Pre-vetted FDEs who join your team, work inside your clients’ systems and turn signed deals into working deployments. Daily or hourly rates, no minimum term.
A forward deployed engineer (FDE) is a software engineer who works directly with your client, in their environment, to get software working with their systems and data, whether that’s your own product or a platform you’re deploying for them.
On a deployment, an FDE typically:
Unlike a solutions architect, who designs how the software will fit, or an implementation consultant, who configures what it already does, an FDE builds and ships the production code a client needs to go live.
An FDE is the right call when the software is ready but getting it live for a particular client isn’t.
FDE work changes with the software and the client. These are some of the profiles we supply:
If your deployment needs a different mix, tell us what it involves and we’ll match profiles to it.
One FDE or a whole team, for as long as the deployment runs. You can start part-time, for example three days a week moving to five, and scale down with two weeks notice.
Client-facing roles usually work onshore, on the client’s site where needed. Technical delivery behind them can sit nearshore in Central and Eastern Europe on UK hours, or in LATAM on US hours.
When you hire forward deployed engineers through Brightbox, they join your team as associates. They work under your brand and your direction, and we handle the rest.
Time and materials, billed on time you’ve signed off.
No minimum headcount.
Two weeks notice to scale down, either way.
Not the months a permanent hire takes.
If someone isn’t the right fit, we replace them and carry our cost during the handover.
Everything they build is yours.
A management layer around every engagement, so you’re not the one carrying a bad fit.
Our people work under your brand, and we never approach your clients.
Profiles against your brief, usually within a day.
We’re investing in technology to keep improving how quickly and accurately we match people to your brief.
Each engagement starts from the go-live date and what has to be working by then.
One FDE or a deployment team, scaled up or down with two weeks notice.
Product companies, consultancies and systems integrators use Brightbox to add delivery capacity when the work lands.
A software engineer who works directly with your client, often in their environment, to make software work with their data, systems and processes. They write and ship production code, and they’re comfortable in front of the client.
A solutions architect designs how the platform will fit, often before the sale. An implementation consultant configures what the platform already does. An FDE builds what’s needed for that client to go live, including code the platform doesn’t have yet.
FDEs are on daily or hourly rates, which depend on the role and where they work from. Ask and we’ll send a rate card, usually within hours.
Usually within days, rather than the months a permanent hire takes.
Yes. There’s no minimum term, and you can scale down with two weeks notice. Engagements shorter than about six weeks rarely work, because onboarding takes too much of the time.
Yes, where the client allows it. Client-facing roles usually work onshore and on the client’s site when needed. The technical delivery behind them can work remotely, nearshore in Central and Eastern Europe on UK hours or in LATAM on US hours.
Yes. They join your team, work under your direction and represent your company. We never approach your clients.
It depends on the product or platform. If the work needs months of knowledge only your team has, we’ll tell you we’re the wrong answer. If part of it can be picked up quickly, start there.
We’ve worked both inside and outside IR35, and we work with a partner to help with status determinations when needed.
Send us a short brief. We’ll come back with profiles and rates, usually within a day.
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