WorkPlus

Forward-Deployed Engineering (FDE) is the core idea and required set of skills for the new age engineer. It combines engineering, product judgement, sales and commercial awareness, marketing and distribution, and customer discovery - the blend of capabilities AI-native organisations are now building teams around.

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• Not currently in full-time employment in a software role

• Must be currently enrolled in a software-related bachelor’s or master’s degree programme at a Northern Ireland university or college, or have graduated from one in 2024 or later.

• Must be able to attend an in person bootcamp during the month of January 2027

• Have an existing right to work in the UK

• Be available to take up a relevant employment opportunity of at least 16 weeks after the bootcamp or on completion of final year study. Employment opportunities will be advertised separately and will be subject to the employer’s own recruitment and selection process. Participation in the Bootcamp does not guarantee an employment opportunity.

Who we're looking for

None of this is about experience - we're looking for instincts we can build on in two weeks.

You're curious, and you act on it. You have a genuine interest in software and AI - and you've explored it on your own, not just in class. Maybe that's a side project, a GitHub repo, freelance work, a society, or teaching yourself new tools. What matters is that you learn because you want to.

You get to the real problem first. You ask good questions and listen to the answers. Before jumping to a solution, you want to understand who it's for, what they actually need, and what's worth building - and what isn't.

You can express yourself clearly. You can explain a technical idea in plain language to someone who isn't technical.

You take feedback well. You're comfortable being a beginner, you listen, and you improve fast when someone shows you a better way. In two intensive weeks, this matters more than anything else.

You don't take things at face value. If you don't understand why something works, you dig in until you do - you're not satisfied with code (yours or an AI tool's) that just looks right.

You're starting to think beyond the task in front of you. Who uses what you build, why it matters to them, and how it affects the product's success.

You work well with others. You're a constructive teammate: you share credit, handle disagreement respectfully, and show up prepared and on time.