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Sr. Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) - Public Sector

MLW LogoMost Loved Workplace® Certified Job
92% of candidates apply because they are a Most Loved Workplace®
Chicago, Illinois
Professional Services Operations

About the Role

At Databricks, a Most Loved Workplace® certified employer in the Technology space, Democratizing data and AI for every organization worldwide.

<p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">CSQ227R88</p>

<p data-pm-slice="1 1 []">Due to federal contract requirements and client site access obligations, <strong>U.S. citizenship and eligibility for a U.S. government secret clearance are required</strong> to access classified information. Candidates with an active Secret or higher clearance are strongly encouraged to apply.</p>

<p>As a Sr. Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) you will work with customers to build and productionize solutions to their data & AI challenges using the Databricks platform. You will own the architecture, lead design decisions, and implement end-to-end systems spanning data engineering, AI, and application development. We work cross-functionally to shape long-term strategic priorities and initiatives alongside engineering, product, and developer relations. FDEs deliver with customer empathy, integrating with client systems, training, and other technical needs to help customers get most value out of their data. </p>

<p> </p>

<p>This is a hands-on, customer-facing role for builders who thrive at the intersection of technology and business impact. The ideal candidate combines engineering expertise with adaptability, curiosity, and a passion for working with customers and teammates to solve complex problems that drive measurable outcomes. FDEs are billable and know how to complete projects according to specification with exceptional customer empathy.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>The impact you will have:</p>

<ul>

<li>Production Solution Delivery: Lead impactful customer technical projects by delivering production-grade systems, designing and building reference architectures, custom applications and data ingestion and ML/AI model integration</li>

<li>Transformational Impact: Guide strategic customers as they implement transformational big data projects including end-to-end design, build and deployment of industry-leading big data and AI applications. Work with engagement managers to scope technical delivery work with input from the customer</li>

<li>Empower Customers: Guide customers on architecture and design; bootstrap or implement customer projects which leads to a customers' successful understanding, evaluation and adoption of Databricks.</li>

<li>Own the Architecture: Lead architecture and design decisions, ensuring solutions are secure, scalable, and aligned with both customer needs and Databricks best practices.</li>

<li>Work with the Databricks technical team, Project Manager, Architect and Customer team to ensure the technical components of the engagement are delivered to meet customer's needs.</li>

<li>Work with Engineering and Databricks Customer Support to provide product and implementation feedback and to guide rapid resolution for engagement specific product and support issues.</li>

<li>Customer Immersion: Embed with customer teams, engaging with stakeholders from technical ICs to executives to deeply understand challenges and deliver impact.</li>

<li>Reusable Assets & Scale: Contribute accelerators, frameworks, and best practices that scale impact across accounts and influence the Databricks product roadmap.</li>

</ul>

<p> </p>

<p>What we look for:</p>

<ul>

<li>6+ years experience in data engineering, data platforms & analytics, or software engineering</li>

<li>Comfortable writing code in either Python, Scala, JavaScript/TypeScript, and modern frameworks</li>

<li>Working knowledge of two or more common Cloud ecosystems (AWS, Azure, GCP) with expertise in at least one</li>

<li>Deep experience with distributed computing with Apache Spark™ and knowledge of Spark runtime internals</li>

<li>Familiarity with CI/CD for production deployments</li>

<li>Working knowledge of MLOps, ML/AI models and AI APIs</li>

<li>Design and deployment of performant production end-to-end data architectures and applications that combine data pipelines, ML/AI models, and user-facing interfaces.</li>

<li>Experience with technical project delivery - managing scope, timelines and measurable outcomes, translating complex concepts into actionable solutions.</li>

<li>Documentation and white-boarding skills.</li>

<li>Experience working with enterprise clients and managing conflicts across a broad stakeholder range</li>

<li>Build skills in technical areas, and demonstrate curiosity, adaptability, and eagerness to explore new technologies which support the deployment and integration of Databricks-based solutions to complete customer projects.</li>

<li>Travel to customers 20% of the time</li>

<li>Databricks Certification</li>

</ul>

<p> </p><div class="content-pay-transparency"><div class="pay-input"><div class="description"><p> </p>

