Forward Deployed Engineer – External Referrals Only

Build to Protect Civilization

TRM is a blockchain intelligence company that’s on a mission to build a safer world for billions of people. We’re a lean, high-impact team tackling some of the world’s most critical challenges, ranging from human trafficking and financial fraud to terrorist financing. We are builders who power governments, financial institutions, and crypto companies when the clock is running and the consequences are real. This is why every TRMer is a bet on our future and has the power to change our trajectory.

Know a Forward Deployed Engineer Who’d Crush This

TRM is hiring a Forward Deployed Engineer (TS/SCI required) to work directly with U.S. national security customers—and we’re offering a $20,000 referral bonus for any internal or external referral that results in a hire.

If someone immediately popped into your head, keep reading.

Who This Is For

You should refer someone if they’re the kind of engineer who:

• •Has active TS/SCI clearance (this is non-negotiable)
• •Has shipped mission-critical systems for government or national security customers
• •Is comfortable working directly with customers, often in high-stakes, high-trust environments
• •Has strong experience in Cloud, Applied AI, or Data Engineering
• •Can communicate clearly with engineers and operators
• •Is located in Washington, DC (in-person required)

What They'd Be Doing

Forward Deployed Engineers at TRM sit at the intersection of engineering execution and customer delivery. The exact technical focus depends on the engineer’s strengths, but the work consistently involves:

• •Working directly with national security customers to deploy, integrate, and operate TRM’s platform in secure environments
• •Translating real customer problems into practical, production-ready technical solutions
• •Building, configuring, or extending systems across application, data, and infrastructure layers
• •Integrating with customer environments using APIs, cloud services, data pipelines, or distributed systems
• •Owning solutions end-to-end—from initial deployment through production support
• •Supporting mission-critical systems and resolving real-world issues alongside customer teams

This is not a handoff role. It’s hands-on, high-trust, and high-impact.

What “Good” Looks Like

Strong referrals often have experience in one or more of the following:

• •Full Stack Engineering: Designing and deploying backend services or customer-facing applications in production environments
• •Applied AI / ML: Operationalizing models, analytics, or intelligent workflows in real customer systems
• •Infrastructure Engineering: Deploying and operating secure cloud or Kubernetes-based systems
• •Data Engineering: Building scalable data pipelines, lakehouses, or analytics platforms

Across all backgrounds, successful candidates typically bring

• •Experience working in secure or regulated environments
• •Comfort navigating ambiguity and customer constraints
• •Strong ownership mentality and communication skills
• •Willingness to travel up to 50% as needed

Compensation

• •Competitive compensation based on level and experience.
• •Estimated base salary range for this role is $200,000 - $290,000.
• •Additionally, this role may be eligible to participate in TRM’s equity plan.
• •Final level (Engineer, Senior Engineer, or Staff Engineer) determined by scope, impact, and background

Referral Bonus and Disclaimer

• •$20,000 referral bonus for an external referral that results in a hire. Bonus will be paid when the referral reaches their 180th day of employment.
• •By submitting a referral, you confirm that you have informed the candidate and obtained their permission to share their information with TRM Labs for recruiting purposes. Referral eligibility is based on the first submitted referral for a candidate and subject to TRM’s referral program terms.
• •Referrals are not eligible if the candidate has been interviewed by TRM Labs within the past 12 months.

Life at TRM

We build to protect civilization. That promise shows up in how we work every day.

TRM runs fast. Really fast. We’re a high-velocity team that expects ownership, clarity, and follow-through. People who thrive here are inspired by hard problems, experimentation, direct feedback. If it takes months elsewhere, it often ships here in days. If you are optimizing primarily for consistent work-life balance, use the interview process to pressure-test fit. We want teammates who thrive here, not just survive here.

We coach directly, assume positive intent, and play for the front of the jersey.

Leadership Principles

• •Impact-Oriented Trailblazer: We put customers first, driving for speed, focus, and adaptability.
• •Master Craftsperson: We prioritize speed, high standards, and distributed ownership.
• •Inspiring Colleague: We value humility, candor, and a one-team mindset.

Want to learn more about how we interview at TRM Labs? Check out more about our leadership principles and hiring process here.

What You’ll Do Here

This work has teeth. At TRM, your week might include

• •Driving critical investigations that can’t wait for typical business hours.
• •Shipping products in days when others would schedule quarters.
• •Partnering with teams across time zones to deliver insights while the story is still unfolding.
• •Building new solutions from first principles when the playbook doesn’t yet exist.
• •Protecting victims and customers by tracing illicit activity and disrupting criminal networks.

Join our Mission

We look for people who want their work to matter, who build with speed and rigor, and who take pride in protecting others through their craft. If you’re excited by TRM’s mission but don’t check every box, apply anyway. We hire for slope, judgment, and the will to learn fast.

Build to protect civilization. Let’s do it together.

Recruitment agencies

TRM Labs does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to TRM employees. TRM Labs is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes and will not pay fees to any third-party agency or company without a signed agreement.

Privacy Policy

By submitting your application, you are agreeing to allow TRM to process your personal information in accordance with the TRM Privacy Policy

Learn More: Company Values | Interviewing | FAQs