FDE jobs that need a security clearance: who asks, which level, and what it changes

By FDE Interview Prep, a SourceStrongAI company

In this post11 sections

1. The short answer
2. Who asks for a clearance, posting by posting
3. Active, eligible or preferred: read the exact words
4. The levels, in plain terms
5. Citizenship and residency rules
6. What else the clearance line changes
7. What cleared candidates report at Palantir
8. How to answer the clearance question
9. Questions people ask
10. Keep reading
11. More from the blog

You found a forward deployed engineer posting that fits: the stack, the customers, the level. Then, under minimum qualifications, one line: “Must possess an active Top Secret/SCI security clearance with current polygraph.” ^{[1, 2]}Source 1Forward Deployed Engineer IV, Google Public Sector — Google CareersPublisherGoogleSource typecompany job postingSource 2Forward Deployed Engineer, GenAI, Google Public Sector — Google CareersPublisherGoogleSource typecompany job posting That line decides whether you can apply at all, before anyone reads your résumé. This post is about that line; for the role itself, start with what a forward deployed engineer is.

The short answer

A security clearance is not a requirement of the FDE job as such. The postings that ask for one are for government, defense and intelligence customers, and they ask in one of three ways: an active clearance you already hold, eligibility or willingness to get one, or a clearance that is only preferred. As of September 2026, Google’s Public Sector FDE postings in Reston list an active TS/SCI as a minimum qualification, while Databricks’ US Public Sector FDE posting asks for US citizenship and eligibility for a secret clearance. ^{[1, 2, 3]}Source 1Forward Deployed Engineer IV, Google Public Sector — Google CareersPublisherGoogleSource typecompany job postingSource 2Forward Deployed Engineer, GenAI, Google Public Sector — Google CareersPublisherGoogleSource typecompany job postingSource 3Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) - Public SectorPublisherDatabricks (careers site / Greenhouse)Source typecompany job posting

So read three things in the clearance line before you apply:

1. Status. Active, obtainable or preferred.
2. Level. Secret, Top Secret, TS/SCI, a polygraph, or in the UK and Europe, SC, DV or NATO.
3. Citizenship. Whose citizen you must be, and whether dual citizenship or residence history matters.

Then, when a recruiter asks “do you hold a clearance?”, answer with facts, not hope. The last section has the words.

Who asks for a clearance, posting by posting

Each posting below puts a clearance line in its requirements or its preferences. All were live when we read them in September 2026, and the AWS posting gave an application deadline later that month. ^[4]Source 4Forward Deployed Engineer, FDE US Government - Job ID: 10517550PublisherAmazon.jobsSource typecompany job posting Postings close and reopen without notice, so check the live page before you rely on any of them. Each row starts with its status, strictest first, so read down until you reach the rows you can meet. We leave pay out of this post; the FDE salary guide has the posted ranges, with dates.

Three things stand out.

Both kinds of FDE employer ask. The list runs from AI labs and AI product companies (OpenAI, Cohere, LangChain) to cloud and data platforms (AWS, Google, Microsoft, Databricks) to enterprise software and consulting (Palantir, C3 AI, Salesforce, Deloitte, Accenture). The clearance follows the customer, not the company type.

“Associate” does not mean junior. Salesforce’s Missionforce Associate FDE posting asks for 3-7 years of experience in software engineering, solutions architecture or systems integration. ^[6]Source 6Missionforce - Associate Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE), Public SectorPublisherSalesforce (Workday careers site)Source typecompany job posting It also requires an active TS/SCI with polygraph. ^[6]Source 6Missionforce - Associate Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE), Public SectorPublisherSalesforce (Workday careers site)Source typecompany job posting Read the requirements, not the title.

Deloitte, by the numbers. In our September 2026 count of Deloitte’s FDE-titled postings, 22 of the 61 mention a US government security clearance, most of them as “Ability to obtain and maintain”. ^[21]Source 21Job Search | Deloitte USPublisherDeloitte USSource typeour analysis of public dataHow we counted If consulting-firm FDE roles are new to you, see how FDE roles at consulting firms differ.

Active, eligible or preferred: read the exact words

The status word matters more than the level. Here is how we read each one.

