Senior Engineer

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced engineer who wants to build software that matters. You will help design and build new tools at the intersection of democracy and AI, shaping how people understand and engage with today’s rapidly evolving information environment. The role involves working across the stack—building new tools, integrating modern AI capabilities, and evolving systems as they move from early prototypes to production software. The ideal candidate is comfortable operating in small, fast-moving teams, enjoys working in environments where projects evolve quickly, and is excited to use modern AI tools both within the systems being built and within their own development workflows.

Responsibilities

• Build and Ship Software
  • Design and implement software used in civic and social-impact contexts
  • Work across the stack, from backend services and APIs to frontend interfaces
  • Take ownership of features and systems from early concept through production
  • Rapidly prototype and iterate on new tools and product features
  • Improve reliability, usability, and scalability as early tools grow into production systems
• AI & Intelligent Systems
  • Integrate modern AI capabilities such as LLMs, retrieval systems, and embeddings into applications
  • Build tools that help users navigate and work with complex information
  • Contribute to systems that combine data pipelines, search, and AI-driven functionality
  • Use AI tools as a core part of your development workflow to prototype, build, and iterate rapidly
• Systems & Infrastructure
  • Contribute to system architecture spanning data ingestion, transformation, and application delivery
  • Build and maintain services that integrate multiple data sources and external APIs
  • Help design systems that balance rapid iteration with long-term reliability and maintainability
• Collaboration
  • Work closely with product managers, designers, and researchers to develop useful tools
  • Contribute to technical decisions and engineering practices within a small team
  • Share knowledge and help establish effective engineering workflows

Requirements

• A minimum of 8 years of engineering experience and a track record of designing, building, and shipping production software used by real users
• Experience building products or systems from 0→1, owning the process from early concept through design, development, and production launch
• Experience with modern web development frameworks, APIs, and cloud infrastructure
• Familiarity with modern engineering workflows, including CI/CD, containerization, and observability
• Comfort incorporating AI tools into development workflows
• Interest in civic technology, social impact, or public-interest work

Desired Skills

• Full-Stack Engineering Experience: Experience designing and shipping software used by real users
• AI Integration Experience: Familiarity with LLMs, retrieval-based systems, or modern AI tooling and comfort using AI tools to accelerate development and experimentation
• Data Systems Familiarity: Experience working with APIs, data pipelines, and structured or unstructured datasets
• Systems Thinking: Ability to design systems that can evolve and scale over time
• Collaborative Development: Ability to work closely with cross-functional teams in a fast-moving environment

Pay

$230,000 - $245,000 a year

About the Company

Hillspire, LLC, is an integrated family office management company that serves the business and philanthropic activities of Eric and Wendy Schmidt and their family, supporting more than 700 employees worldwide. Hillspire provides legal, finance, accounting, facilities and real estate, human resources, and information technology services to the organization.

Eric and Wendy Schmidt have created a number of philanthropic organizations and initiatives that work toward a healthy, resilient, secure world for all, including:

• The Schmidt Family Foundation: Works to restore a balanced relationship between people and planet through two grant-making and investment programs: The 11th Hour Project (fresh air, clean water, and healthy food for all) and Schmidt Marine Technology Partners (ocean health technologies).
• Schmidt Ocean Institute: Operates the research vessel Falkor (too) to catalyze ocean exploration, research, and public engagement for wise planetary stewardship.
• Schmidt Sciences: Focuses on AI and advanced computing, astrophysics and space, biosciences, climate, and cross-science programs to deepen understanding and develop solutions for global issues.
• 11th Hour Racing: Advances ocean health solutions through the sailing community and maritime industry.
• Agog: Harnesses extended reality (XR) technologies for social transformation, empathy, and activism.
• The Schmidt Initiative for Long Covid: Advances clinical care and global understanding of Long Covid through specialist and provider networks.
• Remain: Supports the economic, social, and environmental vitality of Nantucket.