Forward Deployed Data Engineer (TS/SCI)
$200k - $260k USD
Build a Safer World.
TRM Labs provides blockchain analytics and AI solutions to help law enforcement and national security agencies, financial institutions, and cryptocurrency businesses detect, investigate, and disrupt crypto-related fraud and financial crime. TRM’s blockchain intelligence and AI platforms include solutions to trace the source and destination of funds, identify illicit activity, build cases, and construct an operating picture of threats. TRM is trusted by leading agencies and businesses worldwide who rely on TRM to enable a safer, more secure world for all.
As a Forward Deployed Engineer, you will work directly with TRM’s government customers. This includes bridging our SaaS offering with federated capabilities and cloud architectures from the initial setup and implementation to configuration and maintenance.
A successful mission will enable TRM’s government customers to securely leverage TRM in regulated industries and also scale with maturity. As an early member of the Forward Deployed Engineering team, you will be deeply involved in the technical details and ultimately champion your team to build a safer financial system for billions of people.
The impact you’ll have here:
Partner directly with mission-focused customers to design and deploy secure, scalable cloud-based data lakehouse solutions on AWS (e.g., S3, EMR/EKS, Iceberg or Delta Lake).
Own and deliver production-ready ETL/ELT pipelines using Python, Apache Airflow, Spark, and SQL—optimized for petabyte-scale workloads.
Containerize and deploy services on Kubernetes (EKS), using Terraform or CloudFormation for Infrastructure-as-Code and repeatable environments.
Design integrations that ingest data from message buses, APIs, and relational databases, embedding real-time analytics capabilities into client workflows.
Actively participate in all phases of the software development lifecycle: requirements gathering, architecture, implementation, testing, and secure deployment.
Implement observability solutions (e.g., Prometheus, Datadog, NewRelic) to uphold SLAs and drive continuous improvement.
Support mission-critical systems in production environments—resolving incidents alongside customer operations teams.
What we’re looking for:
Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
4+ years of hands-on experience building and deploying data pipelines in Python.
Proven expertise with Apache Airflow (DAG development, scheduler tuning, custom operators).
Strong knowledge of Apache Spark (Spark SQL, DataFrames, performance tuning).
Deep SQL skills—able to optimize queries with window functions, CTEs, and large datasets.
Professional experience deploying cloud-native architectures on AWS, including services like S3, EMR, EKS, IAM, and Redshift.
Familiarity with secure cloud environments and experience implementing FedRAMP/FISMA controls.
Experience deploying applications and data workflows on Kubernetes, preferably EKS.
Infrastructure-as-Code proficiency with Terraform or CloudFormation.
Skilled in GitOps and CI/CD practices using Jenkins, GitLab CI, or similar tools.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills—able to interface confidently with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Willingness and ability to travel up to 25% to client sites as needed.
Active TS/SCI clearance required (Polygraph strongly preferred).
About the Team:
The FDE team is made up of experienced professionals with direct customer knowledge and deep experience with technology, we leverage this to provide impactful outcomes and clear communication both internally and externally.
The FDE team aligns to the US-eastern timezone, both onsite and remotely. Wee communicate across numerous channels (highside chat, highside/lowside email, slack, phone calls, signal, google meets) and ensure we are able to rapidly switch between appropriate channels as necessary.
We have weekly team syncs as well as project check-ins, we keep project tracking tools up to date and directly communicate issues as they arise.
We always put the customer first – The FDE team is uniquely close among other teams at TRM to our customers and will develop close relationships with them. We do whatever it takes to ensure their mission success.
Learn about TRM Speed in this position:
Rapid Issue Resolution: Forward Deployed Engineers identify and diagnose critical onsite issues, set up incident channels or virtual war rooms with the remote team, and implement fixes in mintues to hours. FDEs also conduct retros and shares lessons with both internal teams and customer stakeholders within 48 hours of resolution.
Navigating Bureaucratic Hurdles: Engineer anticipates and proactively addresses potential customer-side delays. They build relationships with customer stakeholders (COTR, Enterprise technical lead, etc.), identify procedural bottlenecks, and seek alternative pathways for approvals. This approach reduces wait times for critical decisions and keeps projects on track despite complex customer processes.
Efficient Knowledge Transfer: Conducts knowledge sharing sessions and maintains up-to-date documentation in Notion and issue tracking in Jira for the remote team. All milestone-impacting issues are flagged within 24 hours, reducing problem-solving time and ensuring remote team is always aware of any updates to the plans.
