Forward Deployed AI Engineer

About xAI

xAI's mission is to create AI systems that can accurately understand the universe and aid humanity in its pursuit of knowledge. Our team is small, highly motivated, and focused on engineering excellence. This organization is for individuals who appreciate challenging themselves and thrive on curiosity. Engineers are encouraged to work across multiple areas of the company, and as a result, all engineers and researchers share the title 'Member of Technical Staff.' We operate with a flat organizational structure where all employees are expected to be hands-on and contribute directly to the company's mission. Leadership is given to those who show initiative and consistently deliver excellence. Work ethic and strong prioritization skills are important. All engineers and researchers are expected to have strong communication skills to concisely and accurately share knowledge with their teammates. xAI does not have recruiters; every application is reviewed directly by a technical member of the team.

About the Role

Forward Deployed AI Engineers work directly with our end customers owning strategy and implementation. Your responsibilities resemble those of a hands-on AI startup CTO, working in a small team to deliver high-stakes projects with clients. Typical tasks include:

• Designing, implementing, and maintaining robust and scalable AI-driven solutions.
• Working with large, complex codebases and designing efficient data processing and model serving architectures.
• Shipping high-quality code and successfully completing projects in challenging environments.
• Solving real-world business problems and delivering measurable impact through AI solutions.
• Navigating ambiguity and adapting to changing requirements in a fast-paced startup environment.

Ideal Experience

• Successfully designing and implementing cutting-edge AI solutions using large language models (LLMs) and advanced AI techniques in production.
• Deep understanding of machine learning fundamentals, including model evaluation, training, and problem decomposition.
• Strong engineering background in computer science, mathematics, software engineering, physics, or a related field, with proven problem-solving skills.
• Mastery of one or more programming languages such as Python, Java, C++, or TypeScript/JavaScript, focusing on clean, efficient, maintainable code.
• Experience working with massive datasets, optimizing performance, and scaling systems for high-throughput workloads.
• Building large-scale neural recommendation systems.

Interview Process

After submitting your application, the team will review your CV and statement of exceptional work. If your application passes this stage, you will be invited to a 15-minute phone interview to answer basic questions. Following this, the main process consists of four technical interviews:

• Coding assessment in a language of your choice.
• Systems hands-on: Demonstrate practical skills in a live problem-solving session.
• Project deep-dive: Present your past exceptional work to a small audience.
• Meet and greet with the wider team.

Our goal is to complete the main process within one week, and all interviews will be conducted via Google Meet.

Annual Salary Range: $180,000 - $440,000 USD

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