> 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.

# Senior Data Engineer

Canonical URL: https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/b073623f9502d9fe

Expression posts a senior FDE role to build what the customer runs in Shirlington, VA, at $180,000–$200,000 base, level with the senior FDE median of $190,000 across 1,934 postings with pay. Build secure integrations, APIs, connectors, and retrieval services for enterprise data platforms. Read from the employer’s posting on November 15, 2026.

- [Expression](https://nextmove.md/fde/companies/expression)

- [Apply on Expression’s site](https://expression-networks.breezy.hr/p/6c41833cd7a0-senior-data-engineer/apply)

$180,000–$200,000

Near the median

- Shirlington, VA
- 7+ years
- Posted 4 days ago New Nov 11

Midpoint $190K, close to the median of 1,934 senior FDE postings. [Compare pay](https://nextmove.md/fde/salary/senior)

Build secure integrations, APIs, connectors, and retrieval services for enterprise data platforms.

## The work

- **Kind of work**: Builds what the customer runs
- **Time split**: Mostly building ·
- **Project stages**: Proof of concept, Implementation, Operations ·
- **Code**: Writes production code ·
- **Builds for**: External customers
- **Level**: Senior ·
- **Role**: Individual contributor ·

## What they ask for

- **Experience**:

**7+ years** Professional experience in data engineering, software engineering, or enterprise data integration

**3+ years** Hands-on experience developing enterprise data pipelines, APIs, or governed data services

- **Background**: Software engineering, Implementation and data engineering
- **Location**:

**Shirlington, VA**

- **Employment**: Full-time
- **Tools**: Python, SQL, Palantir, Databricks, Elasticsearch, RAG, Git, Docker, Kubernetes, AWS

## What you’ll do

- Implement permission-aware data access, provenance, lineage, and source traceability for AI workflows.
- Prepare and optimize data for RAG, intelligent search, and source-grounded LLM applications.
- Develop data validation, automated tests, audit logging, and operational monitoring.
- Coordinate interface design and integration work with AI teams, platform owners, cybersecurity, and Government stakeholders.

## What you’ll bring

- 7+ years in data engineering, software engineering, or enterprise data integration, including 3+ years building pipelines, APIs, or governed data services.
- Strong SQL and Python skills.
- Experience designing enterprise integrations using RESTful APIs, connectors, schema mappings, and secure data exchange.
- Hands-on integration experience with Palantir, Databricks, or Elasticsearch.

## About Expression

Expression builds AI-enabled data fusion, analytics, software, and electromagnetic-spectrum capabilities for national security and federal missions.

- [View the posting at Expression](https://expression-networks.breezy.hr/p/6c41833cd7a0-senior-data-engineer/apply)

## FDE jobs in Washington, DC area

465 postings · 145 companies · read Nov 15, 2026

Median **$180,000** · middle half $154,450–$207,500

- [Rank these jobs by fit to you](https://nextmove.md/sign-up?from=%2Ffde%2Fjobs%2Fb073623f9502d9fe&placement=list)

### [Senior Data Engineer](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/b073623f9502d9fe)

**Expression**

National security mission software and federal technology services

- RAG data services
- Secret required
- Palantir APIs

**$180,000–$200,000** · Shirlington, VA

Posted 4 days ago New

### [Forward Deployed AI Architect](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/a255cc6d726eec7f)

**Crowe** 5000+ people

Accounting, audit, tax, advisory, and consulting services

- Agentic AI
- 80% travel
- Client-embedded

**$102,400–$204,100** · Chicago, IL +36 · Hybrid

Posted 3 days ago New

### [Forward Deployed Engineer, AWS Forward Deployed Engineering](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/7ecba7c7dee12d44)

**Amazon (incl AWS)** Public · 5000+ people

Tech / Retail / Cloud

- Production AI
- Enterprise clients
- 30–50% travel

**$143,700–$223,600** · Seattle, WA +4

Posted 3 days ago New

### [Forward Deployed AI Engineer](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/42e22c6d1abf5612)

**Guidehouse** Acquired · 5000+ people

Professional services / management consulting

- MCP integrations
- Multi-agent AI
- Citizen required

**$113,000–$188,000** · Mclean, VA · Remote

Posted 4 days ago New

### [Senior Forward Deployed Engineer](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/fe4492bc8fc65a84)

**Cisco** Public · 5000+ people

Networking / Security / Enterprise infrastructure

- Agent guardrails
- US person required
- Classified systems

**$149,100–$218,100** · Washington, DC

Posted 4 days ago New

### [Principal Software Engineer / Architect – AI – Legal FDE](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/48c1abac36827122)

**Thomson Reuters** Public · 5000+ people

Professional information services / legal-tech / tax and compliance software / news

- 1M professionals
- Top law firms
- Legal AI systems

**$158,900–$340,000** · New York, NY +5 · Hybrid

Posted 4 days ago New

### [Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE)](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/021a742a23edce41)

**PVM** Bootstrapped · 50–100 people

Government technology / defense digital services (Palantir implementation)

- Army dashboards
- Palantir Foundry
- Government users

Pay not posted · Arlington, VA · On-site

Posted 6 days ago New

### [Forward Deployed AI Engineer Lead](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/68621fc9fd3af1fe)

**Guidehouse** Acquired · 5000+ people

Professional services / management consulting

- MCP integrations
- A2A workflows
- 10% travel

**$149,000–$248,000** · Mclean, VA · Remote

Posted 4 days ago New

### [Senior/Staff Forward Deployed Engineer - TS/SCI (CI Poly)](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs/18c2eb0f60fcfda6)

**Twenty** Series B

Offensive cyber warfare software and national-security technology

- TS/SCI required
- Air-gapped ops
- 4 days monthly

**$192,000–$455,000** · Fort Meade, MD +1 · On-site

Posted 9 days ago

- [Show all 465 jobs](https://nextmove.md/fde/jobs?region=dmv)

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Employer postings · [How we read postings](https://nextmove.md/fde/method)