<p><strong>Pay Range Transparency</strong></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400; font-size: 14px;">Databricks is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. The pay range(s) for this role is listed below and represents the expected base salary range for non-commissionable roles or on-target earnings for commissionable roles.  Actual compensation packages are based on several factors that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to job-related skills, depth of experience, relevant certifications and training, and specific work location. Based on the factors above, Databricks anticipated utilizing the full width of the range. The total compensation package for this position may also include eligibility for annual performance bonus, equity, and the benefits listed above. For more information regarding which range your location is in visit our page <a href="https://www.Databricks.com/sites/default/files/2024-08/us-pay-zone-mapping.pdf">here</a>.<br></span></p>

<p> </p></div><div class="title">Zone 1 Pay Range</div><div class="pay-range"><span>$182,000</span><span class="divider">—</span><span>$250,208 USD</span></div></div><div class="pay-input"><div class="title">Zone 2 Pay Range</div><div class="pay-range"><span>$182,000</span><span class="divider">—</span><span>$250,208 USD</span></div></div><div class="pay-input"><div class="title">Zone 3 Pay Range</div><div class="pay-range"><span>$182,000</span><span class="divider">—</span><span>$250,208 USD</span></div></div><div class="pay-input"><div class="title">Zone 4 Pay Range</div><div class="pay-range"><span>$182,000</span><span class="divider">—</span><span>$250,208 USD</span></div></div></div><div class="content-conclusion"><p><strong>About Databricks</strong></p>

<p><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Databricks is the data and AI company. More than 10,000 organizations worldwide — including Comcast, Condé Nast, Grammarly, and over 50% of the Fortune 500 — rely on the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform to unify and democratize data, analytics and AI. Databricks is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices around the globe and was founded by the original creators of Lakehouse, Apache Spark™, Delta Lake and MLflow. To learn more, follow Databricks on <span style="color: rgb(255, 54, 33);"><a style="color: rgb(255, 54, 33);" href="https://twitter.com/Databricks" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/Databricks&source=gmail&ust=1700237575733000&usg=AOvVaw03FL8fJvOD97ytN02f5G2C">Twitter</a>, <a style="color: rgb(255, 54, 33);" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/Databricks" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.linkedin.com/company/Databricks&source=gmail&ust=1700237575733000&usg=AOvVaw15dLk3q8VxTfHEgCUg7NSt">LinkedIn</a> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">and</span> <a style="color: rgb(255, 54, 33);" href="https://www.facebook.com/databricksinc" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.facebook.com/databricksinc&source=gmail&ust=1700237575733000&usg=AOvVaw39EcncitnlqV72EG2-RqXJ">Facebook</a></span>.<br><br><strong>Benefits<br><br></strong></span>At Databricks, we strive to provide comprehensive benefits and perks that meet the needs of all of our employees. For specific details on the benefits offered in your region click <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/154un3e8Xav4BceOSlcYFZRGEuQI54xMxVydRwQn54eQ/edit?usp=sharing">here</a>.<br><br></p>

<p><strong>Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion</strong></p>

<p>At Databricks, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture where everyone can excel. We take great care to ensure that our hiring practices are inclusive and meet equal employment opportunity standards. Individuals looking for employment at Databricks are considered without regard to age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other protected characteristics.</p>

<p><strong>Compliance</strong></p>

<p><strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">If access to export-controlled technology or source code is required for performance of job duties, it is within Employer's discretion whether to apply for a U.S. government license for such positions, and Employer may decline to proceed with an applicant on this basis alone.</span></strong></p></div>

Want to learn more about what it's like to work at Databricks? View our full profile.

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Why This Is a Most Loved Workplace® Certified Job

S

Systemic Collaboration

As Databricks continues our rapid growth, we strive to maintain a culture as open and transparent as it was in Databricks’s early days. Making sure employees have regular access to our CEO and co-founders to hear directly about our vision and priorities helps our employees forge a connection between Databricks priorities and their daily work.

