Forward Deployed Engineer (Technical Architect)

Job Description NetImpact Strategies (https://himalayas.app/companies/netimpact-strategies) builds software for Federal agencies, and we build it with AI. We are hiring engineers who own a solution end to end: sit with the customer, turn what they need into a specification, direct AI coding agents to build it, prove it works, get it into a Federal production environment, and hand it to sustainment. You will work in Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, GitHub Copilot, and our proprietary AI software generation platform every day. The Technical Architect extracts meaning from what a customer is asking and converts it into the right technology. The role is senior enough to own the architecture, close enough to the customer to understand the intent behind a request, and accountable when the solution goes live. The Core functions of the role are Research, Design, Architect, Code with AI, Solution Validation, and discipline to be productive with Client intimacy.What makes the role different This is not a conventional architect who designs and hands off, a people manager, or a quota-carrying salesperson. AI generation changes how code is produced, but it does not transfer accountability: production code ships under this role's ownership.Responsibilities Participate directly in requirements capture, translate customer needs into fit-for-purpose solutions, and define the technical scope and boundaries for fixed-price engagements. Convert customer requirements into structured specifications, acceptance criteria, and architectural decisions that enable AI-assisted software development, while validating generated solutions before release. Lead production integration, guide deployments, and remain accountable through deployment, stabilization, customer acceptance, and knowledge transfer to ensure successful delivery. Ensure solutions are extensible, maintainable, and transferable so they can be supported and enhanced by other qualified team members. Deliver production-ready solutions by supporting cloud deployments, CI/CD, legacy system integration, and compliance with ATO/RMF, Section 508, and NIST requirements. Create reusable assets, share lessons learned across the organization, and identify opportunities for follow-on work while transitioning commercial activities to the appropriate stakeholders. QualificationsRequired qualifications Demonstrate a strong foundation in software engineering principles and manual coding, with the ability to architect and deliver solutions across modern programming languages, frameworks, cloud platforms, AI-assisted development tools, and low-code platforms. Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical discipline.6+ years of professional software delivery, including enterprise systems you carried into production and supported after go-live. A complete solution built primarily with agentic AI coding tools. At least one working, end-to-end application you built by directing Claude Code, Codex, Copilot agent mode, Cursor, or an equivalent tool. Work or substantive personal projects both count. You will be asked to show it and to build live during the interview. Enterprise delivery experience. Demonstrated ownership of enterprise-scale software delivery, including production integration, deployment, operational constraints, and post-launch stabilization. Architect-level depth. Strong systems-design judgment plus working fluency across analysis, product ownership, software development, project delivery, security, data, integrations, and operations. AI-directed solution delivery. Evidence of independently building complete working solutions primarily through AI-assisted generation. Substantive personal projects may demonstrate this capability. Generated-code verification. Ability to read unfamiliar generated logic, identify failure modes, design appropriate tests, and determine whether the system is safe and correct enough to ship.Technology breadth. Ability to compare and select technologies based on context rather than defaulting to a familiar stack. Customer and contextual judgment. Ability to uncover the meaning behind stated requirements, read stakeholders, and adapt the approach to the engagement's real constraints. Problem solving and persistence. A record of making progress through ambiguity, obstacles, incomplete information, and cross-organizational dependency. Software-delivery orientation. Hands-on experience must be primarily in delivering software solutions rather than infrastructure or operations alone.Willingness and demonstrated ability to work across greenfield builds, modernization, integration-heavy environments, and inherited in-flight work. Full-stack fluency across the environments above, with production experience in at least one .NET or Java enterprise ecosystem and at least one major cloud. Verification mindset. You define acceptance criteria, design test strategies, use automated testing, and instrument systems so behavior can be observed. Yo