Active, current, must possess. You hold the clearance now. Nothing you do between application and offer changes that, so treat it as a gate. Salesforce, AWS, Accenture Federal Services and Palantir’s Intel posting are written this way. ^{[4, 6, 7, 8, 9]}Source 4Forward Deployed Engineer, FDE US Government - Job ID: 10517550PublisherAmazon.jobsSource typecompany job postingSource 6Missionforce - Associate Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE), Public SectorPublisherSalesforce (Workday careers site)Source typecompany job postingSource 7Forward Deployed Software Engineer - Intel (Washington, D.C.) - Palantir on LeverPublisherPalantir Technologies (Lever)Source typecompany job postingSource 8Forward Deployed Engineer - Palantir Foundry (TS Cleared) (AFS, 4708356006)PublisherAccenture Federal Services careers (Greenhouse)Source typecompany job postingSource 9Forward Deployed Engineer - Palantir Foundry (TS Cleared) (AFS, 4708356006)PublisherAccenture Federal Services (Greenhouse job board)Source typecompany job posting

Eligible, ability to obtain, willing to obtain. You don’t need to hold one today, but you must be someone who could be granted one. For a US clearance, that starts with US citizenship, which is why Databricks puts the two side by side: “U.S. citizenship and eligibility for a U.S. government secret clearance are required to access classified information.” ^[3]Source 3Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) - Public SectorPublisherDatabricks (careers site / Greenhouse)Source typecompany job posting

Both at once. Some postings accept either. Palantir’s US Government FDSE posting asks for an active clearance at or above Top Secret “or willingness to obtain/upgrade to or above Top Secret.” ^[11]Source 11Forward Deployed Software Engineer - US Government (Washington, D.C.) - Palantir on LeverPublisherPalantir Technologies (Lever)Source typecompany job posting Outside the US, Cohere’s Sovereign AI FDE posting in Ottawa says eligibility for an active Top Secret clearance is needed, and that candidates “eligible and willing to obtain clearance will also be considered.” ^[22]Source 22Forward Deployed Engineer, Sovereign AIPublisherCohere (Ashby job board)Source typecompany job posting Holding one helps; being eligible keeps the door open.

Preferred, highly preferred, nice to have, you might thrive. A clearance helps you stand out but is not the gate. C3 AI’s Federal posting prefers an active TS/SCI with CI Polygraph, and Cohere’s UK Public Sector postings say active DV is “highly preferred”. ^{[16, 17, 18]}Source 16Forward Deployed Engineer, Federal | C3 AIPublisherC3 AISource typecompany job postingSource 17Forward Deployed Engineer, Infrastructure Specialist (UK Public Sector)PublisherCohere (Ashby job board)Source typecompany job postingSource 18Forward Deployed Engineer, Agentic Platform (UK Public Sector)PublisherCohere (Ashby job board)Source typecompany job posting Read the rest of the line, though: the same C3 AI posting requires US citizenship. ^[16]Source 16Forward Deployed Engineer, Federal | C3 AIPublisherC3 AISource typecompany job posting A preferred clearance can sit next to a required citizenship.

The levels, in plain terms

You’ll see these abbreviations in the clearance line. Here’s what each one means, in plain terms; the primary sources are linked, and none of this is advice on the vetting process itself.

United States

• Secret and Top Secret (TS): levels of access to classified information. Top Secret is the higher of the two, and Confidential sits below Secret, as the US executive order on classified national security information sets out.
• SCI (Sensitive Compartmented Information): not a higher level but controlled access to certain intelligence information, granted on top of a Top Secret clearance. That is why postings write “TS/SCI”.
• Polygraph: a lie-detector examination some agencies add. A CI (counterintelligence) polygraph covers matters such as espionage and foreign contacts. A full-scope polygraph (FSP, or “Full Scope Poly”) covers the counterintelligence topics and more personal-conduct questions besides.

