Operations Engineer, Applied AI (Application Software)

United States Digital Space LLC; Vandenberg Air Force Base Launch Facility 02 (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options / long-term incentives

Medical, vision & dental coverage

401(k) retirement plan

Disability insurance

Life insurance

Paid parental leave

Paid vacation (3 weeks)

Paid holidays (10+)

Job summary

United States Digital Space LLC is hiring an Operations Engineer, Applied AI (Application Software) to partner with Sales, Product and Engineering in exploring platforms and deploying AI-powered solutions using LLMs. This hybrid role blends deep technical work with collaboration to deliver meaningful results while prioritizing safety and responsible deployment.

Onsite work at the base enables direct collaboration with multiple teams; travel up to 25% may be required; ITAR and Air Force

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in STEM or engineering required.
• 1+ years of experience in engineering or operations/process development.

Responsibilities

• Work with internal teams to uncover needs and design technical approaches.
• Serve as main technical contact, supporting end-to-end while coordinating with teams.
• Build prototypes and proof-of-concept apps to illustrate integration with platforms.
• Advise on system architecture and support teams in AI-powered applications.
• Keep current with evolving LLM technologies, best practices, and tools.

Skills

Engineering experience

Operations/process development

Cross-functional collaboration

Python coding

LLM integration

Prototype development

AI product design

Prompt design

Education

Bachelor’s degree in STEM or engineering

Job description

the company was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today the company is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal ofenabling human life on Mars.

OPERATIONS ENGINEER, APPLIED AI (APPLICATION SOFTWARE)

As an Operations Engineer on the company’s team, you will act as a key technical partner. You’ll help internal teams across different programs explore the capabilities of different platforms and design smart, effective strategies for incorporating large language models into their products and infrastructure. This hybrid role blends strong technical depth with strong interpersonal skills to empower different teams within the company to create powerful AI-powered solutions while prioritizing safety and responsible deployment.

You’ll collaborate closely with Sales, Product, and Engineering teams to support them from early exploration all the way through successful implementation. Using your engineering background, you will build practical testing approaches and create robust system designs that deliver meaningful results.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work alongside internal teams to uncover their needs and design technical approaches that closely align with their goals
• Serve as the main technical point of contact, supporting end-to-end while coordinating with internal teams to ensure strong outcomes
• Build prototypes and proof-of-concept applications that clearly illustrate effective ways to integrate with Spok/Grok
• Advise on system-on-system architecture and support teams in developing advanced applications powered by LLMs – Large Language Models
• Keep current evolving LLM technologies, best practices, and the tools commonly used in fast-moving environments

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM or engineering discipline
• 1+ years of experience working in engineering or operations/process development

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Hands-on experience supporting cross- functional teams and a solid grasp of their fast-paced environment, limited resources, and specific pain points, specifically in engineering disciplines
• Ability to code along with a track record of developing production-level applications
• Experience with shipping real-world applications using large language models and related machine learning tools to lead cross-functional groups
• Knowledge of common LLM techniques including prompt design, evaluation methods, agent systems, and retrieval architecture
• Previous experience working with AI product design, development, integration, and/or test
• Demonstrated ability to work under pressure and deliver expeditious results across multiple parallel priorities
• Previous experience innovating process improvements, AI integrations, and AI system design in an enterprise setting
• Positive, "can-do" attitude, self-starter, and ability to work in a high-pace dynamic environment

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed
• Must be willing to travel up to 25% of the time to visit different sites
• Ability to pass Air Force background checks for Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg
• This role requires you to be onsite. Remote and/or hybrid work will not be considered

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

Pay Range:

• Level 1: $100,000.00 - $130,000.00
• Level 2: $115,000.00 - $160,000.00

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at the company. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company stock or long-term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year. Employees accrue paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies or exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use requirements of the law.

ITAR REQUIREMENTS

• To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

the company is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with the company is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Applicants wishing to view a copy of the company’s Affimative Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to [e-mail].