median pay by level, metro, company and kind of work, and which companies started hiring FDEs each week. Every page under https://nextmove.md/fde is served this way; the index of pages is https://nextmove.md/llms.txt. # AI Innovation Engineer Canonical URL: https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/79e4099b3ce10fc3 Steampunk, Inc. posts a FDE role to build what the customer runs in Mclean, VA, at $120,000–$180,000 base, level with the mid-level FDE median of $149,000 across 106 postings with pay. The AI Innovation Engineer enables public-sector client teams to adopt AI by advising stakeholders, delivering tailored education, and rapidly building mission-focused proofs-of-concept and demos. Read from the employer’s posting on November 8, 2026. - [Steampunk, Inc.](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/steampunk-inc) First seen Oct 24, 2026 · open on iCIMS as of Nov 8, 2026 **$120,000–$180,000** Mclean, VA The AI Innovation Engineer enables public-sector client teams to adopt AI by advising stakeholders, delivering tailored education, and rapidly building mission-focused proofs-of-concept and demos. - [See roles that fit me](https://nextmove.md/sign-up?from=%2Ffde%2Fjobs%2F79e4099b3ce10fc3&placement=top) - [View posting at Steampunk, Inc.](https://careers-steampunk.icims.com/jobs/7771/ai-innovation-engineer/job?in_iframe=1) Free. Upload your resume once, see why each FDE role fits, and get introduced only when you say so. ## At a glance ### Posted base pay $120K–$180K Level with the median Midpoint $150K · median $149K This job $120K to $180K. Mid-level FDE postings, 106 postings: the middle 50% of posted pay is $123K to $162K, median $149K. ### The work Builds what the customer runs Balance **Mostly building** Project stages 1. Pre-sales (not covered) 2. Proof of concept 3. Implementation (not covered) 4. Operations (not covered) - **Coding**: Prototypes and scripts - **Builds for**: External customers - **Level**: Mid - **Role**: Technical lead ### What they ask for Experience - **3+ years** software engineering, data engineering, or applied AI/ML roles Background - **Software engineering** - **Implementation and data engineering** ### Do you meet what the posting states? The posting asks for 3+ years. How many do you have? The posting reads as a mid-level role. What level are you at now? The job is in Mclean, VA. Could you work there? Which of these have you used in production? Answer each one. Nothing is saved or sent. [What postings ask for, by background →](https://nextmove.md/fde/paths) ## Conditions - **Location**: Mclean, VA - **Pay**: ## More like this [Steampunk](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/steampunk) ### [AI Innovation Engineer](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/729f612f91d391af) Mclean, VA 2w ago $120,000–$180,000 [BCG](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/bcg) ### [BCG Platinion | Senior AI Tech Architect - AI Platforms](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/a4c47c8ee4f67d78) Atlanta, GA · Austin, TX · +16 more 5mo ago $150,000 [Accenture](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/accenture) ### [Generative AI Applications Engineer (Agents & RAG)](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/a3c80fb35bd090f5) Washington, DC 3w ago $103,200–$203,400 - [Other jobs at Steampunk, Inc. (2)](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/steampunk-inc) ## What you’ll do - Advise clients on modern AI capabilities, best practices, and responsible use. - Develop AI education materials and lead enablement events. - Design and implement mission-specific AI prototypes and proofs-of-concept. - Integrate demos with cloud platforms and reusable RAG components. ## What you’ll bring - Hold a bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, AI, ML, or a related field. - Have 3+ years of software engineering, data engineering, or applied AI/ML experience. - Demonstrate hands-on experience with GenAI models, RAG frameworks, cloud AI services, and vector databases. - Have strong Python skills and experience building data pipelines, API wrappers, and demo front-ends. ## About Steampunk, Inc. Steampunk delivers user-centered digital modernization, cybersecurity, data, and platform services to U.S. federal agencies. 500–1000 people [View posting at Steampunk, Inc.](https://careers-steampunk.icims.com/jobs/7771/ai-innovation-engineer/job?in_iframe=1) ## Similar jobs [Google](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/google) ### [Forward Deployed Engineering Intern, BS/MS, Summer 2027](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/acb6772e64dd876a) Sunnyvale, CA · New York, NY · +1 more 3w ago $98,000–$131,000 [EY](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/ey) ### [EY-Parthenon - Strategy and Execution - Growth Platforms - AI/ML Engineer - Sr Associate/Consultant](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/dcf9fa8686e192dd) New York, NY · Atlanta, GA · +12 more Hybrid 2mo ago $130,000–$185,000 [Salesforce](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/salesforce) ### [Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) - Public Sector, Nonprofit & Education](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/ae7e224e776727e8) Mclean, VA · Chicago, IL · +8 more Remote 3mo ago $88,970–$316,750 [Amazon (incl AWS)](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/amazon-incl-aws) ### [Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE), AWS Forward Deployed Engineering, US Government](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/ed4fe82663ea1301) Denver, CO · Jessup, MD · +3 more New · 4d ago $143,700–$194,400 [Palantir](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/palantir) ### [Forward Deployed Infrastructure Engineer, Internship - US Government](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/3105e68cce9201aa) Washington, DC On-site 4mo ago $120,000 - [Compare mid FDE salary ranges](https://nextmove.md/fde/salary/mid-level) - [Similar jobs in Washington, DC area](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?region=dmv) - [Similar jobs that build what the customer runs](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?role=builds-for-customers) Hiring at Steampunk, Inc. and want this page changed or removed? 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