US Department of Defense

Forward Deployed Engineer, War Force

$125K–$200K (GS-14, 2-year tour) governmentclearance requiredcloses July 17

Washington, DC (embeds down to unit level) · Posted July 1, 2026

Why it's interesting

The Pentagon borrowed Palantir's job title and made it a GS-14 pay grade — FDEs embedding 'all the way down to the unit level.' Applications close July 17.

The role

Two-year US Tech Force x War Force program hiring hundreds of engineers to deploy AI, ML, and data systems across the Department of Defense. Starts at GS-14 ($125,776), up to ~$200K for the tour. US citizens only; Secret or Top Secret clearance required. Program includes training with partner tech companies and an explicit exit path into private-sector roles — a subsidized on-ramp to cleared FDE work, which carries a durable comp premium.

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