About TRM's Engineering Levels:
Engineer: Responsible for helping to define project milestones and executing small decision decisions independently with the appropriate tradeoffs between simplicity, readability, and performance. Provides mentorship to junior engineers, and enhances operational excellence through tech debt reduction and knowledge sharing.
Senior Engineer: Successfully designs and documents system improvements and features for an OKR/project from the ground up. Consistently delivers efficient and reusable systems, optimizes team throughput with appropriate tradeoffs, mentors team members, and enhances cross-team collaboration through documentation and knowledge sharing.
Staff Engineer: Drives scoping and execution of one or more OKRs/projects that impact multiple teams. Partners with stakeholders to set the team vision and technical roadmaps for one or more products. Is a role model and mentor to the entire engineering organization. Ensures system health and quality with operational reviews, testing strategies, and monitoring rigor.
The following represents the expected range of compensation for this role:
The estimated base salary range for this role is $200,000 - $260,000.
Additionally, this role may be eligible to participate in TRM’s equity plan.
Please note – we factor in the different costs for geographies outside the United States.
Life at TRM
We are building a safer world. That promise shows up in how we work every day.
TRM moves quickly. We are a high velocity, high ownership team that expects clarity, follow-through, and impact. People who thrive here are energized by hard problems, experimentation, and continuous feedback. If something takes months elsewhere, it will ship here in days.
Our work sits at the intersection of AI, national security, and fighting financial crime. The problems are complex, the stakes are real, and the environment evolves quickly. The pace and intensity of the work reflect the importance of the mission. As a result, the way we operate requires a high level of ownership, adaptability, collaboration, and creative problem-solving.
At TRM, you should expect:
Priorities and targets to change quickly as we experiment and iterate
Work that often requires operating with a high degree of ambiguity
A high level of personal ownership and accountability
Close collaboration across teams and functions
Frequent, high-touch communication
Creative problem solving and out-of-the-box thinking
A pace that rewards urgency, adaptability, and outcomes
This environment is energizing for people who enjoy building, solving hard problems, and making progress in situations that are not always fully defined. It also requires comfort navigating ambiguity, adjusting course as new information emerges, and maintaining focus and positivity in a fast-moving and intense environment.
We also recognize that this style of operating is not for everyone. If you are primarily optimizing for predictability or a consistently balanced workload, we encourage you to use the interview process to pressure test whether this environment is truly the right fit. We want teammates who thrive here, not just survive here.
At the same time, many people find this work deeply rewarding. If you are excited by meaningful problems, motivated by ambitious goals, and energized by working alongside mission-driven colleagues, there is a good chance you will find TRM to be an exceptional place to grow and contribute. Learn more: Interviewing at TRM: How We Hire and What Success Looks Like
AI Fluency at TRM
AI fluency is a baseline expectation at TRM.
We believe AI meaningfully changes how top performers operate. We expect every team member to use AI to accelerate and reimagine their craft, not just automate surface tasks.
At TRM, AI fluency means you are among the top 10 percent of operators in your function in how you apply AI to:
Accelerate repeatable workflows
Structure and solve problems
Improve output quality
Increase speed and leverage
You will be evaluated on applied AI fluency during the interview process.
Leadership Principles
We hire and grow against three leadership principles. They’re the standards for how we operate, treat each other, and make decisions.
Impact-Oriented Trailblazer: We put customers first and move with speed, focus, and adaptability. We treat every plan like an experiment – test, ship, measure, and iterate quickly.
Master Craftsperson: We care deeply about our craft. We balance speed with high standards, own outcomes end‑to‑end, and invest in getting better everyday.
Inspiring Colleague: We add clarity and energy, not noise. We bring humility, candor, and a one‑team mindset — giving and receiving feedback to make the team stronger.
Join our Mission
At TRM we care deeply about our craft. We are looking for individuals who want their work to matter, who experiment with speed and rigor, and who take pride in building a safer world for billions of people. If you’re excited by TRM’s mission but don’t check every box, we encourage you to apply — we hire for slope, judgment, and the will to learn fast.
TRM is a Series C company with $220M in total funding, backed by Blockchain Capital, Goldman Sachs, Bessemer, Y Combinator, Thoma Bravo, and others. Headquartered in San Francisco, TRM operates as a distributed-first company with hubs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Washington D.C., London, and Singapore.
Privacy Policy and Additional Information
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Our typical hiring cycles for specialized roles span 24 to 36 months. Accordingly, we retain your personal information for up to 36 months to evaluate your application and to consider you for current and future employment opportunities, unless you request earlier deletion or a different retention period is required or permitted by law.
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