> 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. # Forward Deployed Research Scientist Canonical URL: https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/a9ab45854d306c11 Goodfire AI posts a FDE role to integrate and configure the product in San Francisco, CA, at $220,000–$315,000 base, above the senior FDE median of $190,000 across 1,864 postings with pay. Forward-deployed research scientist applying mechanistic interpretability techniques directly with customers to investigate advanced models and solve novel, high-stakes problems. Read from the employer’s posting on November 8, 2026. - [Goodfire AI](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/goodfire-ai) Posted Sep 8, 2026 by Goodfire AI · open on Greenhouse as of Nov 8, 2026 **$220,000–$315,000** San Francisco, CA On-site, 5 days a week in office Forward-deployed research scientist applying mechanistic interpretability techniques directly with customers to investigate advanced models and solve novel, high-stakes problems. - [See roles that fit me](https://nextmove.md/sign-up?from=%2Ffde%2Fjobs%2Fa9ab45854d306c11&placement=top) - [View posting at Goodfire AI](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/goodfire/jobs/5409981008) 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 $220K–$315K Above the median Midpoint $268K · median $190K This job $220K to $315K. Senior FDE postings, 1,864 postings: the middle 50% of posted pay is $160K to $220K, median $190K. ### The work Integrates and configures it Balance **Mostly building** Project stages 1. Pre-sales (not covered) 2. Proof of concept 3. Implementation 4. Operations (not covered) - **Coding**: Prototypes and scripts - **Builds for**: External customers - **Level**: Senior - **Role**: Individual contributor ### Do you meet what the posting states? The posting reads as a senior role. What level are you at now? The job is in San Francisco, CA. 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**: San Francisco, CA - **Work arrangement**: On-site, 5 days a week in office - **Remote work restrictions**: In person 5 days a week, with one company-wide remote week per month. - **Pay**: ## More like this [NVIDIA](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/nvidia) ### [Senior Solutions Architect, AI Hyperscalers](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/057dd9c8c44f65f7) Santa Clara, CA Remote 5mo ago $184,000–$356,500 [CoreWeave](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/coreweave) ### [Senior Forward Deployed Engineer, AI Agents](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/937cb0d74a7ba1cd) Sunnyvale, CA · San Francisco, CA 3mo ago $182,000–$242,000 [Benchling](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/benchling) ### [Technical Solution Architect](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/970d4add91d36440) San Francisco, CA Hybrid 2mo ago $154,000–$209,000 - [Other jobs at Goodfire AI (1)](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/goodfire-ai) ## The job description from Goodfire AI Posted by Goodfire AI on Sep 8, 2026 ### About Goodfire Goodfire is an AI interpretability research lab. We build interpretability agents and infrastructure to understand, monitor, and align AI models. We believe that AI is the most consequential technology of our time. Yet AI models are trained by trial and error today, with limited understanding of what drives their behavior. Our goal is to advance the research and technology needed to fully understand and align AI so humanity can trust superintelligence. Goodfire is a public benefit corporation founded by researchers who helped pioneer the field of interpretability at OpenAI and Google DeepMind. We are headquartered in San Francisco and have raised over $200M from leading investors including Lightspeed, Menlo, and B Capital. ### About the role We’re looking for a Forward Deployed Research Scientist to join our team to work directly with customers to apply our interpretability platform to solve novel problems for our customers. You’ll work closely with a small, mission-driven team of scientists and engineers to conduct novel research, build practical tools, and push the field forward. ### Where you might contribute - **Forward deployed research** – lead research with our partners to interpret advanced models. - **Project delivery and implementation** – own research delivery on high-stakes projects with customers and do whatever it takes to make delivery successful, including: problem and hypothesis definition, data sourcing, tool building, iteration, and implementation. Translate research into tools for real-world applications. ### Key Responsibilities - Work directly with customers to conduct original research in interpretability. - Prototype techniques to visualize and manipulate internal model structures. - Collaborate with engineering to turn research into production-ready tools. - Drive partnership success by collaborating closely with our customers and partners. - Help define and evolve our research direction. ### What you’ll bring ### Required experience - MS/PhD or equivalent experience in CS, with a strong ML background and experience in interpretability. - Deep familiarity with large models and a passion for understanding how they work. - Fluency in Python and ML frameworks such as PyTorch. - Strong writing and communication skills for explaining complex ideas. - Drive to move quickly and take ownership. ### Preferred qualifications - Experience leading research in a forward deployed environment and in service of a customer’s requirements. - Experience in startup or fast-paced lab environments. ### Our values Goodfire is looking for individuals who embody our values and share our deep commitment to making interpretability accessible. We are building a team first and foremost. ### Put mission and team first All we do is in service of our mission. We trust each other, deeply care about the success of the organization, and choose to put our team above ourselves. ### Improve constantly We are constantly looking to improve every piece of the business. We proactively critique ourselves and others in a kind and thoughtful way that translates to practical improvements in the organization. We are pragmatic and consistently implement the obvious fixes that work. ### Take ownership and initiative There are no bystanders here. We proactively identify problems and take full responsibility over getting a strong result. We are self-driven, own our mistakes, and feel deep responsibility over what we’re building. ### Action today We have a small amount of time to do something incredibly hard and meaningful. The pace and intensity of the organization is high. If we can take action today or tomorrow, we will choose to do it today. ### Where we work We are hiring for this position in our San Francisco HQ. We are in person 5 days a week, with one company-wide remote week per month. ### What we offer This role offers market competitive salary, equity, and competitive benefits. The expected salary range for this position is $220,000 - $315,000 USD Most importantly, you'll have the opportunity to join a vital mission at an important point in its trajectory — we are developing groundbreaking technology with a world-class team on the critical path to ensuring a safe and beneficial future for humanity. If you want to do your life’s work with us, even if you believe you do not meet every single requirement, apply now. [View posting at Goodfire AI](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/goodfire/jobs/5409981008) ## About Goodfire AI Public benefit AI lab building Ember, an interpretability platform that decodes and steers neural network internals for alignment, debugging, and scientific discovery. Series B · 50–100 people ## Similar jobs [Etched](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/etched) ### [Forward Deployment Engineer](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/c8747f62aa2ba18a) San Jose, CA On-site 11d ago $208,437–$300,000 [Reducto](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/reducto) ### [Forward Deployed Engineer, Infrastructure Specialist](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/2cd6a2b490a4a574) San Francisco, CA On-site 5mo ago $200,000–$300,000 [Pure Storage](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/pure-storage) ### [Forward Deployed Engineering, Portworx](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/50e89e7f4d1ee762) Santa Clara, CA · Chicago, IL · +1 more On-site 2mo ago $208,000–$305,000 [Glean](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/glean) ### [Partner Solutions Engineer](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/42c89791e06624ee) San Francisco, CA Hybrid 2mo ago $200,000–$250,000 [OpenRouter](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/openrouter) ### [Forward Deployed Engineer](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/59b5f31af1c66ee9) San Francisco, CA Hybrid 5mo ago $220,000–$260,000 - [Compare senior FDE salary ranges](https://nextmove.md/fde/salary/senior) - [Similar jobs in SF Bay Area](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?region=sf-bay-area) - [Similar jobs that integrate and configure the product](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?role=technical-delivery) Hiring at Goodfire AI and want this page changed or removed? 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