Staff AI Engineer
People In AIAbout the role
Staff AI Engineer
Compensation: $270,000 - $300,000 basic salary + equity
Location: Bay Area (occasional travel to office)
Join a mission-driven SaaS startup that’s reimagining how complex professional services are delivered. This is a high-ownership environment where AI isn’t an afterthought - it’s the foundation. With strong investor backing and a seasoned leadership team, they’re entering a new phase of growth, and AI is at the center of the rebuild!
The Mission
This company is using automation and applied AI to modernize an industry riddled with manual workflows and inefficiencies. By combining domain-specific expertise with cutting-edge LLMs and RAG pipelines, they’re building intelligent tools that make expert work faster, smarter, and more consistent.
The Role
You’ll be part of a cross-functional AI task force reporting into engineering leadership, working closely with product, design, and infra. This is a hands-on, end-to-end role ideal for engineers who want to prototype, ship, and scale real features - not just build demos. You’ll split your time between user-facing copilots and the backend infra that powers them.
What You’ll Do
Build LLM-powered assistants to streamline domain expert workflows
Design RAG pipelines using structured and unstructured internal data
Develop internal ML tooling for versioning, observability, and orchestration
Tune prompts, build eval harnesses, and iterate based on real-world feedback
Contribute to platform components that enable scalable experimentation
What You’ll Bring
Ample experience in backend or systems engineering
Exposure to applied AI systems (LLMs, NLP, RAG)
Proficiency in Python; experience with distributed systems is a plus
Familiarity with embeddings, vector DBs, and prompt iteration
Ability to move fast and own projects from idea through production
Bonus: experience building eval frameworks or internal ML infra
Tech Stack
Python, TypeScript
Postgres, Temporal
LLM APIs (e.g., OpenAI, Claude), vector databases
Prompting libraries, orchestration tooling
Why Join?
Zero-to-One AI: Join during a full-stack AI rebuild from the ground up
Real Ownership: Your work will ship fast and shape real-world outcomes
Backed to Win: Strong investor support, high-trust environment
Collaborative by Default: Work tightly with domain experts, designers, and PMs
About People In AI
We help top AI-first startups find and hire engineers who want to build lasting systems, not just one-off demos. Every role we post is technically challenging, high-impact, and vetted for long-term growth.
Responsibilities
- Build LLM-powered assistants to streamline domain expert workflows
- Design RAG pipelines using structured and unstructured internal data
- Develop internal ML tooling for versioning, observability, and orchestration
- Tune prompts, build eval harnesses, and iterate based on real-world feedback
- Contribute to platform components that enable scalable experimentation
Qualifications
- Ample experience in backend or systems engineering
- Exposure to applied AI systems (LLMs, NLP, RAG)
- Proficiency in Python; experience with distributed systems is a plus
- Familiarity with embeddings, vector DBs, and prompt iteration
- Ability to move fast and own projects from idea through production
- Bonus: experience building eval frameworks or internal ML infra
Benefits
- Zero-to-One AI: Join during a full-stack AI rebuild from the ground up
- Real Ownership: Your work will ship fast and shape real-world outcomes
- Backed to Win: Strong investor support, high-trust environment
- Collaborative by Default: Work tightly with domain experts, designers, and PMs
Skills mentioned
About People In AI
People In AI is a specialist search firm focused on artificial intelligence, machine learning, data, and software engineering. We partner with venture-backed AI companies, established technology businesses, and global investment firms to hire exceptional technical talent across the United States and Canada. Our recruiters operate within clearly defined specialist markets, giving clients access to deeper talent networks and candidates a more informed search experience. We support hiring across: • AI and Machine Learning Engineering • Research and Applied Science • Forward Deployed Engineering • Data Science, Data Engineering, and Analytics • Software and Platform Engineering • Product, Technical, and Executive Leadership • Quantitative and Investment Data Our services include contingent search, retained search, and tailored hiring partnerships for individual mandates and multi-role growth initiatives. We are particularly experienced in complex, senior, and difficult-to-fill searches where technical understanding, market access, and candidate engagement are critical. View our current opportunities: www.peopleinai.com/jobs