Forward Deployed Engineer - Software Development Engineer – Artificial Intelligence (AI) - #4883

Initial Therapeutics, Inc.; Menlo Park (CA); Hybrid; USD 99,000 - 121,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) match

Medical/Dental/Vision

Flexible time-off

Job summary

GRAIL is seeking an Forward Deployed Engineer – Software Development Engineer – AI in Menlo Park, CA, with flexible hybrid arrangements and a strong focus on AI-enabled software and scalable enterprise solutions.

The role requires collaboration across Product, Data Science, and Compliance, with responsibilities spanning design, development, testing, and deployment of AI-powered systems using modern frameworks and cloud platforms.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in CS/AI-related field.
• Typically 3–5 years of professional software development experience.
• Experience with Python and additional languages (Java, C++, JavaScript/TypeScript).
• Experience with AI/ML frameworks (PyTorch/TensorFlow) preferred.
• Cloud platforms, APIs, microservices, containers, and modern practices.
• CI/CD, source control, Agile, automated testing experience.
• Healthcare or regulated environments preferred.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, test, deploy, and maintain AI-enabled software applications and services.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate requirements into scalable solutions.
• Implement secure, maintainable software following standards.
• Contribute to AI model integration, evaluation, testing, and deployment.
• Participate in architecture reviews, code reviews, and planning.
• Develop automated tests, CI/CD pipelines, and deployment processes.
• Evaluate new AI frameworks and cloud services to improve product capabilities.
• Document designs, specifications, and training materials.

Skills

Python

Software development

AI/ML experience

Cloud platforms

CI/CD

REST APIs

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, AI, ML, or Data Science

Tools

PyTorch

TensorFlow

LangChain

OpenAI APIs

AWS/Azure/GCP

Kubernetes

Job description

Company Overview

Our mission is to detect cancer early, when it can be cured. We are working to change the trajectory of cancer mortality and bring stakeholders together to adopt innovative, safe, and effective technologies that can transform cancer care.

We are a healthcare company, pioneering new technologies to advance early cancer detection. We have built a multi-disciplinary organization of scientists, engineers, and physicians and we are using the power of next-generation sequencing (NGS), population-scale clinical studies, and state-of-the-art computer science and data science to overcome one of medicine’s greatest challenges.

GRAIL is headquartered in the Bay Area of California, with locations in Washington, D.C., North Carolina, and the United Kingdom. It is supported by leading global investors and pharmaceutical, technology, and healthcare companies.

For more information, please visit grail.com.

Job Description

The Forward Deployed Engineer – Software Development Engineer – Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an experienced software engineer responsible for designing, developing, testing, deploying, and supporting AI-enabled software applications, machine learning solutions, and enterprise software platforms. Working under the guidance of senior technical leaders, this role contributes to the development of scalable, secure, and maintainable AI solutions that support GRAIL's scientific, clinical, laboratory, commercial, and enterprise initiatives.

The Forward Deployed Engineer partners with Software Engineering, Data Science, Product Management, Quality, Regulatory Affairs, Clinical Development, Laboratory Operations, Finance, Legal, People, and other cross-functional teams to develop innovative AI-powered solutions while ensuring software quality, operational reliability, and compliance with applicable standards. This role is expected to demonstrate technical ownership within assigned areas while continuing to develop expertise in AI engineering, software architecture, and cloud-native technologies.

