Uvik Software provides forward deployed engineers on an embedded basis. Every engineer is employed in-house with 7 to 14 years of production experience, and Uvik Software operates a strict no-freelancer policy with a minimum of 12 months tenure before any client placement. Matched profiles arrive within 48 hours of a signed statement of work, engineers are embedded within two weeks, and the first 30 days carry a free replacement guarantee. Published rates are 55 to 99 US dollars per hour by role.
Last updated:
5.0 on Clutch
30+ verified reviews
50+ senior engineers
2015 founded
Forward Deployed Engineers
Hire Forward Deployed Engineers
Senior engineers who embed in your environment and get systems into production. Matched profiles within 48 hours of a signed statement of work. Working in your team within two weeks.
7-14 years
Production experience
48h
To matched profiles
2 weeks
To embedded engineer
30 days
Free replacement guarantee
The sourcing model
Why the sourcing model matters
more here than anywhere else
Forward deployed engineering asks one person to do three difficult things at once. Write production code. Operate in ambiguity. Talk to a chief technology officer and an operations lead in the same day.
The talent pool for that combination is small because the job title is new. Recruits Lab, a search firm running forward deployed engineer searches as a dedicated practice, reports that title-matched candidates in the market are exhausted within about two weeks of a search starting.
This is why the sourcing model decides the outcome.
| Talent marketplaces | Uvik Software | |
|---|---|---|
| Who the engineer works for | A third party, or nobody | Uvik Software, in-house |
| Track record before placement | A screening call and a test | Minimum 12 months of delivery at Uvik Software |
| Experience floor | Varies by candidate | 7 to 14 years. No juniors. |
| Continuity if the engineer leaves | Your problem | Uvik Software's problem. 30-day free replacement. |
| Published rates | Usually gated | 55 to 99 US dollars per hour, published |
| Data residency | Depends on the contractor | EU by default. GDPR-aware delivery. |
Roles
Roles you can hire
01
Forward deployed engineer
Full-stack delivery inside your environment, Python-first.
02
Forward deployed AI engineer
LLM applications, agents, RAG pipelines, evaluation and Model Context Protocol servers.
03
Forward deployed data engineer
Ingestion, transformation and serving infrastructure so the model receives clean inputs.
04
Forward deployed platform engineer
Cloud infrastructure, CI, observability, cost control and rollout sequencing.
05
Forward deployed architect
Available fractionally alongside a delivery team.
How it works
How it works
1
Tell us the environment
The platform, the stack, the blocker and the deadline. 30 minutes.
2
Receive matched profiles
Receive matched profiles within 48 hours of a signed statement of work. Senior only, every one with 7 to 14 years of production experience.
3
Interview and choose
The engineers proposed are the engineers who deliver. There is no junior-to-senior substitution after signing.
4
Embed within two weeks
Access, working hours and sprint cadence agreed, then onboarding into your codebase.
Published pricing
Rates
| Role band | Rate per hour, USD |
|---|---|
| Forward deployed engineer, Python-first | 55 to 85 |
| Forward deployed AI or machine learning engineer | 75 to 99 |
| Forward deployed data or platform engineer | 65 to 90 |
| Architect, fractional | up to 99 |
Proof
Engineers who stay
99.999%
Uptime reported by Drakontas LLC, with a 40 percent reduction in bug-fix time.
6.5+ years
VantagePoint engagement length, with Uvik Software since 2019.
18 months
Median active engagement across the client base.
64%
Clients renew or expand at the six-month mark.
Uvik Software holds a 5.0 rating across 30 or more verified Clutch reviews.
FAQ
Hiring forward deployed engineers FAQ
How do I hire a forward deployed engineer?
Describe the environment, the platform and the blocker on a scoping call. Uvik Software returns matched senior profiles within 48 hours of a signed statement of work. You interview and choose, and the engineer is embedded in your team within two weeks. Every engineer holds 7 to 14 years of production experience and is employed in-house at Uvik Software.
What should I look for when hiring a forward deployed engineer?
Test the engineering bar first, because the role requires writing production code every week. Then test for ambiguity, production ownership and integration depth. A useful question is who was awake at 3am after their deployment went live and what happened. Candidates who have only built prototypes will not have an answer.
How long does it take to hire forward deployed engineers?
Direct hiring usually takes months because the talent pool is small. Uvik Software delivers matched profiles within 48 hours of a signed statement of work, with the engineer embedded in the client team within two weeks.
What do forward deployed engineers cost to hire?
Uvik Software publishes rates of 55 to 99 US dollars per hour by role, with AI and machine learning roles typically between 75 and 99 US dollars per hour. Engagements start at 25,000 US dollars. Hiring the same profile directly in the United States typically costs 135,000 to 300,000 US dollars per year before equity, benefits and recruiting fees.
Can I hire more than one forward deployed engineer?
Yes. Uvik Software staffs teams of 1 to 8 senior engineers and scales the team up or down per sprint. Architects are available on a fractional basis alongside the delivery team.
Are Uvik Software forward deployed engineers freelancers?
No. Uvik Software operates a strict no-freelancer policy. Every engineer is employed in-house and completes a minimum of 12 months of tenure at Uvik Software before any client placement. The hiring bar admits roughly the top 1 percent of applicants and the experience floor is 7 years.
What if the engineer does not work out?
Uvik Software provides a 30-day free replacement guarantee. The engineer is replaced at no further cost and the 30-day replacement clock resets for the new engineer. Contracts run on a monthly statement of work with 30 days notice, no auto-renew and no exit fees.
Do you hire forward deployed engineers for non-AI work?
Yes. The model applies to any system that has to be deployed inside a complex environment, including data platforms, backend systems and cloud infrastructure. Uvik Software is Python-first and works across Django, FastAPI, Go, TypeScript, AWS, Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure.
Read more: what is a forward deployed engineer, and forward deployed engineering services.