When Palantir’s Intel posting asks for a “Full Scope Poly level” clearance, it is naming the broadest polygraph. ^[7]Source 7Forward Deployed Software Engineer - Intel (Washington, D.C.) - Palantir on LeverPublisherPalantir Technologies (Lever)Source typecompany job posting

United Kingdom

• BPSS (Baseline Personnel Security Standard): the baseline pre-employment check of identity, right to work, employment history and criminal record. The UK government’s guide to vetting levels says it is not a formal security clearance, but it underpins SC and DV.
• SC (Security Check): for long-term, frequent and uncontrolled access to secret material, or occasional supervised access to top secret, in the words of the same guide. Microsoft’s UK posting names the issuer: the United Kingdom Security Vetting unit (UKSV). ^[15]Source 15Microsoft Careers: Sr Data Scientist - FDE - Security Check (SC) ClearancePublisherMicrosoftSource typecompany job posting
• DV (Developed Vetting): for frequent and uncontrolled access to top secret material, per the guide’s DV section. Some posts need an enhanced version above it, eDV.

NATO

A NATO clearance lets you handle NATO classified information. It is granted by your own country’s national security authority, not by NATO. Palantir’s London NATO posting and C3 AI’s London posting for defense customers both ask for one, held or obtainable. ^{[13, 14]}Source 13Forward Deployed Software Engineer - NATO (London) - Palantir on LeverPublisherPalantir Technologies (Lever)Source typecompany job postingSource 14Forward Deployed Engineer - Defence | C3 AIPublisherC3 AISource typecompany job posting

Citizenship and residency rules

Several US postings above put a citizenship line right next to the clearance line, and that line is harder to argue with.

US postings say it outright. AWS, Databricks, C3 AI’s Federal posting and Accenture Federal Services all require US citizenship. ^{[3, 4, 8, 9, 16]}Source 3Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) - Public SectorPublisherDatabricks (careers site / Greenhouse)Source typecompany job postingSource 4Forward Deployed Engineer, FDE US Government - Job ID: 10517550PublisherAmazon.jobsSource typecompany job postingSource 8Forward Deployed Engineer - Palantir Foundry (TS Cleared) (AFS, 4708356006)PublisherAccenture Federal Services careers (Greenhouse)Source typecompany job postingSource 9Forward Deployed Engineer - Palantir Foundry (TS Cleared) (AFS, 4708356006)PublisherAccenture Federal Services (Greenhouse job board)Source typecompany job postingSource 16Forward Deployed Engineer, Federal | C3 AIPublisherC3 AISource typecompany job posting Salesforce goes further: “Must be a U.S. citizen (U.S. born or naturalized) living on U.S. soil who does not hold dual citizenship.” ^[6]Source 6Missionforce - Associate Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE), Public SectorPublisherSalesforce (Workday careers site)Source typecompany job posting If you hold a second passport, that sentence is the one to read twice.

Work authorization is a separate gate. In our September 2026 count of Deloitte’s FDE-titled postings, 27 of the 61 ask for authorization to work in the US without employer sponsorship. ^[21]Source 21Job Search | Deloitte USPublisherDeloitte USSource typeour analysis of public dataHow we counted A posting can ask for that and a clearance, or for that alone.

UK roles look at your history. Accenture’s London Palantir FDE postings make any offer subject to BPSS, SC and/or DV clearance requiring 5 years of continuous UK address history and British passport holding. ^{[23, 24]}Source 23Forward Deployed Engineer - Manager (Palantir) (London, R00327796)PublisherAccenture careers (Workday)Source typecompany job postingSource 24Forward Deployed Engineer - Specialist (Palantir) (London, R00327791)PublisherAccenture careers (Workday)Source typecompany job posting If you moved to the UK recently, check this before you spend a weekend on the application.

If a posting’s wording leaves you unsure whether you qualify, ask the recruiter what the requirement is. Don’t guess, and don’t let them guess either.

What else the clearance line changes

In the postings above, the clearance line sits next to other lines worth reading as closely.

