Lead Software Engineer, AI Labs (Product and Customer Facing)

Salesforce, Inc.; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 149,000 - 314,000; Full time

Job summary

Salesforce, Inc. is seeking a Software Engineer to contribute high-quality code across AI/ML services, APIs, and production cloud deployments. You'll work with a team of world-class engineers to design prototypes and ship features that solve real customer problems.

The role requires 5+ years in software engineering, a CS degree, and proficiency in Python, Go, Java, or C++. You will collaborate across groups and mentor peers while advancing AI-first engineering.

Qualifications

• B.S. in Computer Science; M.S. preferred.
• 5+ years in software engineering, with AI/ML focus (7–12 years for Lead, 4–8 for Senior).
• Proficiency in Python, Go, Java, or C++.
• Strong background in APIs, data modeling, and databases.
• Experience with production cloud deployments (AWS, GCP, OCI).
• Experience field-debugging full-stack deployments.

Responsibilities

• Work alongside motivated engineers to bring cutting-edge theory into customer-facing practice.
• Build tools and pipelines to support ML and AI efforts.
• Design, build, deploy, and maintain production software and AI services, such as APIs, UIs, and agentic evaluators.
• Roll out scalable cloud architectures and the software that runs on them.
• Help with end-user requirements gathering and executive presentations.
• Understand the toughest customer problems and devise thoughtful solutions.

Skills

Python

Go

Java

C++

APIs

Data modeling

Cloud deployments

Full-stack debugging

Communication

AI tools

Education

B.S. in Computer Science

Tools

Kubernetes

Envoy

Grafana

React

Redux

Job description

To get the best candidate experience, please consider applying for a maximum of 3 roles within 12 months to ensure you are not duplicating efforts. Job Category Software Engineering Job Details About Salesforce Salesforce is the #1 AI CRM, where humans with agents drive customer success together. Here, ambition meets action. Tech meets trust. And innovation isn’t a buzzword — it’s a way of life. The world of work as we know it is changing and we're looking for Trailblazers who are passionate about bettering business and the world through AI, driving innovation, and keeping Salesforce's core values at the heart of it all. Ready to level-up your career at the company leading workforce transformation in the agentic era? You’re in the right place! Agentforce is the future of AI, and you are the future of Salesforce. We are building a new business unit meant to drive large-scale transformation through data, generative AI, and a leading platform that supports mission-critical workloads. In this role, you'll grow within a team of the most talented engineers and AI researchers in the world, as you contribute high-quality code to the hardest problems faced by our customers. As a Software Engineer in this new business unit, you'll touch every phase of the product lifecycle. You'll own a range of responsibilities, from generating ideas and designing prototypes to executing features and shipping releases, while working alongside world-class engineers who will champion your growth. You'll work hand-in-hand with technical and non-technical colleagues to uncover real customer problems and deliver solutions that address them. You'll rotate forward and embed directly with our most demanding customers and partners to quickly understand their greatest problems, then design and implement solutions against them. You'll apply your problem-solving ability, creativity, and technical skills to help organizations drive real impact in the world. You'll make use of everything around you: Salesforce products, open source technologies, and anything you and your team can build. It doesn't matter what languages you know when you join us. What matters is that you can write clean, effective code and learn new languages quickly. Our software is constantly evolving, so we need engineers who can do the same. We also adapt to the diverse environments of our customers and deliver solutions that scale across disparate networks and infrastructure. You'll be on the forefront of something Salesforce has never done before. You'll learn how to unpack a problem and understand the costs and consequences of its solution, pick up new technologies and languages, and even develop them yourself, all within a collaborative community that will support and challenge you as you grow.

