Forward deployed engineers only
Engineers who map processes, write production code and test AI. Not general developers.
AI Staff Augmentation
AI staff augmentation with a forward deployed engineer
Add a dedicated Brainium forward deployed engineer to your team. They work inside your business, in your systems and your Slack or Teams, mapping your processes and automating them one after another. Brainium manages them and stays responsible for the work.
We reply within 24 hours. No minimum term.
Your dedicated FDE
- Joins your teamYour Slack or Teams, your systemsOnboarded
- Maps your first processInterviews and system historyMapped
- Builds it into your systemsTested on real dataLive
- Measures it, then moves onThe next process on your listOngoing
Brainium manages your FDE and stays responsible for the work.
What is AI staff augmentation?
AI staff augmentation from Brainium adds a forward deployed engineer to your team for as long as you need one. The engineer works inside your business, mapping your processes and automating them one after another, while Brainium manages them and stays responsible for the work.
You may also hear it called resource augmentation. It sits between hiring and outsourcing a project. Unlike a contractor you manage yourself, your FDE is managed by Brainium. Unlike a fixed-scope project, there's no end date: your FDE keeps working through your processes for as long as you need them. New to the term? Read what a forward deployed engineer is.
Should you hire an FDE or start a project?
Both are delivered by our forward deployed engineers. The difference is how long you need them and who sets the priorities.
| A fixed-scope project | A dedicated FDE | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | One process you want automated | A list of processes, or needs that keep changing |
| How long | Until that process is live | As long as you need. No minimum term. |
| How it's priced | A fixed quote per process | Talk to sales |
| Who sets the priorities | Agreed up front in the scope | You, as your needs change |
| Who manages the engineer | Brainium | Brainium |
| Who's responsible for the result | Brainium | Brainium |
Starting with one process? See our AI implementation services.
How hiring an FDE works
1. Tell us what you need
Fill in the short form: the processes you'd like handled, your team and the systems you use.
2. We match an FDE to you
We choose the engineer whose experience fits your systems and your industry, and agree the work and pricing with you.
3. Your FDE joins your team
They get access to the systems they need, join your Slack or Teams, and learn how your business really runs.
4. One process after another
They map each process, sort every step, build the automation into your existing systems and measure the result before moving on to the next.
5. Brainium stays responsible
We manage your FDE, review the work and keep you updated on what's been built and what it's changed.
What one FDE could work through
A 40-person business gives its FDE a list of processes. The FDE works through them in order of impact, measuring each one before moving on to the next.
Illustrative example
Process 1
Sales inquiries
Inquiries read, researched, qualified and logged in the CRM, with a draft proposal ready for approval.
Process 2
Supplier invoices
Invoices read in any format, matched to the purchase order, coded and sent for approval only when something's off.
Process 3
Client onboarding
Documents requested and chased automatically, checked when they arrive, and accounts set up without retyping.
Process 4
Month-end reconciliation
Bank and supplier statements matched by rules, with only the exceptions left for your team.
Want to see one in detail? Walk through the sales inquiry example step by step, or read about business process automation.
What you get with a Brainium FDE
Brainium stays responsible
We manage your FDE, review the work and answer for the results.
No minimum term
Keep your FDE for as long as you have processes to improve.
Inside your systems
Your FDE works in your CRM, accounting software, inbox and Slack or Teams. No new platform.
Security and compliance, in writing
Your data is the one thing we can't get wrong. Here are the standards we meet and the agreements we sign before we work with it.
Standards
SOC 2
Independently audited security controls. The report is available on request, under NDA.
ISO 27001
Certified information security management, covering how we protect your data.
HIPAA
HIPAA-compliant processes for protected health information, backed by a signed BAA.
GDPR and UK GDPR
GDPR- and UK GDPR-compliant processing, backed by a signed DPA.
Agreements we sign
- NDANon-disclosure agreement
- Signed before we see any of your data.
- BAAHIPAA Business Associate Agreement
- For US healthcare clients whose data includes protected health information.
- DPAData Processing Agreement
- For GDPR and UK GDPR: what we process, why, where, and how it's protected.
- MSAMaster Services Agreement
- One set of commercial terms that covers every project.
- SLAService Level Agreement
- Response and support commitments for Automation Care.
Reports, certificates and agreement templates are available on request, under NDA. We'll confirm which ones apply to you during the assessment.
Hire an FDE: tell us what you need
Describe the work you'd like your FDE to take on. It doesn't need to be precise: a few sentences about where your team loses time is enough.
What happens next
- We read your request and reply within 24 hours.
- We get in touch to talk through the work and the pricing.
- We match an FDE to your systems and industry, and they join your team.
Hiring an FDE: common questions
What is AI staff augmentation?
AI staff augmentation from Brainium adds a forward deployed engineer to your team for as long as you need one. The engineer works inside your business, mapping your processes and automating them one after another, while Brainium manages them and stays responsible for the work.
What are staff augmentation services?
Staff augmentation services add skilled people to your team for as long as you need them, without hiring them yourself. You decide what they work on, and the provider handles recruiting and employment. Brainium's version is narrower: one forward deployed engineer who automates your business processes, managed by us.
Staff augmentation vs managed services: what's the difference?
With staff augmentation you get extra people and manage them yourself. With managed services, a provider runs a function for you and answers for the results. A Brainium FDE combines the two: a dedicated engineer working in your team on your priorities, while Brainium manages them, reviews the work and stays responsible for it.
How do you hire AI engineers for process automation?
Look for someone who can map how a process really runs, build inside the systems you already use, and judge where AI helps and where plain rules or a person are better. Hiring that person yourself takes time. With AI staff augmentation, Brainium matches an FDE to your systems and industry and manages them for you.
How is a Brainium FDE different from a general developer or contractor?
A general developer builds what you specify. A forward deployed engineer starts by finding out how the work really happens, removes steps before automating, and measures the result. And unlike a contractor you manage yourself, your FDE is managed by Brainium, which stays responsible for the work.
How is AI staff augmentation different from your AI implementation services?
Our AI implementation services are fixed-scope projects: one process, a fixed quote and an agreed end. AI staff augmentation gives you a dedicated FDE with no end date, working through whatever you need next.
How much does it cost?
It depends on what you need. Fill in the form or talk to our sales team, and we'll agree the price with you before anything starts.
Is there a minimum term?
No. Keep your FDE for as long as you need them.
Who manages the FDE?
Brainium does. We review your FDE's work, keep you updated on what's been built and what it's changed, and stay responsible for the results. You decide what they work on next.
Will the FDE work with our team?
Yes. Your FDE joins your Slack or Teams, works with the people who do the work, and builds inside the systems you already use.
Is our data safe?
Yes. We sign an NDA before we see any data (plus a BAA or DPA where you need one), access is limited to what each automation needs, and we never use your data to train AI models.
Add a forward deployed engineer to your team.
Tell us what you'd like automated. We'll talk through the work and the pricing, and match an FDE to your systems.
Hire an FDEWe reply within 24 hours. No commitment and no minimum term.