A forward-deployed engineer is a software engineer who works directly with a client's team, inside its systems and workflows, to build and run working software. Palantir popularized the role, and it has spread across AI companies, because putting AI into real work depends on details only visible from inside the business.
Why has the forward-deployed engineer role spread in AI?
Because AI is easy to demo and hard to put into daily use. Making it work depends on each organization's own documents, systems and approval paths. Job postings for forward-deployed engineers rose more than 800% between January and September 2025, according to Indeed data,1 and McKinsey now publishes an explainer on the role.2
At Soren AI, this is how our engagements work: engineers interview the people doing the work, build into the systems they already use, and stay after launch. More on how we work, with examples from law firms and banks.
Frequently asked questions
How is a forward-deployed engineer different from a consultant?
A traditional strategy consultant typically delivers analysis and a recommendation, and someone else builds it. A forward-deployed engineer builds the working system inside the client's environment and usually supports it after launch. We compare the two models in our post on AI-native and traditional consulting.
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