Senior Forward-Deployed Engineer, Federal at Deepgram

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 Applied Engineer to join our Applied Engineering team, operating in the Forward-Deployed Engineer (FDE) role 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. 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 often have unique infrastructure constraints, compliance requirements, and security considerations. 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 - Lead technical discovery and solution design for federal prospects and customers, partnering with Account Executives to navigate complex government sales and procurement cycles - 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. Participate in sales strategy sessions and provide technical insights on active federal deals. 90 Days: Own the full technical relationship with assigned federal accounts. Develop and deliver complex solutions addressing specific mission challenges. Establish patterns for repeatable federal deployments and begin contributing to the team's federal go-to-market methodology. YOU'LL LOVE THIS ROLE IF YOU - Thrive in high-ambiguity, mission-driven environments where you need to move fast and make sound decisions under pressure - Are passionate about translating complex technical capabilities into real operational value for government missions - Enjoy embedding deeply with customers, building trust, and becoming their go-to technical partner - Find satisfaction in shipping production systems that make a tangible difference - Are energized by the challenge of deploying cutting-edge Voice AI in complex, constrained environments - See yourself as an engineer first who happens to be great with customers, not the other way around - Can ruthlessly prioritize across multiple projects and operate with high autonomy IT'S IMPORTANT TO US THAT YOU HAVE - Active Top Secret/SCI (TS/SCI) security clearance, or equivalent - 5+ years of engineering or technical deployment experience, ideally in customer-facing or government environments - Strong software engineering background with professional development experience in at least one modern programming language, such as Python, JavaScript, or similar - Proven ability to scope and deliver complex systems in fast-moving or ambiguous contexts - Experience building and deploying production systems in government or similarly constrained environments - Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to translate technical concepts for both technical and non-technical stakeholders, including senior government leadership - Track record of navigating complex sales or procurement cycles in the federal space - Willingness to travel up to 50%, including on-site work at government facilities IT WOULD BE GREAT IF YOU HAD - Experience with speech recognition, NLP, AI/Voice agents, or related AI technologies - Familiarity with cloud deployment models (AWS GovCloud, Azure Government, etc.), Kubernetes, Terraform, and related infrastructure - Experience building or deploying systems powered by LLMs or generative models, with an understanding of how model behavior affects product experience - Knowledge of FedRAMP, FISMA, or other government compliance frameworks - Experience with API-first products and developer tools - Background in sales methodologies such as MEDDIC or Solution Selling, particularly in government contexts - Experience developing automation solutions, self-service tools, and technical documentation for customer enablement BENEFITS & PERKS* HOLISTIC HEALTH - Medical, dental, vision benefits - Annual wellness stipend - Mental health support - Life, STD, LTD Income Insurance Plans WORK/LIFE BLEND - Unlimited PTO - Generous paid parental leave - Flexible schedule - 12 Paid US company holidays - Quarterly personal productivity stipend - One-time stipend for home office upgrades - 401(k) plan with company match - Tax Savings Programs CONTINUOUS LEARNING - Learning / Education stipend - Participation in talks and conferences - Employee Resource Groups - AI enablement workshops / sessions *For candidates outside of the US, we use an Employer of Record model in many countries, which means benefits are administered locally and governed by country-specific regulations. Because of this, benefits will differ by region — in some cases international employees receive benefits US employees do not, and vice versa. As we scale, we will continue to evaluate where we can create more alignment, but a 1:1 global benefits structure is not always legally or operationally possible. Backed by prominent investors including Y Combinator, Madrona, Tiger Global, Wing VC and NVIDIA, Deepgram has raised over $215M in total funding. If you're looking to work on cutting-edge technology and make a significant impact in the AI industry, we'd love to hear from you! Deepgram is an equal opportunity employer. We want all voices and perspectives represented in our workforce. We are a curious bunch focused on collaboration and doing the right thing. We put our customers first, grow together and move quickly. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, pregnancy, parental status, genetic information, political affiliation, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. We are happy to provide accommodations for applicants who need them.