AI Innovator

CEF AI; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive Compensation & Meaningful Equity

High-Impact, High-Ownership Role

Flexible, In-Person Gatherings

Job summary

A pioneering AI infrastructure firm in San Francisco is looking for an AI Innovator to lead innovations in AI technology. In this role, you'll rapidly prototype and implement AI solutions, working closely with engineering and product teams to shape the direction of the AI stack. This high-impact position offers competitive compensation and significant equity, promoting a collaborative and innovative work environment.

Qualifications

• Proven track record of launching solutions from concept to scale, with tangible revenue generation.
• Extensive experience with data solutions aimed at building robust, distributed platforms serving millions of users.
• Alignment with the philosophy of agile data onboarding and dynamic indexing as foundational to AI workflows.

Responsibilities

• Rapidly prototype and implement AI solutions across various use cases, including computer vision and NLP.
• Design and maintain dynamic data indexing systems and private ETL pipelines.
• Engage with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless integration of AI solutions.

Skills

Entrepreneurial Mindset

Prototyping Skills

AI Integration Insight

Technical Proficiency

Job description

About CEF AI

CEF AI is a stealth-stage startup building foundational AI infrastructure to power the next generation of sovereign, scalable, and deeply personalized AI systems. We operate at the intersection of frontier research and applied systems design, with a focus on giving individuals and organizations full control over their data and AI agents. Our team brings together top-tier engineers, founders, and thinkers passionate about shaping a more open and equitable AI future.

About the Role

We’re hiring an AI Innovator to lead experimentation and innovation across frontier model capabilities, fine-tuning, and novel agent architectures. This is not a research-only role; we’re looking for someone who can take bold ideas from 0 to 1, own rapid prototyping loops, and deeply influence the core direction of our AI stack. You’ll collaborate closely with engineering, product, and leadership to explore what’s possible and then build it.

Tasks

• Innovation: Rapidly prototype and implement AI solutions across various use cases, including computer vision, personal health LLMs, and NLP sentiment analysis, to accelerate time-to-market.
• Infrastructure Development: Design and maintain dynamic data indexing systems and private, encrypted ETL pipelines within DDCs.
• Agent Orchestration: Develop and manage a multi-agent orchestration platform that dynamically engages AI agents for localized, secure data operations and querying.
• Collaboration: Engage with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless integration of AI solutions, participating in both on-site and off-site events to foster teamwork and innovation.
• Communication: Proactively discuss and strategize data onboarding and processing methodologies to enhance system performance and security.

Requirements

• Experience: Proven track record of launching solutions from concept to scale, with tangible revenue generation.
• Technical Proficiency: Extensive experience with data solutions aimed at building robust, distributed platforms serving millions of users.
• Entrepreneurial Mindset: Background in closely collaborating with founders or small, dedicated teams to drive innovation; prior entrepreneurial experience is a plus.
• AI Integration Insight: Alignment with the philosophy that agile data onboarding and dynamic indexing are foundational to AI workflows.
• Prototyping Skills: Ability to swiftly develop cutting-edge AI prototypes across diverse domains to reduce time-to-market.
• Knowledge Sharing: Valuing practical, hard-earned knowledge and demonstrating a commitment to continuous learning.
• Team Engagement: Willingness to participate in team-building activities and events to strengthen collaboration and innovation.

Benefits

• Competitive Compensation & Meaningful Equity: We value talent and back it with fair, founder-level alignment. You’ll own a real stake in the company’s future.
• High-Impact, High-Ownership Role: You won’t be a cog in the machine. You’ll own initiatives end-to-end and help shape the core of our AI stack and company direction.
• Work Directly with the CEO & Founding Team: Collaborate daily with the CEO and technical leadership to drive product, strategy, and long-term vision.
• Build What Doesn’t Exist (Yet): We’re working on first-principle AI infrastructure that doesn’t exist elsewhere. If you’re here to do original, meaningful work — this is it.
• Zero Bureaucracy, Maximum Autonomy: We move fast, stay lean, and keep decision-making close to the builders. Your input drives the roadmap.
• Flexible, But In-Person Matters: We’re remote-first, but we believe in the power of face-to-face time. We hold monthly gatherings/hackathons in SF and Europe, to stay aligned and build real momentum together. Results still matter more than hours — but we show up when it counts.

Our Hiring Process

We move fast, stay transparent, and focus on real collaboration. Here’s what the process looks like:

1. Intro Call – A quick chat to align on expectations, interests, and team fit.
2. Technical Deep Dive – A focused conversation with our Engineering Manager to explore your technical thinking and past work.
3. CEO Interview – A strategic discussion around vision, mindset, and long-term alignment.
4. Reference Collection – We’ll speak with a few people you’ve worked closely with.
5. Paid Trial (~5 Days) – A short, real-world engagement so we can see how we work together — happening in parallel with offer and terms discussion.

Join CEF AI as an AI Innovator to revolutionize technology. Bring your expertise and shape the future with us. Apply now to make a meaningful impact.