Principal AI Engineer, AI Agent Development San Jose, California, United States

OKX; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 313,055 - 450,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance bonus

Full range of medical benefits

Long-term incentives

Job summary

A leading crypto exchange is searching for a Principal AI Engineer with expertise in autonomous AI agent architecture. The role involves developing intelligent systems to enhance crypto trading and customer interaction. The ideal candidate will have a PhD or Master’s in a related field and over 10 years of experience in AI deployment. Responsibilities include leading design, collaborating with various teams, and ensuring system performance. A competitive salary package is offered, along with the opportunity to make a significant impact in the crypto space.

Qualifications

• At least 10 years of industry experience in AI or related fields.
• Experience building and deploying autonomous AI agents.
• Ability to design multi-agent frameworks and ecosystems.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of AI agents for crypto exchange operations.
• Architect frameworks for goal-directed and reasoning agents.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams for agent roles and KPIs.

Skills

Building autonomous AI agents

Multi-agent systems design

Real-time decision-making

Reinforcement learning

Goal-oriented agents

Education

PhD or Master’s in Computer Science or related field

Job description

Principal AI Engineer, AI Agent Development

San Jose, California, United States

Who We Are

At OKX, we believe that the future will be reshaped by crypto, and ultimately contribute to every individual's freedom. OKX is a leading crypto exchange, and the developer of OKX Wallet, giving millions access to crypto trading and decentralized crypto applications (dApps). OKX is also a trusted brand by hundreds of large institutions seeking access to crypto markets. We are safe and reliable, backed by our Proof of Reserves. Across our multiple offices globally, we are united by our core principles: We Before Me, Do the Right Thing, and Get Things Done. These shared values drive our culture, shape our processes, and foster a friendly, rewarding, and diverse environment for every OK-er.

About the Opportunity

We are seeking a Principal Engineer with a deep expertise in autonomous AI agent architecture and deployment, to spearhead the design, development, and optimization of intelligent agent systems on our global crypto exchange platform. This is a senior role requiring a hands‑on AI science background combined with strategic oversight, technical direction, and cross‑functional collaboration.

You will work at the cutting edge of AI and crypto, designing AI agents that can autonomously reason, act, and evolve in complex, real‑time environments such as trading, security, compliance, and customer interaction.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Lead the design, development, and lifecycle management of autonomous AI agents tailored to crypto exchange operations (e.g., customer assistant, trading bots, risk detection agents, fraud prevention agents, etc.).
• Architect multi‑agent systems (MAS) and frameworks to support goal‑directed, reasoning, planning, and reinforcement‑learning‑based agents.
• Collaborate with product, engineering, business, and operations teams to define agent roles and measurable KPIs.
• Drive experimentation, simulations, and continuous learning pipelines for agent performance optimization.
• Stay ahead of the curve on developments in AGI, LLM‑integrated agents, and cognitive architectures; apply relevant innovations to production systems.
• Mentor and lead a team of AI scientists and engineers; help define the AI roadmap and research strategy.
• Ensure system scalability, security, and regulatory compliance of AI‑powered solutions in the crypto exchange domain.

What We Look For In You

• PhD or Master’s in Computer Science, AI, Machine Learning, Robotics or related field with at least 10 years of industry experience.
• Proven experience building and deploying autonomous AI agents in live environments.
• Designed multi‑agent frameworks or agent ecosystems (e.g., AutoGPT, OpenAgents, LangGraph, LangFuse, Dify, Coze, etc.).
• Experience with goal‑oriented agents, context engineering, memory management, tool use, and RL‑based decision making.
• Developed agents for real‑time decision‑making, such as trading, gaming, customer support, or operations.
• Track record of delivering end‑to‑end AI systems in fast‑paced, high‑scale environments (preferably finance, crypto, or high‑frequency domains).

Nice to Haves

• Experience in top‑tier AI labs or tech industry leaders.
• Experience in high‑frequency trading, fintech, Web3, or crypto platforms is a strong advantage.
• Startups or research‑intensive environments preferred; must be comfortable operating with ambiguity and speed.

Salary

The salary range for this position is $313,055.00 to $450,000.00. The salary offered depends on a variety of factors, including job‑related knowledge, skills, experience, and market location. In addition to the salary, a performance bonus and long‑term incentives may be provided as part of the compensation package, as well as a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the position offered. Applicants should apply via Okcoin and OKX internal or external careers site.

Equal Employment Opportunity

OKX is committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, genetic information, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, lawful alien status, national origin, age, marital status, and non‑job related physical or mental disability, or protected veteran status. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Application Process

All official OKX vacancies are published on this website. While roles may appear on selected third‑party platforms from time to time, information on other sites may be inaccurate or outdated. If in doubt, please apply directly through our official careers website.

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