This role is based in Menlo Park, California, and will move to Sunnyvale, California in Fall 2026. It offers a flexible work arrangement, with the ability to work from GRAIL's office or from home. Our current flexible work arrangement policy requires that a minimum of 60%, or 24 hours, of your total work week be on-site. Your specific schedule, determined in collaboration with your manager, will align with team and business needs and could exceed the 60% requirement for the site.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, test, deploy, and maintain AI-enabled software applications, machine learning services, APIs, and enterprise software solutions.
• Develop software that leverages artificial intelligence, machine learning, generative AI, large language models, retrieval-augmented generation, and other modern AI capabilities to improve business processes and user experiences.
• Collaborate with Product Management, Data Science, Engineering, and business stakeholders to translate functional requirements into scalable technical solutions.
• Implement high-quality, maintainable, and secure software following established software engineering, AI development, and coding standards.
• Contribute to AI model integration, prompt engineering, model evaluation, testing, monitoring, and deployment activities.
• Participate in software architecture discussions, design reviews, code reviews, and technical planning sessions.
• Troubleshoot, analyze, and resolve moderately complex software, AI, integration, and platform issues.
• Develop automated tests, CI/CD pipelines, and deployment processes to improve software quality and delivery efficiency.
• Evaluate new AI frameworks, libraries, cloud services, and engineering tools to improve development productivity and product capabilities.
• Contribute to technical documentation, design specifications, user training, knowledge sharing, and engineering best practices.
• Partner with Quality, Regulatory, Security, Privacy, and Compliance teams to support secure, reliable, and compliant software development.
• Support production operations, incident response, defect resolution, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Adaptability and Growth Expectation

As our organization continues to evolve and grow, this role may require flexibility in responsibilities and duties. Employees should expect that their role may expand, shift, or be modified to meet changing business needs, strategic priorities, and organizational objectives.

• Participating in cross-functional AI and software engineering initiatives.
• Learning and adopting emerging AI technologies, software frameworks, and engineering practices.
• Supporting enterprise modernization and automation initiatives.
• Contributing to special projects or temporary assignments as needed.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Science, or a related field.
• Typically 3–5 years of professional software development experience, including experience developing enterprise applications or AI-enabled software solutions.
• Experience with software development using Python and one or more programming languages such as Java, C#, C++, or JavaScript/TypeScript.
• Experience working with AI or machine learning frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, Scikit-learn, Hugging Face, LangChain, OpenAI APIs, Azure OpenAI, Amazon Bedrock, or similar technologies is preferred.
• Working knowledge of cloud computing platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP), APIs, microservices, containers, and modern software development practices.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines, source control systems, Agile development methodologies, and automated testing.
• Familiarity with databases, data engineering concepts, REST APIs, and software integration.
• Experience working in healthcare, biotechnology, diagnostics, life sciences, or regulated environments is preferred.
• Working knowledge of applicable security, privacy, and regulatory requirements relevant to software development, including cybersecurity fundamentals and secure software development practices, HIPAA, FDA-regulated software environments, software validation, and data integrity principles.
• Solid software engineering skills with the ability to develop scalable, maintainable, and reliable software solutions.
• Working knowledge of artificial intelligence, machine learning, generative AI, and modern AI development techniques.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to troubleshoot technical issues independently.
• Effective collaboration skills with cross-functional engineering, product, and business teams.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to explain technical concepts clearly.
• Ability to learn new technologies quickly and adapt to changing business priorities.
• Demonstrates ownership, accountability, and commitment to delivering high-quality software.
• Continuous learning mindset with interest in emerging AI technologies and engineering best practices.

Working Conditions

• Standard office or hybrid work environment depending on company policy.
• Frequent use of software development environments, AI/ML frameworks, cloud platforms, collaboration tools, and engineering systems.
• May occasionally support production incidents, software releases, or project deadlines outside normal business hours.
• Works independently on assigned projects while receiving guidance and technical direction from senior engineers and engineering leadership.

The expected, full-time, annual base pay scale for this position is $99k–121k in Menlo Park, CA and $86k–105k in Durham, NC.

This role may be eligible for other forms of compensation, including an annual bonus and/or incentives, subject to the terms of the applicable plans and company discretion.

Employees in this role are also eligible for GRAIL’s comprehensive and competitive benefits package, offered in accordance with our applicable plans and policies. The package includes flexible time-off or vacation; a 401(k) retirement plan with employer match; medical, dental, and vision coverage; and mindfulness programs.

GRAIL is an equal employment opportunity employer, and we are committed to building a workplace where every individual can thrive, contribute, and grow. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other class or characteristic protected by applicable laws. Additionally, GRAIL will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records in a manner consistent with applicable law and provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities.

Please contact us at [emailprotected] if you require an accommodation to apply for an open position.

GRAIL maintains a drug-free workplace. We welcome job-seekers from all backgrounds to join us.