• Where you sit. Accenture Federal Services’ cleared Foundry FDE role is full time on-site in Colorado Springs. ^{[8, 9]}Source 8Forward Deployed Engineer - Palantir Foundry (TS Cleared) (AFS, 4708356006)PublisherAccenture Federal Services careers (Greenhouse)Source typecompany job postingSource 9Forward Deployed Engineer - Palantir Foundry (TS Cleared) (AFS, 4708356006)PublisherAccenture Federal Services (Greenhouse job board)Source typecompany job posting Databricks’ Federal AI FDE role is based in the Washington, D.C., Maryland or Virginia area with periodic on-site work. ^[12]Source 12AI Engineer – Forward Deployed Engineering (AI FDE), U.S. Public Sector (Federal Focus)PublisherDatabricks (Greenhouse)Source typecompany job posting
• How much you travel. Palantir’s NATO posting asks for the ability to travel throughout Europe 70-90% of the time. ^[13]Source 13Forward Deployed Software Engineer - NATO (London) - Palantir on LeverPublisherPalantir Technologies (Lever)Source typecompany job posting AWS’s FDE US Government posting, as of September 2026, requires 30–50% travel. ^[4]Source 4Forward Deployed Engineer, FDE US Government - Job ID: 10517550PublisherAmazon.jobsSource typecompany job posting Our post on FDE travel turns percentages into weeks away.
• How you work. Google describes its Public Sector FDE team as resolving integration, data sovereignty and security issues “within strict compliance frameworks, utilizing talent with TS/SCI clearances.” ^[25]Source 25Forward Deployed Engineer, State and Local Government, Google Public Sector — Google CareersPublisherGoogleSource typecompany job posting We read that as a warning: the customer’s compliance rules will shape how you build, not just where you sit.

What cleared candidates report at Palantir

Three candidates have written about how a clearance changed their Palantir process. Each is one person’s account, so read them as reports, not policy.

• A Blind poster holding a TS/SCI with full-scope polygraph reported, in March 2025, being invited straight to the final loop for Palantir’s FDSE Intel position in Washington, D.C., without a phone screen. ^[26]Source 26Palantir interview - FDSE IntelPublisherBlind (teamblind.com)Source typecandidate report on Blind
• One poster, an experienced-hire candidate for Palantir FDSE, wrote in October 2024, before their final round, that Palantir skipped their first round because they have clearance. ^[27]Source 27Palantir FDSE (experience hire) interview tips? (post by u/Lioil1)PublisherReddit r/csMajorsSource typecandidate report on Reddit
• One candidate reported, in September 2026, that about a week after their final round for a Palantir FDSE (US Gov) internship, they got a call asking whether they’d like to start the security clearance process, before any offer. ^[28]Source 28Palantir FDSE security clearance call (post by u/BeefyBoiCougar)PublisherReddit r/cscareerquestionsSource typecandidate report on Reddit

No employer publishes this as a rule. If it happens to you, the final loop is your first round, so prepare for it as you would for any first round.

How to answer the clearance question

The question can arrive before any call. Palantir’s US Government FDSE application form asks about clearance status, alongside whether you support the posting’s travel percentage and pay range. ^[29]Source 29Apply: Forward Deployed Software Engineer - US Government (Washington, D.C.) - Palantir on LeverPublisherPalantir Technologies (Lever)Source typecompany job posting Whatever you tick there, say the same thing on the phone.

Here is the structure we use: what you hold, whether it is active, and whether you are eligible. Three facts, no adjectives. Pick the case that is yours.

If you hold an active clearance

“Yes. I hold an active TS/SCI with a CI polygraph, through my current employer. Happy to give your security team whatever details they need.”

Say the level, the status and the polygraph type. Don’t describe the programs or customers you worked on; the level is the answer.

If you held one and it has lapsed

“I held a Secret clearance at my last job, until I left in March. I don’t believe it’s active now. I’m a US citizen and I’m willing to go through the process again.”

Never round a lapsed clearance up to “active”. Give the facts and let the employer’s security team work out the status.

If you have never held one

“I don’t hold a clearance. I’m a US citizen, and I’m willing to go through the process. I saw the posting says ‘ability to obtain’, so I wanted to be clear about where I stand.”

State the facts that bear on eligibility, like citizenship, and your willingness. Don’t promise an outcome: “I can definitely get one” is a claim no candidate can make.

If you can’t meet this posting’s requirement

“I’m not a US citizen, so I can’t meet this role’s requirement. Is there a team doing similar work that doesn’t need one?”

