11xBuilds what the customer runs
Forward Deployed Engineer [REMOTE - US]
San Francisco, CA · US remoteRemote
$180,000–$200,000
Mid-Level Forward Deployed Engineer
Published · Updated
$180,000–$220,000San Francisco, CAHybridMid-level
Own field deployments of physical AI and robotics systems, spanning data collection, model tuning, hardware setup, and production monitoring.
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View posting at CleraAt a glance
Posted base pay
$180K–$220KAbove the median
Median $145K
This job$180K–$220KTypical mid FDE payMiddle 50% of 96 postings$122K–$163KThe work
Builds what the customer runs
Balance
- Mostly building
- Mixed
- Mostly pre-sales or support
Project stages
- Pre-sales (not covered)
- Proof of concept (not covered)
- Implementation
- Operations
Travel Up to 75%
- Coding
- Configuration only
- Builds for
- External customers
- Level
- Mid
- Role
- Individual contributor
What they ask for
Experience
Tools
Visa
Less common in FDE jobs
- Responsibility level: Mid5%
- Coding work: Configuration only14%
- Sponsors visas28%
- Hybrid35%
Share of US FDE postings that state each fact.
The job description from Clera
Posted by Clera on
About the Role
Join a physical AI and robotics team deploying robotics systems in customer environments. You will own deployments from data collection and model tuning through production monitoring, while feeding field learnings back into model development.
What You'll Do
- Lead deployment cycles, including data collection, model fine-tuning, physical system setup, and production monitoring.
- Diagnose and resolve hardware, software, and perception failures during demos and live deployments.
- Collect operational data and document failure modes to inform model training and architecture.
- Troubleshoot integrations across perception hardware, compute stacks, and edge environments.
- Travel 50 to 75% to customer sites across the United States, working around changing field schedules.
What We're Looking For
- Two to eight years of experience deploying robotics or automation systems in factory, warehouse, or logistics environments.
- Hands-on experience debugging hardware and software integrations in the field, including cameras, depth sensors, or tactile sensors.
- Basic familiarity with Vision-Language-Action models, including through academic or lab projects.
- Practical interest in physical AI and robotics, with a proactive approach to troubleshooting and learning.
- Experience with GPU compute stacks or edge deployment environments is helpful. Korean language skills are also helpful but not required.
- Willingness to travel extensively and work from the San Francisco office about three days per week.
Compensation & Benefits
Base salary is $180,000 to $220,000 annually, with an early-stage equity grant and medical, dental, and vision coverage. Visa sponsorship is available.
Location
Hybrid, based in San Francisco, California, United States.
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