> 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.

# Principal Consultant (Public Sector)

Canonical URL: https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/8c1b5eb92e40777d

Appian posts a principal FDE role to build what the customer runs in Mclean, VA, at $100,000–$225,000 base, below the staff+ FDE median of $225,000 across 388 postings with pay. Leads large-scale Appian automation implementations from design through delivery, with responsibility for technical architecture, integrations, data models, and client adoption. Read from the employer’s posting on November 6, 2026.

- [Appian](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/appian)

Posted May 7, 2026 by Appian · open on Greenhouse as of Nov 6, 2026

**$100,000–$225,000** Mclean, VA On-site

Leads large-scale Appian automation implementations from design through delivery, with responsibility for technical architecture, integrations, data models, and client adoption.

- [See roles that fit me](https://nextmove.md/sign-up?from=%2Ffde%2Fjobs%2F8c1b5eb92e40777d&placement=top)
- [View posting at Appian](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/appian/jobs/7898777)

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

$100K–$225K Below the median

Midpoint $163K · median $225K

This job $100K to $225K. Staff+ FDE postings, 388 postings: the middle 50% of posted pay is $197K to $262K, median $225K.

### The work

Builds what the customer runs

Balance **Mostly building**

Project stages

1. Pre-sales (not covered)
2. Proof of concept (not covered)
3. Implementation
4. Operations (not covered)

Travel **Up to 20%**

- **Coding**: Writes production code

- **Builds for**: External customers

- **Level**: Staff+

- **Role**: Technical lead

### What they ask for

Experience

- **8+ years** software development or technical implementation consulting

Background

- **Software engineering**
- **Implementation and data engineering**
- **Consulting**

### Do you meet what the posting states?

The posting asks for 8+ years. How many do you have?

The posting reads as a staff-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

- **Work arrangement**: On-site

- **Travel**: Up to 20%

- **Pay**:

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- [Other jobs at Appian (5)](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/appian)

## The job description from Appian

Posted by Appian on May 7, 2026

Here at Appian, our values of **Intensity **and **Excellence **define who we are. We set high standards and live up to them, ensuring that everything we do is done with care and quality. We approach every challenge with ambition and commitment, holding ourselves and each other accountable to achieve the best results. When you join Appian, you’ll be part of a passionate team dedicated to accomplishing hard things, together.

Appian Customer Success is obsessed with delivering exceptional customer outcomes and driving mission-critical business impact. Grounded in our core values of Excellence and Intensity, we act as elite technical advisors to our commercial clients. By joining this high-performance team, you will champion a culture of candid communication and excellence while accelerating global adoption of our **AI-Powered Process Automation** platform.

As a Principal Consultant, you will occupy a leadership position at the intersection of enterprise business strategy and complex technical delivery. This role matters now more than ever because you won't just execute projects - you will define the client experience and how they are delivered. You will partner directly with Appian Architects and Technical Delivery Managers, lead large-scale consulting initiatives, and serve as a vital mentor to the next generation of engineers, ensuring our clients achieve world-class Enterprise-Grade Orchestration.

*This role is based at our HQ in McLean, VA. Appian was built on a culture of in-person collaboration, which we believe is a key driver of our mission to be the best. Employees hired for this position are expected to be in the office 4 - 5 days per week to foster that culture, ensure we thrive through shared ideas and teamwork, and maximize opportunities to connect with the exceptional people across Appian. While working in-person with customers is our main priority, we also believe the office environment enables more opportunities to celebrate wins, collaborate effectively, and build strong relationships across teams.*

### What You’ll Do

- Lead Enterprise Delivery: Command the entire project lifecycle to define, design, and implement custom automation solutions using the Appian platform for major commercial clients.
- Direct High-Performing Teams: Lead and mentor consultants through fast-paced software implementations, instilling a dedication to going "beyond completion."
- Partner with Leadership: Collaborate directly with Appian Architects and Technical Delivery Managers to design resilient, scalable, and secure system architectures.
- Architect Complex Integrations: Build secure, high-throughput APIs to seamlessly connect multiple external enterprise environments using REST, SOAP, and JDBC connections.
- Data Infrastructures: Oversee the creation and production launch of advanced relational data models and sophisticated SQL database designs.
- Drive Client Self-Sufficiency: Collaborate with client executives and technical stakeholders to drive deep platform adoption and empower them to build process applications independently.

