Forward Deployed Engineer

Aionia Group; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 325,000; Full time

Job summary

Aionia Group in San Francisco seeks a founding team member to architect and ship production-grade AI systems directly with customers. This role involves translating complex requirements into scalable implementations and maintaining backend services and APIs.

Candidates should have strong backend engineering skills, a relevant degree, and be comfortable working on-site five days a week. The compensation ranges from $200K to $325K plus equity, reflecting the high stakes and rapid pace of a fast-growing AI infrastructure company.

Qualifications

• 1+ years of experience in software engineering, ideally in a product-focused or customer-facing role.
• Strong backend engineering fundamentals sufficient to pass a high-bar SWE interview.
• Comfort operating in fast-moving, ambiguous environments.

Responsibilities

• Architect and build production-grade systems for strategic pilots.
• Design, implement, and maintain backend services, APIs, and integrations.
• Build secure, high-performance integrations with external systems.
• Own the full technical lifecycle of key deployments.

Skills

Backend-heavy production systems

APIs and third-party systems

Scalable systems

Communication with stakeholders

High ownership in ambiguous environments

Education

Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Math, or Physics

Job description

Architect and ship production-grade AI systems directly with customers.A founding-team role at one of the fastest-moving AI infrastructure companies in the market — replacing legacy systems like ServiceNow with an AI-native platform that’s already automating 50%+ of IT operations for customers like Perplexity, Notion, and Verkada.

$200K – $325K + Equity On-Site SF · 5d/wk $127M Raised 5 Openings No Visa Sponsorship

Our client is a fast-growing AI infrastructure company headquartered in San Francisco, building the next generation of enterprise automation. Founded in 2024 and backed by over $100M from top-tier venture investors, they are trusted by a portfolio of high-profile technology companies to automate mission-critical operations.

Their customers — a roster of leading technology companies — are automating more than 50% of their IT operations with this platform. The company operates with a lean team of 25 builders, a flat structure, and a strong in-person culture in San Francisco.

“This is one of the most exciting AI infrastructure companies in the market — and they’re hiring engineers who want to build, not babysit tickets.”

Opportunity

This is not a typical implementation role. As a founding member of the Agent Deployment team, you will architect and ship production-grade systems directly with the company’s most strategic customers — while contributing to the core platform. You will help define how this function operates and have direct influence on the product roadmap.

What You’ll Do

• Architect and build production-grade systems for strategic pilots, translating complex customer requirements into scalable, durable implementations
• Design, implement, and maintain backend services, APIs, and integrations that expand the capabilities of the AI agent platform
• Build secure, high-performance integrations with external systems — reliability, observability, and maintainability first
• Turn real customer pain points and edge cases into reusable product capabilities that improve the platform for future deployments
• Own the full technical lifecycle of key deployments — from initial architecture through launch, scaling, and ongoing optimization
• Partner directly with customers, sales, and internal engineering to move fast from idea to production
• Help shape a new function from the ground up with clear visibility, ownership, and influence across the business

What We’re Looking For

Must-Have — Non-Negotiable

• Experience shipping backend-heavy production systems and building external integrations (APIs, third-party systems, enterprise tools)
• Background at a company known for a high engineering bar and real-world impact
• Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Math, or Physics from a top-tier program (Top 20 school or equivalent signal)
• Strong backend engineering fundamentals — coding and system design — sufficient to pass a high-bar SWE interview
• Must work on-site in San Francisco five days per week

Required

• 1+ years of experience in software engineering, ideally in a product-focused or customer-facing role
• Experience building scalable systems, integrations, or workflow automation tools
• Ability to communicate clearly with both technical and business stakeholders
• Comfort operating in fast-moving, ambiguous environments with high ownership

Nice to Have

• Early engineer experience at a fast-moving startup (Series D or earlier) or 0-to-1 product building
• Direct experience working with enterprise customers — pilots, implementations, or customer-facing engineering
• Exposure to AI/LLM systems, agent-based architectures, or automation platforms
• Interest in founding or building a company in the future

Deal Breakers

Automatic Disqualifiers

• Cannot or will not work on-site in San Francisco five days per week
• Prefers highly structured, slow-paced corporate environments
• Requires significant hand-holding, detailed instructions, or close supervision to execute
• Background primarily in data science, product management, or roles with minimal hands-on software engineering
• No CS / Engineering / Math / Physics degree or equivalent rigorous technical foundation

Interview Process

1. 30-minute intro — background, logistics, and culture fit
2. High-bar SWE-style coding assessment
3. Live coding collaboration and architecture deep-dive
4. Sessions with Sales team and key stakeholders
5. Final conversation with company leadership