Staff Forward Deployed Engineer

About SandboxAQSandboxAQ is a high-growth company delivering AI solutions that address some of the world's greatest challenges. The company’s Large Quantitative Models (LQMs) power advances in life sciences, financial services, navigation, cybersecurity, and other sectors. We are a global team that is tech-focused and includes experts in AI, chemistry, cybersecurity, physics, mathematics, medicine, engineering, and other specialties.

The company emerged from Alphabet Inc. as an independent, growth capital-backed company in 2022, funded by leading investors and supported by a braintrust of industry leaders. At SandboxAQ, we’ve cultivated an environment that encourages creativity, collaboration, and impact. By investing deeply in our people, we’re building a thriving, global workforce poised to tackle the world's epic challenges.

Join us to advance your career in pursuit of an inspiring mission, in a community of like-minded people who value entrepreneurialism, ownership, and transformative impact. The OpportunitySandboxAQ's AQNav (Quantum Navigation) team builds global, GPS-independent, navigation solutions from military and commercial aircraft to autonomous submersible platforms. We are the bridge between cutting-edge quantum sensing research and real-world operations, working directly alongside the defense customers and platform integrators at the highest levels to prove that magnetic navigation works where it matters most.

The AQNav team is looking for a Senior Forward Deployed Engineer to join our team. This role is central to our efforts to own the technical reality of how AQNav performs in the field and to serve as the primary bridge between operational users and our product, engineering, and research teams. This role goes well beyond pre-sales support or basic integration.

This person will: Deploy and validate AQNav on operational platforms, analyzing and translating complex multi-sensor data captured by you in real-world test environments into narratives that prove our performance to expert stakeholders at the most senior levels in the DOD based on tooling and visualizations you craftedDrive success in-situ, by using their hands-on software and hardware skills to ensure success in critical test events and demonstrationsSet the tone for how we communicate with our most important customers, serving as the primary technical partner in business development efforts, presentations, and conferencesKey

Responsibilities

• Lead the technical side of strategic pursuits.
• Own the technical workstream for high-impact customer pilots and presentations.
• Design and run experiments that compare AQNav against legacy and alt-PNT solutions.
• Deliver clear, quantitative customer analyses.
• Build and own field analysis tooling.
• Develop and maintain Python-based pipelines to ingest, clean, and analyze heterogeneous sensor and navigation logs (including binary formats).
• Extend internal simulation and replay tools to match real mission profiles.
• Create repeatable visualization and reporting templates that turn raw data into decisions.
• Translate performance data into stakeholder narratives.
• Convert logs, bias drifts, error growth, and RMSE metrics into concise, accurate stories for operators, engineers, and senior executives.
• Contribute materially to technical content for customer briefings, program reviews, and business development presentations.
• Bridge operations and R&D.
• Turn field observations into well-structured, testable requirements.
• Partner with product, research, and engineering teams to prioritize issues, design follow-on experiments, and push for clarity around performance metrics, success criteria, and tradeoffs so that teams are aligned on what "right looks like."Lead field integration and represent AQNav externally.
• Guide integration of AQNav with mission computers, flight controllers, and onboard sensors, working closely with platform integrators and OEMs.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents with generous employer premium contributions, retirement savings with company matching, paid parental leave, and inclusive family-building benefits. Work-Life Balance: Fully remote, Flexible paid time off, company-wide seasonal breaks, and support for flexible work arrangements that enable sustainable performance. Career Development: Opportunities for continuous learning and growth through on-the-job development, cross-functional collaboration, and access to internal learning and development programs. SandboxAQ Welcomes AllWe are committed to fostering a culture of belonging and respect, where diverse perspectives are actively sought and valued. Our multidisciplinary environment provides ample opportunity for continuous growth - working alongside humble, empowered, and ambitious colleagues ready to tackle epic challenges. Equal Employment Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status. Accommodations: We provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities in job application procedures for open roles. If you need such an accommodation, please let a member of our Recruiting team know. Read: Guidance for candidates on using AI Tools in interviews