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Forward Deployed Engineer - US National Security

Washington, D.C.

TRM Labs is a blockchain intelligence company dedicated to fighting crime and creating a safer world for billions of people. By leveraging blockchain data, threat intelligence, and advanced analytics, our products empower governments, financial institutions, and crypto businesses to safeguard communities from illicit activity and global security threats.

At TRM Labs, you’ll be part of a mission-driven, fast-paced environment where your work directly contributes to building a safer future. Our team combines expertise in law enforcement, data science, engineering, and financial intelligence to address complex challenges. Whether you're analyzing blockchain data, developing cutting-edge tools, or collaborating with global organizations, every day brings the opportunity to make a meaningful and lasting impact.

As a Forward Deployed Engineer, you will work directly with TRM’s government customers to bridge 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:

  • Engage with clients to implement and configure cloud infrastructure, encompassing IaaS and PaaS services.
  • Take ownership of project execution and software delivery in collaboration with dedicated project teams.
  • Foster effective communication and collaboration between clients and project stakeholders to ensure the achievement of project objectives.
  • Develop customized integrations that align with customer requirements and enhance mission outcomes.
  • Actively participate in all phases of the software development lifecycle (SDLC), contributing to design, development, testing, and deployment activities.
  • Harness the power of cloud, DevOps practices, and Linux tools to effectively manage, monitor, and diagnose systems and applications.

What we’re looking for:

  • Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in Computer Science or a related field.
  • Professional experience building environments on Amazon Web Services (AWS).
  • Highly proficient with modern Unix/Linux operating systems/distributions.
  • Experience with CI/CD, containers, orchestration and/or virtualization, web servers, and databases.
  • Professional experience building and deploying data-intensive applications in secure environments for government customers.
  • Strong programming skills with experience across the spectrum of systems engineering, data engineering, DevOps, and/or data operations.
  • Outstanding verbal and written communication skills.
  • Willingness and ability to travel up to 50% as needed to client sites.
  • Candidate must have an active TS/SCI clearance with Polygraph.

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 - $275,000.
  • 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 Labs

Leadership Principles

Our Leadership Principles are foundational element of our strategy, guiding how we make decisions, how we treat each other, and how we behave day-to-day.

  • Impact-Oriented Trailblazer: We put customers first, driving for speed, focus, and adaptability.
  • Master Craftsperson: We prioritize speed, high standards, and distributed ownership.
  • Inspiring Colleague: We value humility, candor, and a one-team mindset.

Build a Career 

Joining TRM means being part of a mission-driven team comprised of industry leaders. At TRM, you'll experience:

  • Purpose and Mission: Have a real-world impact, from disrupting terrorist networks to returning stolen funds.
  • Inspiring Colleagues: Collaborate with industry leaders and learn something new daily.
  • Personal Growth: We're not just using technology; we're inventing it and taking category-defining products to market.

Work Environment

  • Remote First: Our HQ is online. Tools like Zoom and Slack ensure seamless collaboration, but we also value in-person interactions, organizing regular meetups and offsites for team bonding. Clear communication is key in our decentralized setup. With tools like Slack, Loom, and voice notes, we document meetings and decisions, promoting transparency and efficiency.
  • Ownership & TRM Speed: Small teams drive big goals at TRM. Every team member has significant ownership and responsibility, fostering an environment of initiative and direct impact. While there's no strict clocking in or out, we expect team members to balance personal schedules and team needs. We move “surprisingly fast” while maintaining a high bar in service of our customers and mission. This can feel both intense and rewarding. Our unique approach to projects emphasizes quick wins, rapid iterations, and constant feedback.
  • Diversity and Inclusion: Diversity at TRM encompasses backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. Every day is an opportunity to learn from a colleague, whether they're a law enforcement expert or a tech pioneer.
  • Annual Company Offsite: Once a year, TRMers come together from around the world to attend a 1-week mandatory company offsite. This is designed to foster in-person relationships, creativity, and strategic alignment. Employee attendance is required of all TRMers.  

Join Us

We're looking for team members who love building from the ground up and want to work hard in a fast-paced and ambitious environment. We are remote-first, with exceptionally talented team members located around the world. If you like solving tough problems quickly and seeing your work improve the lives of billions of people, we want you at TRM.

We encourage you to reach out even if your experience doesn't precisely match the job description. Don't worry about picking exactly the right job; we can always explore other options after starting the conversation. Your passion and interests will set you apart, especially if your background or career is unconventional.  

To all recruitment agencies: TRM Labs does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to TRM Labs employees. TRM Labs is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes and will not pay fees to any third-party agency or company that does not have a signed agreement with the Company.

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