Forward Deployed Engineer

Mattermost is the leading collaborative workflow platform for defense, intelligence, security, and critical infrastructure. Trusted by the U.S. Department of War and Fortune 500s, our platform runs on-premises and in private clouds, delivering secure messaging, file sharing, workflow automation, audio/screenshare, and project management—all with full data and operational control. Mattermost powers high-stakes workflows across mission planning, real-time, real-world operations, DevSecOps, incident response, and cyber defense—enabling secure collaboration from tactical edge and DDIL environments to enterprise HQ. Teams operate across web, desktop, and mobile, with embedded interoperability for Microsoft Teams, Outlook, and Microsoft 365.

To learn more, visit www.mattermost.com

About Mattermost Federal

Mattermost Federal builds secure collaboration platforms used by U.S. defense, intelligence, and national security organizations operating in the most demanding environments in the world.

About the Role

We are looking for Forward Deployed Engineers (FDEs) who want to solve real operational problems alongside mission teams. In this role you will work directly with operators, analysts, and engineers to deploy and build systems that are used every day in mission environments.

This is not a traditional engineering role. You will operate close to the mission, often inside classified environments, working through ambiguity and building solutions that have immediate operational impact.

The problems you will work on here are hard, ambiguous, and consequential.

What You'll Do

Work directly with defense and intelligence organizations to understand operational problems

Deploy and integrate Mattermost in classified and mission-critical environments

Build plugins, integrations, and automations that enable operational workflows

Prototype new capabilities quickly and iterate based on operator feedback

Debug complex systems operating in constrained environments

Help shape the evolution of the Mattermost platform based on mission needs

You will move between writing code, deploying infrastructure, and working directly with operators, often within the same week. Travel is typically approximately one week per month onsite with customers.

What We're Looking For

Strong engineering ability (Go, Python, TypeScript, or similar)

Comfort working across the full stack from infrastructure to applications

Ability to solve open-ended technical problems

Strong communication skills with both engineers and operators

Willingness to travel approximately one week per month

Nice to Have

Experience working with DoD, IC, or national security organizations

Experience deploying systems in secure or classified environments

Familiarity with Kubernetes, distributed systems, and APIs

Experience building integrations or operational tooling

AI-Forward Engineering

Mattermost Federal is aggressively adopting AI-enabled workflows across mission operations. FDEs will be among the first engineers deploying and operationalizing AI capabilities in secure environments, including:

AI agents that summarize operational channels and generate SITREPs

AI-assisted mission timelines and decision logs

Knowledge retrieval across operational history

AI tools that help operators understand fast-moving mission data

Why This Role Exists

The best software is built close to the problem. Forward Deployed Engineers at Mattermost Federal work directly with the people using the systems we build. You will see problems firsthand, build solutions quickly, and deploy them into environments where reliability, security, and speed matter.

Compensation

Mattermost takes a market-based approach to pay. Actual compensation may vary based on location, skills, experience, qualifications, and market conditions.

Target Salary Range: $130,000 – $200,000 USD

U.S. Eligibility Compliance

U.S. citizenship required - Candidates must be located in the United States and eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance. For more information visit Security Clearances — United States Department of State

Active TS/SCI clearance preferred; must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance

Applicants must meet eligibility requirements for access to export-controlled information as defined by U.S. export control laws, including EAR and ITAR. For more information visit the Bureau of Industry and Security and the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls .

Mattermost is an EEO Employer, we are a remote-first, open-source company.

We are continually working to expand our hiring in more countries and regions, ensuring compliance with local laws and regulations, which takes time.

Mattermost values your unique perspective—we welcome all applicants. We encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply and are committed to assessing candidates based on their skills and qualifications. We do not tolerate discrimination against staff or …