Forward Deployed Engineer
The Agency Fund · Global
About The Agency Fund
The Agency Fund (TAF) is a US non-profit funder-doer that builds projects to expand human agency at scale. We embed engineers and product managers directly inside evidence-based nonprofits across East Africa, South Asia, and beyond — helping them build data infrastructure, run experiments, and scale impact through automation and product thinking. Our small, global team combines expertise in software, AI, social psychology, and development economics, and our community of 200+ partner organizations reaches millions of people annually.
We're an entrepreneurial team that operates with minimal hierarchy — everyone contributes to a shared mission in unique ways.
The Role
We're looking for a Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) to join our team. You'll work directly on-the-ground with Agency Fund's NGO partners to investigate, architect, implement and adapt our technology platforms and programs in the field. You're part engineer, part consultant, and part mentor — the person who makes the tech actually work for real users in resource-constrained environments.
What You'll Do
Architect and adapt data-driven technology solutions at partner NGO sites across multiple countries
Diagnose and organize partners' existing applications and data systems
Deploy and configure Agency Fund technology platforms and programs to scale and improve partner operations and impact
Serve as the primary technical point of contact for field-side implementation challenges
Customize and adapt platform features based on partner-specific workflows and constraints
Train partner staff on platform usage and build internal technical capacity at partner orgs
Identify and escalate product issues, collecting structured feedback from field deployments
Collaborate with TAF's engineering team to translate field learnings into product improvements
Document deployment processes, partner configurations, and lessons learned for reuse
Who You Are
You might be a great fit if you:
Have 2–5 years of software engineering, data science or technical consulting experience
Are proficient in at least one backend language (Python, Javascript, etc.) and comfortable with APIs
Can navigate ambiguous, low-connectivity environments with resourcefulness and creativity
Have strong interpersonal and communication skills — you're comfortable training and presenting to technical and non-technical audiences
Are a strong problem-solver who can debug novel issues without a reference manual
Are genuinely excited about the 'last mile' — the messy, human, operational reality of technology in the field
Can work with significant autonomy while staying deeply connected with a distributed team
Bonus points if you have:
Prior experience living or working in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)
Familiarity with mobile data collection tools (KoboToolbox, CommCare, ODK, etc.)
Experience with WhatsApp, SMS or USSD-based systems, or designing for low-bandwidth environments
Knowledge of a major language spoken by our partner communities (Hindi, Swahili, Arabic, French, etc.)
Background in global health, international development, or humanitarian technology
Why Join Us
Work with a kind, talented, and mission-driven team
Collaborate with bold thinkers across social impact, data, and product innovation
Shape projects that directly expand human agency
Fully remote and flexible working environment
Competitive compensation commensurate with experience
Location
Field-based / Remote (with travel)
Based in or willing to relocate to a region where TAF partners operate (Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia)
Travel required to partner sites