Senior AI Forward Deployed Engineer

About the role

The Senior Forward Deployed AI Engineer will partner with AI lab researchers to translate ambiguous research questions into executable projects. They will design and deliver evaluation frameworks, annotation pipelines, and benchmark infrastructure. The role involves prototyping experiments, interpreting results in feedback loops with research partners, making key design decisions around data quality and evaluation at scale, mentoring engineers, establishing technical standards for forward-deployed AI work, identifying and documenting repeatable patterns across lab engagements, and staying current on frontier developments in RL, post-training, and benchmarking.

Responsibilities

• Partner with AI lab researchers to translate ambiguous research questions into executable projects
• Design and deliver evaluation frameworks, annotation pipelines, and benchmark infrastructure
• Prototype experiments and interpret results in feedback loops with research partners
• Make key design decisions around data quality and evaluation at scale
• Mentor engineers and establish technical standards for forward-deployed AI work
• Identify and document repeatable patterns across lab engagements
• Stay current on frontier developments in RL, post-training, and benchmarking

Requirements

• 6+ years in applied ML, AI research engineering, or related field with exposure to model training workflows
• Strong Python skills across the ML stack: data processing, model evaluation, experiment tracking
• Solid knowledge of RL and post-training concepts (RLHF, DPO, PPO)
• Hands-on experience fine-tuning or lightweight optimization of ML models (LoRA, PEFT)
• Experience with ML data pipelines and tooling (labeling systems, eval frameworks)
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management
• Strong prioritization instincts and track record of leading projects in ambiguous environments

Qualifications

• Experience with evaluation design for LLMs or RLHF pipelines in production
• Published research, benchmarking work, or open-source AI/ML contributions
• Prior forward-deployed, solutions engineering, or technical consulting role at a high-growth AI company
• Familiarity with annotation platform tooling and human feedback collection

Skills

• Experience with evaluation design for LLMs or RLHF pipelines in production
• Published research, benchmarking work, or open-source AI/ML contributions
• Prior forward-deployed, solutions engineering, or technical consulting role at a high-growth AI company
• Familiarity with annotation platform tooling and human feedback collection

Benefits

• Ownership: Equity in a fast-growing company
• Financial Wellness: 401(k) match, competitive compensation, financial coaching
• Family Support: Paid parental leave, fertility benefits, parental coaching
• Wellbeing: Medical, dental, vision, mental health support, $500 wellness stipend
• Growth: $2,000 learning stipend, ongoing development
• Office: Commuting support, free lunch, gym in SF office
• Time Off: Flexible PTO, 15 holidays + 2 flex days
• Connection: Team outings & referral bonuses

Pay

Compensation Range: $257K - $300K

Schedule

Hybrid, 3x a week in office | Remote possible