Responsibilities

• Work alongside motivated and talented engineers to bring cutting-edge theory into customer-facing practice
• Build tools and pipelines to support ML and AI efforts
• Design, build, deploy, and maintain production software and AI services, such as APIs, UIs, and agentic evaluators
• Roll out scalable cloud architectures and the software that runs on them
• Help with end-user requirements gathering and executive presentations
• Understand the toughest customer problems and devise thoughtful solutions

Required Skills / Qualifications

• B.S. in Computer Science with coursework in Artificial Intelligence (M.S. preferred)
• 5+ years of industry experience in Software Engineering, with a focus on AI/ML (7-12 years for Lead, 4-8 years for Senior)
• Proficiency in multiple programming languages such as Python, Go, Java, or C++
• Strong background in APIs, data modeling, and databases
• Experience with production cloud deployments such as AWS, GCP, or OCI
• Experience field-debugging full-stack deployments
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a dynamic environment
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Proven collaborator who can manage internal and external stakeholders and drive consensus across diverse engineering and product teams
• Solid understanding of security principles and best practices
• Passion for continuous learning in AI technologies and enthusiasm for mentoring peers
• A demonstrated, genuine AI-first approach to engineering: using AI to move faster, build fluency across the stack, and contribute well beyond your core specialty
• Experience using AI tools (e.g., Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Codex, Cursor) in development workflows
• High level of authorship

Preferred Skills / Qualifications

• Experience with open-source technologies such as Kubernetes, Envoy, Grafana, React, and Redux UI and graphic design sensibilities

Unleash Your Potential

When you join Salesforce, you’ll be limitless in all areas of your life. Our benefits and resources support you to find balance and be your best, and our AI agents accelerate your impact so you can do your best. Together, we’ll bring the power of Agentforce to organizations of all sizes and deliver amazing experiences that customers love.

Accommodations

If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please submit a request via this Accommodations Request Form. Please note that Salesforce uses artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help our recruiters assess and evaluate candidates’ resumes and qualifications throughout the recruiting process. Humans will always make any candidate selection and hiring decisions. Please see our Candidate Privacy Statement for more information about how we use your personal data and your rights, including with regard to use of AI tools and opt out options.

Posting Statement

Salesforce is an equal opportunity employer and maintains a policy of non-discrimination with all employees and applicants for employment. What does that mean exactly? It means that at Salesforce, we believe in equality for all. And we believe we can lead the path to equality in part by creating a workplace that’s inclusive, and free from discrimination. Know your rights: workplace discrimination is illegal. Any employee or potential employee will be assessed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications – without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, transgender status, age, disability, veteran or marital status, political viewpoint, or other classifications protected by law. This policy applies to current and prospective employees, no matter where they are in their Salesforce employment journey. It also applies to recruiting, hiring, job assignment, compensation, promotion, benefits, training, assessment of job performance, discipline, termination, and everything in between. Recruiting, hiring, and promotion decisions at Salesforce are fair and based on merit. The same goes for compensation, benefits, promotions, transfers, reduction in workforce, recall, training, and education. In the United States, compensation offered will be determined by factors such as location, job level, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Certain roles may be eligible for incentive compensation, equity, and benefits. Salesforce offers a variety of benefits to help you live well including: time off programs, medical, dental, vision, mental health support, paid parental leave, life and disability insurance, 401(k), and an employee stock purchasing program. More details about company benefits can be found at the following link: https://www.salesforcebenefits.com. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance and the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring, Salesforce will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. At Salesforce, we believe in equitable compensation practices that reflect the dynamic nature of labor markets across various regions. The typical base salary range for this position is $148,500 - $313,700 annually. In select cities within the San Francisco and New York City metropolitan area, the base salary range for this role is $178,900 - $344,700 annually. The range represents base salary only, and does not include company bonus, incentive for sales roles, equity or benefits, as applicable. We're Salesforce, the Customer Company, inspiring the future of business with AI + Data + CRM. Leading with our core values, we help companies across every industry blaze new trails and connect with customers in a whole new way. And, we empower you to be a Trailblazer, too — driving your performance and career growth, charting new paths, and improving the state of the world. If you believe in business as the greatest platform for change and in companies doing well and doing good – you've come to the right place.