Founding Forward Deployed Engineer

About Our Client
Our client, is a YC-backed AI startup founded by ex-Palantir and Israeli Defense Force engineers. They're building a digital analyst platform for law enforcement agencies that leverages AI to help solve major crimes – cold cases, homicides, and sexual assaults – by surfacing the most critical data from mountains of digital evidence. The company is early-stage, generating revenue, and working with high-profile public safety clients across the U.S.

They are on a mission to transform criminal investigations through applied AI, empowering detectives and prosecutors to close cases faster and more accurately.

Why Join Them?
Join as a founding team member at the intersection of AI, public safety, and field engineering – doing the most meaningful work of your career. You’ll work side-by-side with former Palantir engineers, directly impact product direction, and solve real-world problems for detectives and prosecutors. Backed by top-tier investors like CRV, BoxGroup, and Liquid2, they offer a rare chance to do work that truly matters, with full ownership from day one.

Role Overview
As a Founding Forward Deployed Engineer, you’ll act as the critical link between the product and its users. This role blends engineering with fieldwork – you’ll travel to law enforcement agencies, deeply understand their workflows, and implement full-stack solutions that help solve real cases.

You’ll play a key role in earning customer trust, shaping product direction, and driving delivery from problem discovery through deployment – while helping define the foundation of the client's engineering culture.

Key Responsibilities

• Travel across the U.S. to observe, understand, and optimize law enforcement workflows

• Build full-stack solutions using Python, React, and TypeScript to meet real-time investigative needs

• Act as the technical point of contact in the field, earning trust and solving problems quickly

• Translate customer insights into actionable product improvements and roadmap decisions

• Collaborate with engineering, product, and leadership to shape Closure’s platform and culture

Non-Negotiables

• Strong engineering fundamentals with experience in Python and modern frontend frameworks (React, TypeScript)

• Comfortable working directly with customers and traveling frequently (25–75%)

• Grit, empathy, and hunger to do meaningful work in complex, ambiguous environments

• Experience solving problems end-to-end with limited guidance

• Based in or open to relocating to NYC or the Bay Area (remote OK with willingness to travel)

Nice to Have

• Experience in AI/ML integration, field deployment, or solutions engineering

• Background in law enforcement, defense tech, or GovTech

• Startup experience, especially in fast-moving, high-autonomy roles

• Familiarity with Docker, Flask, and cloud environments like AWS

• Exposure to tools like TensorFlow or other ML frameworks

Compensation & Benefits

• Base Salary: Competitive and commensurate with experience

• Equity: Founding-level equity with ongoing refreshes tied to company milestones

• Benefits:

  • 3% 401(k) contribution with no employee match required

  • Fully paid life, disability, and health insurance

  • Unlimited PTO

  • Gympass membership

  • Two-track compensation structure (higher equity/lower salary or vice versa)

Location
Hybrid preferred in New York City or San Francisco Bay Area.
Exceptional remote candidates (U.S. based) considered with willingness to travel frequently.