This answer costs you one role and keeps you in the recruiter’s pipeline for others. Hiding it costs you the role later, after everyone has spent time.

Mistakes to avoid

• Treating “preferred” as a gate. If the line says preferred and you meet the citizenship rule, apply.
• Treating “active” as negotiable. If it says active and you have none, that posting is not for you yet.
• Skipping the mission half. We prepare for a second question after the clearance one: how do you feel about working for this customer? Draft one honest sentence that names the mission, for example: “I want my code in front of analysts who make real decisions, and I’m comfortable with the constraints that come with that.” Then pressure-test it with the clearance and mission question.
• Forgetting travel. Cleared roles can carry heavy travel, so have your number ready. Practice with the travel question.

For every other question in the first call, read the FDE recruiter screen.

Your next step: say your three-fact answer out loud, then practice the recruiter round below. Why this company and travel are free. The clearance and mission question shows its framework and its follow-ups on polygraphs and secure on-site work free; its model answer is in Pro. Pro comes with a 7-day free trial.

Questions people ask

Do forward deployed engineers need a security clearance?

Only for some roles: the postings that ask are for public-sector, defense and intelligence work. As of September 2026, Google’s Public Sector FDE postings in Reston list an active TS/SCI clearance as a minimum qualification, while Databricks’ US Public Sector FDE posting asks for eligibility for a secret clearance.^{[1, 2, 3]}Source 1Forward Deployed Engineer IV, Google Public Sector — Google CareersPublisherGoogleSource typecompany job postingSource 2Forward Deployed Engineer, GenAI, Google Public Sector — Google CareersPublisherGoogleSource typecompany job postingSource 3Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) - Public SectorPublisherDatabricks (careers site / Greenhouse)Source typecompany job posting

Can I get an FDE job that needs a clearance if I don’t have one?

Some postings accept eligibility. Palantir’s Washington, D.C. US Government FDSE posting accepts willingness to obtain Top Secret, and C3 AI’s London FDE posting for defense customers accepts SC or NATO clearance, held or obtainable. Others, such as AWS’s FDE US Government posting, require an active TS/SCI with polygraph.^{[4, 11, 14]}Source 4Forward Deployed Engineer, FDE US Government - Job ID: 10517550PublisherAmazon.jobsSource typecompany job postingSource 11Forward Deployed Software Engineer - US Government (Washington, D.C.) - Palantir on LeverPublisherPalantir Technologies (Lever)Source typecompany job postingSource 14Forward Deployed Engineer - Defence | C3 AIPublisherC3 AISource typecompany job posting

Do FDE clearance jobs require US citizenship?

Check each posting. AWS’s FDE US Government posting and Databricks’ Public Sector FDE posting require US citizenship, and Salesforce’s Missionforce Associate FDE posting also excludes dual citizens. UK roles have their own rules: Accenture’s London Palantir FDE offers depend on BPSS, SC or DV clearance and UK address history.^{[3, 4, 6, 23, 24]}Source 3Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) - Public SectorPublisherDatabricks (careers site / Greenhouse)Source typecompany job postingSource 4Forward Deployed Engineer, FDE US Government - Job ID: 10517550PublisherAmazon.jobsSource typecompany job postingSource 6Missionforce - Associate Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE), Public SectorPublisherSalesforce (Workday careers site)Source typecompany job postingSource 23Forward Deployed Engineer - Manager (Palantir) (London, R00327796)PublisherAccenture careers (Workday)Source typecompany job postingSource 24Forward Deployed Engineer - Specialist (Palantir) (London, R00327791)PublisherAccenture careers (Workday)Source typecompany job posting

Keep reading

Guides

• What is a forward deployed engineer?
• Forward deployed engineer salary: what employers post and file

Lessons

• How to read an FDE job posting line by line
• Who hires FDEs, and under which titles
• Travel, location and on-site time: read the posting, then ask

Questions

• This team supports government customers. Do you hold or can you obtain a clearance, and how do you feel about that work?
• This role involves travel to customer sites. What can you commit to, and what would make it unworkable?
• Why this company, and why now?

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