Many big companies have cited AI as a reason for recent layoffs. But the new technology transforming the workforce may create some new jobs, too.

AI startups are racing to hire a certain kind of software engineer who works with both customer teams and product engineering teams: Candidates are expected to have tech skills, but also, understand the business model so they can help customize customers’ AI models for their companies’ specific needs.

The emerging role is called a forward-deployed engineer (FDE), and according to the Financial Times, job postings for the position are absolutely skyrocketing, increasing more than 800% from the start of 2025 through September.

The origins of the role come from data software company Palantir, which pioneered the job in the early 2010s. Today, the

See Full Page