Forward Deployed Engineer – Python, Edge AI & Robotics | German speaking | Zürich Startup

Position: Forward Deployed Engineer 
Remote working policy: On-site in Zürich, with approximately 50% travel to customer sites
Employment type: Full-time
Compensation: €90,000+ gross per year, depending on experience, plus equity. Indicative guidance; the final package will be agreed with the employer.

Fluent German and good English are required. Candidates must be based in Zürich or willing to relocate.

About the company:
Our client is an early-stage AI and robotics startup building intelligent software for physical security. Its platform connects robots, cameras and sensors into a coordinated system that helps protect industrial facilities, critical infrastructure and military sites.

You’ll join a small international founding team and work directly with co-founders whose backgrounds span AI, robotics and physics.

About the role:
If you enjoy getting software working in the physical world, solving problems on-site and building relationships with the people using your systems, this role offers all three.

You’ll take customer deployments from the first site visit through installation, integration, testing and handover. That means working across Python code, Linux systems, edge hardware, networks and AI models—and understanding how security operators actually need the system to perform.

Your first deployments will be alongside the founders. As you build experience, you’ll take ownership of sites and customer accounts independently, with the opportunity to help hire and eventually lead the deployment team.

Expect roughly half your time at customer sites across Switzerland and Europe. The rest will be in Zürich, turning field experience into better software, tooling and deployment processes.

What you’ll get to build and influence:

Customer Deployments

• Own deployments from site surveys and hardware planning through commissioning and operator handover
• Work with customers to define what a successful deployment looks like
• Take technical pilots into reliable day-to-day operation
• Train operators and build trusted relationships with frontline users and site leadership

Edge Infrastructure & Integration

• Deploy and operate software on NVIDIA edge hardware inside customer networks
• Work in restricted or air-gapped environments
• Integrate cameras, sensors, video management systems and robots
• Write the Python integration code needed when existing systems do not connect out of the box
• Debug across hardware, networking, drivers, models and configuration

AI Performance & Engineering

• Tune detection and tracking to real conditions, including terrain and lighting
• Investigate performance and reliability issues in the field
• Turn deployment lessons into runbooks, automation and reusable tools
• Bring customer insights back to the engineering team and influence product priorities

What we’re looking for:

• 3+ years of software engineering experience, with strong Python and solid Linux fundamentals
• Experience deploying and operating software on-premises or at the edge
• Practical Docker experience
• Experience integrating hardware and software systems
• Direct experience working with customers or end users, including technical delivery and troubleshooting
• The ability to communicate clearly with both operators and senior stakeholders
• Confidence investigating unfamiliar problems across the technical stack
• Fluent German and good English
• Willingness to travel approximately 50% of the time, including multi-day customer visits
• Availability to work on-site in Zürich when not travelling

Some customer deployments involve defence and restricted sites. Applicants must meet the relevant citizenship and security-clearance eligibility requirements.

Additional experience that would be valuable:

• Networking: VLANs, firewalls, routing, VPNs and connectivity troubleshooting
• NVIDIA GPU inference and optimisation on edge devices
• Camera and video management systems, including Milestone or Genetec
• ONVIF, RTSP and physical security integrations
• Computer vision or production ML deployment
• ROS2, robot integration or fleet operations
• Defence, government or critical infrastructure projects
• Early-stage startup experience
• French, Italian or another European language

Why join our client?

• Own complete deployments and see your engineering work operate in the real world
• Work directly with the founders and influence how the product develops
• Build expertise across edge AI, robotics, infrastructure and customer delivery
• Help shape the deployment function, with a path towards hiring and leading a team
• Receive a salary and equity package
• Join a small international team with room to grow as the business develops

Location:
Zürich, Switzerland. Approximately half your time will involve travel to customer sites in Switzerland and Europe.

Sounds interesting? Apply below with your CV or LinkedIn profile outlining your achievements, particularly deployments or integrations you have personally delivered.

For questions, please contact: [email protected]

We are looking forward to hearing from you!

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