### Basic Qualifications

- Degree: Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, Mathematics, or a related technical field.
- Experience: 8+ years of hands-on experience in software development or technical implementation consulting.
- Team Leadership: Experience leading technical teams and a passion for mentoring and developing engineering talent.
- Core Engineering: Strong foundational grasp of Object-Oriented Programming (OOP), database design, data modeling, and SQL (queries, joins, views).
- Travel: Willingness to travel up to 20% to support vital customer engagements.
- US Citizenship: Candidates being considered for a Public Sector roles must be a U.S. Citizen

### Preferred Qualifications

- Mastery of modern cloud computing ecosystems, specifically Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, or Elastic Containers.
- Deep technical knowledge of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, automated test suites (Test-Driven Development), and continuous integration frameworks.

The base salary range provided represents a good faith and reasonable estimate of the range at the time of posting. In addition to the base salary, this position is eligible for a government clearance differential. Actual compensation will be dependent on a number of factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s relevant work experience, qualifications, internal peer equity, and market and business conditions that exist when extending an offer. A discretionary bonus may be awarded in recognition of individual and company performance.

In addition, Appian provides generous benefits offerings that include a 401(k) plan with company match, flexible time off, paid parental leave, medical, dental, and vision plans, life insurance, disability insurance, wellness programs, flexible spending accounts, health savings account contributions, an employee referral bonus program, and learning and development resources. Certain positions may be eligible for equity awards.

Pay and benefits are subject to change at any time, consistent with the terms of any applicable compensation, commission, bonus, or benefit plans.

Base Salary Range

$100,000—$225,000 USD

### Tools and Resources

- Training and Development: During onboarding, we focus on equipping new hires with the skills and knowledge for success through department-specific training. Continuous learning is a central focus at Appian, with dedicated mentorship and the First-Friend program being widely utilized resources for new hires.
- Growth Opportunities: Appian provides a diverse array of growth and development opportunities, including our leadership program tailored for new and aspiring managers, a comprehensive library of specialized department training through Appian University, skills based training, and tuition reimbursement for those aiming to advance their education. This commitment ensures that employees have access to a holistic range of development opportunities.
- Community: We’ll immerse you into our community rooted in respect starting on day one. Appian fosters inclusivity through our 8 employee-led affinity groups. These groups help employees build stronger internal and external networks by planning social, educational, and outreach activities to connect with Appianites and larger initiatives throughout the company.

### Benefits

Appian offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your health, wellbeing, and financial future. Benefits may include health coverage, Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with free mental health support, life and disability insurance, an Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP), a retirement/pension plan, wellness dollars, tuition reimbursement, family-forming benefits and more. Benefits vary by country—please ask your Talent Acquisition contact for details specific to the location you are applying to.

### About Appian

Appian provides AI automation for the most important business processes at the world’s largest organizations. Our platform is known for its unique power, reliability, and scale. We’ve been automating processes for more than 25 years and have proven expertise in enterprise operations. For more information, visit appian.com.

Follow Appian: LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X.

*Appian is an equal opportunity employer that strives to attract and retain the best talent. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. *

*Appian provides reasonable accommodations to applicants in accordance with all applicable laws. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us by email at ReasonableAccommodations@appian.com. Please note that only inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this email address.*

[View posting at Appian](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/appian/jobs/7898777)

## About Appian

Low-code process automation platform for enterprises and governments, combining workflow orchestration, data fabric, and governed AI to modernize complex operations.

Public · 2000–5000 people

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- [Compare staff+ FDE salary ranges](https://nextmove.md/fde/salary/staff)
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