Senior Forward-Deployed Engineer, Federal
Deepgram · Washington D.C.
USD 180,000 to 245,000 · period not stated
COMPANY OVERVIEW
Deepgram is the leading platform underpinning the emerging trillion-dollar Voice AI economy, providing real-time APIs for speech-to-text (STT), text-to-speech (TTS), and building production-grade voice agents at scale. More than 200,000 developers and 1,300+ organizations build voice offerings that are ‘Powered by Deepgram’, including Twilio, Cloudflare, Sierra, Decagon, Vapi, Daily, Cresta, Granola, and Jack in the Box. Deepgram’s voice-native foundation models are accessed through cloud APIs or as self-hosted and on-premises software, with unmatched accuracy, low latency, and cost efficiency. Backed by a recent Series C led by leading global investors and strategic partners, Deepgram has processed over 50,000 years of audio and transcribed more than 1 trillion words. There is no organization in the world that understands voice better than Deepgram.
COMPANY OPERATING RHYTHM
At Deepgram, we expect an AI-first mindset—AI use and comfort aren’t optional, they’re core to how we operate, innovate, and measure performance.
Every team member who works at Deepgram is expected to actively use and experiment with advanced AI tools, and even build your own into your everyday work. We measure how effectively AI is applied to deliver results, and consistent, creative use of the latest AI capabilities is key to success here. Candidates should be comfortable adopting new models and modes quickly, integrating AI into their workflows, and continuously pushing the boundaries of what these technologies can do.
Additionally, we move at the pace of AI. Change is rapid, and you can expect your day-to-day work to evolve just as quickly. This may not be the right role if you’re not excited to experiment, adapt, think on your feet, and learn constantly, or if you’re seeking something highly prescriptive with a traditional 9-to-5.
OPPORTUNITY
Deepgram is seeking a Senior Forward Deployed Engineer to join our Applied Engineering team, with a focus on federal customers. In this role, you will embed directly with our most strategic federal accounts to lead complex deployments of Deepgram's Voice AI platform in production environments where mission performance matters, delivery is urgent, and ambiguity is the default.
Many of these deployments are on-prem, air-gapped, or on constrained hardware where cloud APIs aren’t an option. You’ll be one of the first engineers on Deepgram’s federal Applied Engineering team, helping define how Voice AI gets deployed across government.
You will own the full technical lifecycle of federal engagements, from initial discovery and proof-of-concept through production deployment and ongoing optimization. You'll map customer problems, structure delivery, and ship solutions fast. This includes scoping, sequencing, and building full-stack integrations that create measurable mission impact while driving clarity across internal and external teams. Along the way, you'll identify reusable patterns, codify best practices, and share field signals that influence Deepgram's product roadmap.
As a member of the Applied Engineering team, you'll serve as the trusted technical thought partner for federal stakeholders, guiding adoption, maximizing operational value, and ensuring successful deployments at scale. While your engagements will primarily involve federal customers, you'll remain a core part of the broader Applied Engineering team and may contribute to commercial engagements where your expertise is valuable.
Note: this role is based remotely out of the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area.
ABOUT APPLIED ENGINEERING AT DEEPGRAM
The Applied Engineering (AppEng) team at Deepgram combines the functions that other companies might separate into Sales Engineering, Solutions Architecture, Implementation, Forward-Deployed Engineering, and Technical Support. We serve as the technical interface between Deepgram and our customers throughout their entire journey, from initial discovery and proof-of-concept, through implementation and onboarding, to ongoing technical support. We work closely with our Customer Success and Developer Relations (DevRel) teams to ensure a positive, growth-focused experience for our customers, as well as with Product and Engineering teams to deliver solutions that meet customer needs. This unified approach allows us to provide comprehensive technical guidance and build deeper relationships with our customers.
As a Senior Applied Engineer operating in the FDE role for federal engagements, you'll work with a high degree of autonomy in customer environments that are often on-prem, air-gapped, or hardware-constrained, with strict compliance and security requirements. Your work will directly shape how federal agencies leverage Voice AI to achieve their missions.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
- Own technical delivery across federal deployments, from first prototype to stable production
- Embed deeply with federal customers to design and build mission-critical applications powered by Deepgram's Voice AI models
- Deploy and operate Deepgram’s models in self-hosted, air-gapped, and edge environments, working within the hardware, network, and accreditation constraints of each customer
- Lead technical discovery and solution design for federal prospects and customers, partnering with Account Executives so that what gets scoped can actually be built and deployed
- Prototype and build full-stack integrations using Python, JavaScript, Rust, or comparable stacks that deliver real mission impact
- Enable successful deployments across customer environments by delivering observable systems spanning infrastructure through applications
- Proactively guide federal stakeholders on maximizing operational value from Deepgram's platform, including performance optimization and deployment strategies
- Scope work, sequence delivery, and remove blockers early, making deliberate trade-offs between scope, speed, and quality
- Build and manage relationships with customer leadership and technical stakeholders to ensure successful deployment and scale
- Contribute directly to code when clarity or momentum depends on it
- Codify working patterns into tools, playbooks, reference architectures, and building blocks the broader team can use
- Share field feedback with Product and Engineering to influence model and product development
- Serve as an escalation point for complex technical issues in federal deployments
- Analyze deployment patterns to identify product improvement opportunities and inform Deepgram's federal go-to-market strategy
TIME ALLOCATION
- 40% — Embedded customer delivery: deployments, integrations, and technical problem-solving at federal customer sites and facilities
- 25% — Pre-sales technical engagement: discovery, demos, proof-of-concepts, and proposal support
- 20% — Building reusable solutions, automation, documentation, and reference architectures
- 15% — Internal collaboration: product feedback, knowledge sharing, and contributing to Applied Engineering strategy
YOUR FIRST 90 DAYS
First 30 Days: Complete comprehensive onboarding to understand Deepgram's technology, products, and competitive landscape. Gain proficiency with our core APIs and documentation. Shadow active customer engagements across both commercial and federal accounts to build familiarity with how the Applied Engineering team operates, the deployment patterns we use, and the specific requirements of government environments.
60 Days: Begin taking ownership of federal customer engagements, leading technical discovery and developing proof-of-concepts for government prospects. Start contributing to federal-specific technical content, reference architectures, and deployment guides. Provide technical input on active federal opportunities, including what it will take to deploy in each customer’s environment.
90 Days: Own the full technical relationship with assigned federal accounts. Develop and deliver complex solutions addressing specifi