AI Engineer - Startups

Fonzi is an AI recruiting company that connects engineers with 100+ pre-vetted startups in NYC and San Francisco. Companies review curated profiles and submit competing salary bids upfront, allowing you to interview only where you're genuinely interested. The process is free, with an iMessage agent and human support available for scheduling and coordination.

How It Works

• 5-minute application
• We optimize your profile to highlight what you've built and how you think about systems
• Hiring managers review the cohort and request interviews with candidates they want
• Companies submit competing salary bids directly to you
• You only interview where you're genuinely interested

Who We're Looking For

• Engineers who have built AI-powered products end-to-end, including systems handling real users
• Fluent in topics like retrieval, memory, agent frameworks, context engineering, and eval pipelines
• Combine strong software engineering fundamentals with deep awareness of LLMs and agentic systems
• Thrive in startup environments with ambiguous problems and small teams
• 2-8 years of experience, ideally with at least one high-growth company

Compensation

• $150,000 – $400,000+ base salary depending on experience and role
• Many positions include meaningful equity at pre-seed through Series B stage companies

The Interview Process (Typical)

• Screening conversation assessing communication skills, cultural fit, and curiosity about AI
• Technical deep-dive on architecture thinking and AI system design for real problems
• Coding or pairing sessions building

If you're an engineer who's been building with AI because you can't stop thinking about it, we want to hear from you.