P

Positive Vision for the Future

Databricks’ culture principles are derived from an internal study of the behaviors that have led to high impact work at Databricks. These values have a direct impact on company culture and play a large part in connecting teams across the organization. We believe in being customer-obsessed, truth-seeking, operating from first principles, having a bias for action, and putting Databricks first. Our co-founders are fully involved in day-to-day operations, including business and technical reviews, working alongside our team members to ensure that we are always aligned with our values.

A

Alignment of Values

Databricks’ CEO and Co-founder, Ali Ghodsi leads by example with a focus on truth-seeking and first principles thinking, two of Databricks’ core values that stay true to Databricks’s origins in academia. He champions the importance of data and reason to question biases and inform decisions. Ali remains hands-on with research and development and hosts company-wide weekly all hands, with a CEO “ask me anytime” session at the beginning of every agenda. His transparency and accessibility are core to the open and collaborative culture of Databricks.

R

Respect

At Databricks, we cultivate an environment where all employees can bring their unique selves and are empowered to do the best work of their careers. To ensure all voices are heard and ideas are valued, we conduct annual culture and pulse surveys and host all-hands Q&As to collect feedback from all employees. We then report back to Databricks on the specific changes implemented from the feedback collected to ensure employees feel heard and that their feedback is valued. In addition, we invest in our seven Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) that offer support and employee engagement events for individuals from underrepresented backgrounds and allies.

K

Killer Outcomes

Databricks prioritizes offering an exceptional employee experience by investing in tools, workspaces, and community-building. Our collaboration-first, hybrid model offers flexibility with in-person touchpoints like our annual employee kickoff, weekly CEO all-hands with happy hours, and monthly team building budgets. We are especially focused on maintaining a culture of transparency, honesty, and trust, with leaders actively engaging across channels like Slack and all hands while also championing inclusion efforts through ERG sponsorship. These initiatives help our team feel connected, valued, and empowered to do their best work.

What It's Like to Work Here

zap Bias for Action
lightbulb First Principles Innovation
users Collaborative Excellence
target Truth-Seeking Rigor
compass Generational Mission Focus
Certified for: Global Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces®, Certified Most Loved Workplaces® 2025, Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces® 2025

Frequently Asked Questions About Working at Databricks

Common questions candidates ask about this role and Databricks's workplace

With the Data Intelligence Platform, Databricks democratizes insights to everyone in an organization. Built on an open lakehouse architecture, the Data Intelligence Platform provides a unified foundation for all data and governance, combined with AI models tuned to an organization’s unique characteristics. Now, anyone in an organization can benefit from automation and natural language to discover and use data like experts, and technical teams can easily build and deploy secure data and AI apps and products. With origins in academia and the open source community, Databricks was founded in 2013 by the original creators of the lakehouse architecture and open source projects Apache Spark™, Delta Lake, MLflow and Unity Catalog.

Please review the specific job listing or contact Databricks's recruiting team for details on remote or hybrid work options for this role.

Salary information may vary by role and location. Please check the specific job listing or discuss compensation during the interview process.

Databricks is an established organization in its industry. The company is a certified Most Loved Workplace®, highlighting a strong, positive culture and committed workforce.

Key benefit categories include: Health & Wellness, Work-Life Balance, Office & Lifestyle, Professional Development, Financial. You can view more details on their CertCheck profile.

The day-to-day environment is guided by core values such as Bias for Action and First Principles Innovation and Collaborative Excellence.

The company has committed to inclusive practices including: Customer Obsession with Integrity and Empowering Every Team Member.

They score particularly well in the area of Systemic Collaboration. They have earned Most Loved Workplace® certifications including: Global Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces® and Certified Most Loved Workplaces® 2025.

Databricks currently has 789 open positions. They are hiring across departments like Field Engineering - Other, Delivery Solutions Architects, Enterprise Sales. You can view all current openings at certcheck.mostlovedworkplace.com/companies/databricks/jobs.

The interview process typically involves an initial recruiter screen followed by team interviews. Please contact Databricks's recruiting team for specific details on this role's process.

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