Principal AI/ML Engineer - VC Backed Startups

SignalFire; United States; On-site; USD 170,000 - 270,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading company in venture capital, SignalFire, as a Principal AI/ML Engineer focused on scaling AI-driven technologies for startups. You will be responsible for innovative AI strategies, building machine learning models, and collaborating with various teams to drive technological advancements.

Qualifications

• Experience in architecting scalable AI systems and leading technical teams.
• Strong background in AI/ML methodologies and model optimization.
• Knowledge of big data tools and MLOps platforms.

Responsibilities

• Develop machine learning models and optimize for production systems.
• Integrate AI with engineering and product teams.
• Lead AI strategy and identify areas for innovation.

Skills

Machine Learning

Deep Learning

Python

Computer Vision

Natural Language Processing

Generative AI

Reinforcement Learning

MLOps

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related field

8+ years experience in AI/ML

Tools

TensorFlow

PyTorch

JAX

Hugging Face Transformers

AWS

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

Principal AI/ML Engineer - VC Backed Startups

Join to apply for the Principal AI/ML Engineer - VC Backed Startups role at SignalFire

Principal AI/ML Engineer - VC Backed Startups

Join to apply for the Principal AI/ML Engineer - VC Backed Startups role at SignalFire

This range is provided by SignalFire. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

$170,000.00/yr - $270,000.00/yr

Join SignalFire’s Talent Network for Principal AI/ML Engineer Roles at VC-Backed Startups

At SignalFire, we partner with top early-stage startups that are shaping the future of technology. Our portfolio spans 200+ innovative companies across AI, cybersecurity, healthtech, fintech, developer tools, and enterprise SaaS.

We’re looking to connect with exceptional Principal AI/ML Engineers who are excited about driving AI strategy, advancing machine learning research, and scaling AI-powered systems at high-growth startups. By joining SignalFire’s Talent Network, your profile will be shared with our portfolio companies, giving you visibility into exclusive early-stage opportunities that may not be publicly listed.

This is not an application for a specific job. Instead, this is a way to get on the radar of VC-backed startups that are actively hiring AI/ML talent. If you have any questions, please direct inquiries to [e-mail].

Who Should Join?

We’re looking for AI/ML experts who are:

Passionate about developing and deploying cutting-edge machine learning and deep learning models

Experienced in architecting scalable AI systems and leading technical teams

Excited to push the boundaries of AI research and apply it to real-world business challenges

Typical Roles & Responsibilities

• Architect, develop, and optimize machine learning and deep learning models for production systems
• Research and apply state-of-the-art AI methodologies, including LLMs, transformers, and reinforcement learning
• Lead AI strategy, identifying opportunities for innovation and model optimization
• Develop scalable training and inference pipelines for AI-powered applications
• Work closely with engineering, data, and product teams to integrate AI/ML into business solutions
• Optimize ML models for efficiency, accuracy, and scalability in real-world deployments
• Ensure robust MLOps practices, including model monitoring, retraining, and deployment automation
• Collaborate on AI/ML research publications, patents, and open-source contributions
  
  

Common Qualifications

While each startup has its own hiring criteria, many Principal AI/ML Engineer roles in our network look for:

• 8+ years of experience in AI/ML, deep learning, or applied AI
• Expertise in Python and ML frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch, JAX, Hugging Face Transformers)
• Strong background in computer vision, NLP, generative AI, or reinforcement learning
• Experience developing scalable AI pipelines, data processing workflows, and distributed training systems
• Familiarity with big data tools (Apache Spark, Kafka, Hadoop) and MLOps platforms (MLflow, TFX, SageMaker)
• Deep understanding of LLMs, transformer architectures, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines
• Experience with model quantization, fine-tuning, and optimization for performance
• Strong knowledge of cloud environments (AWS, GCP, Azure) and containerization tools (Docker, Kubernetes)
• A track record of technical leadership, mentoring, and driving AI innovation
  
  

Technologies You Might Work With:

• Languages & Frameworks: Python, TensorFlow, PyTorch, JAX, Hugging Face Transformers
• MLOps & Data Pipelines: MLflow, Kubeflow, TFX, Apache Spark, Airflow, Ray
• Cloud & Deployment: AWS SageMaker, GCP Vertex AI, Azure ML, Kubernetes, Docker
• Big Data & Storage: Apache Kafka, Hadoop, BigQuery, Snowflake, Redis, NoSQL databases
• Model Optimization: ONNX, TensorRT, pruning, quantization, distillation
  
  

What Happens Next?

• Submit your application to join SignalFire’s Talent Ecosystem.
• We review applications on an ongoing basis to identify strong candidates.
• If there’s a match, a SignalFire talent partner or a leader from one of our startups may reach out directly.
• No match yet? We’ll keep your profile on file for future AI/ML roles in our portfolio.
  
  

Compensation Range: $170K - $270K

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Engineering and Information Technology

• Industries

  Venture Capital and Private Equity Principals

Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at SignalFire by 2x

Get notified about new Machine Learning Engineer jobs in United States.

Software Engineer - Fullstack, Multiple Locations

United States $81,900.00-$174,600.00 1 week ago

Full-Stack Software Engineer (New graduates: United States)

United States $70,000.00-$100,000.00 2 weeks ago

New York, NY $140,000.00-$185,000.00 5 days ago

Software Engineer (L5) - Open Connect Platform

Software Engineer (L5) - Ads Identity & Privacy

United States $100,000.00-$720,000.00 1 week ago

Software Engineer L4/L5, Model Serving Systems, Machine Learning Platform

United States $100,000.00-$720,000.00 1 week ago

New York, United States $142,600.00-$196,200.00 5 days ago

United States $140,000.00-$170,000.00 1 month ago

Fort Myers, FL $80,000.00-$100,000.00 11 hours ago

United States $130,000.00-$180,000.00 1 week ago

Software Engineer Intern/Co-op (Fall 2025)

New York, NY $145,000.00-$260,000.00 7 months ago

We’re unlocking community knowledge in a new way. Experts add insights directly into each article, started with the help of AI.