Senior Software Engineer - AI Enablement HR

Kraken International; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Payward seeks an experienced AI/HR automation architect to lead end-to-end AI-powered HR solutions across the People function. You will own design, deployment, governance, and transfer capabilities to the HRKX team, turning fragmented HR processes into autonomous, scalable workflows with strong oversight.

You will work at the intersection of AI/LLM engineering and HR systems, delivering hands-on production-grade solutions used globally by Krakenites.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of software engineering experience, with at least 2+ years focused on building AI/ML-powered applications or agentic systems in production.

Responsibilities

• Design and deploy AI-powered HR solutions across HR processes with human oversight.
• Build multi-agent systems linking fragmented HR tools (HRIS, ATS, payroll, ticketing) into end-to-end workflows.
• Implement error handling, audit trails, payroll calendar awareness, and human-in-the-loop checkpoints before deployment.
• Ensure data classification, privacy controls, and regulatory compliance in production systems.
• Governance: classify automation by risk tier; require Process Owner and documented data flows.
• Maintain audit logs for regulated data; halt risky builds and secure organizational acceptance.
• Create docs, templates, and runbooks for HRKX; train teams; track automation impact.
• Enable HR professionals to focus on advisory work by multiplying capabilities via automation.

Skills

AI/ML powered apps

Agentic systems

HR workflows design

Workflow automation

Multi-agent systems

API integration

Data privacy & compliance

Systems thinking

Problem solving

Education

Degree with a quantitative focus (Industrial‑Organizational Psychology, Mathematics, Statistics, or equivalent)

Tools

n8n

Python

Claude API

Anthropic SDK

Workday integration

Job description

Building the Future of Open Finance

Payward - the parent company behind Kraken, NinjaTrader, Breakout, xStocks, Payward Services and CF Benchmarks - has spent the last 15 years building one of the most modern and globally accessible financial infrastructure platforms in the industry, built to advance an open, global financial system.

Before you apply, we encourage you to explore our culture page to understand what drives us and how we work.

The team

Founded in 2011, Kraken is one of the world's longest-standing crypto platforms, trusted by over 10 million individuals and institutions across the globe. It offers spot trading, margin, futures, staking, and OTC services, with products built for both individual investors and institutional clients.

We build the systems that power how employees join, grow, and operate across the company, including hiring, onboarding, learning, and rewards. This is core infrastructure for how the company runs.

We’re rebuilding these workflows with AI at the core, designing production systems that take real actions, integrate with critical tools, and are trusted to operate reliably. The focus is turning messy, manual processes into structured, scalable systems.

You’ll work closely with cross-functional partners to understand real workflows and translate them into systems that actually work, with high autonomy and direct impact on how AI is built and operated across the company.

The Opportunity

You will serve as the primary architect and builder of AI-powered solutions within the Kraken People team. This is a full-stack ownership role spanning opportunity identification, solution design, deployment, governance, and transfer capability back to the People team so they can maintain and extend what you build.

You’ll work at the intersection of AI/LLM engineering and HR systems—turning manual, fragmented People processes into autonomous, agentic workflows that serve thousands of Krakenites globally. This is hands‑on engineering with direct business impact, not experimentation. Responsibilities:

Design and deploy AI-powered HR solutions

• Architect and build agentic workflows using n8n, Claude API, Python, and MCP that take real actions in HR processes with appropriate human oversight and approval gates.
• Build multi‑agent systems with tool use, function calling, and multi‑step reasoning that connect fragmented HR tools (HRIS, ATS, payroll, ticketing) into coherent, end‑to‑end workflows.
• Build error handling, audit trails, payroll‑calendar awareness, and human‑in‑the‑loop checkpoints into every production system before deployment.
• Ensure all automations comply with data classification requirements for employee PII, regulated data, and cross‑jurisdictional privacy obligations.

Own governance and risk for People AI systems

• Classify all automation builds by risk tier before work begins. No build goes to production without a named Process Owner, documented data flows, and access controls confirmed.
• Maintain audit logging and documentation for all systems touching regulated employee data or payroll‑adjacent workflows.
• Halt or redesign builds that introduce unacceptable payroll, legal, or data privacy risk. Own that decision and get organizational acceptance before proceeding.
• Serve as the HRKX domain representative in contributing to governance standards and cross‑functional build alignment.

Multiply the People team's capability

• Produce documentation, workflow templates, and runbooks that HRKX professionals can use and maintain without technical support.
• Train People team members on AI‑assisted tools and workflows deployed in production. Drive adoption, not just delivery.
• Track and report on automation impact: manual hours eliminated, error rates reduced, payroll exceptions avoided, and capacity unlocked for strategic HR work.
• Act as a force multiplier for the HR KX team, enabling HR professionals to focus on high‑value advisory and people judgment work through process, technology, and AI enablement.

What You Bring

These are verified requirements for this role. Candidates who do not meet the core requirements will not advance to interview.

• 5+ years of software engineering experience, with at least 2+ years focused on building AI/ML‑powered applications or agentic systems in production.
• 2–3+ years of experience working on HR, People Operations, or people technology problems—either at an HR tech company, on an internal People Engineering team, or in a technical role embedded within an HR function. You don’t need to be an HR expert, but you need to understand HR dynamics, workflows, and the sensitivity of people's data.
• Strong fluency with AI and workflow automation tools, with demonstrated experience designing, deploying, and driving adoption of AI solutions within HR workflows
• Demonstrated hands‑on experience designing and deploying AI‑powered or automated workflows in a production environment used by others, not just experimentation.
• Deep working knowledge of Workday, including job change workflows, worker conversions, EIB data uploads, integration architecture, and payroll dependencies.
• Systems thinker with a strong implementation mindset — able to move from discovery → design → build → deployment → optimization without relying on external consultant
• Proficiency with AI tooling stack: n8n, Python, Claude API/Anthropic SDK, or equivalent. Experience connecting HR systems via API is required.
• Strong analytical problem‑solving skills with the ability to structure ambiguous people questions into clear, actionable, automated analysis.
• Solid understanding of employee data classification, PII handling requirements, and cross‑jurisdictional HR compliance obligations.

Nice to Haves

• Experience with Workday Prism, Qualtrics, or other BI and HR analytics tools for people data reporting and strategy automation.
• Experience using AI for text analysis, survey insights, or workflow automation in an HRIS or people analytics context.
• Experience with Ashby including API integration and pipeline automation.
• Experience with spreadsheet automation (Google Apps Script or equivalent) and advanced proficiency in Excel and Google Sheets for analytics solution development.
• Python or R programming skills for people data analysis, modeling, or pipeline automation.
• Background in HR technology platform administration: HRIS, ATS, survey platforms, or workforce management systems.
• Prior experience standing up or operating an HR automation or people analytics function.
• Degree with a quantitative focus (Industrial‑Organizational Psychology, Mathematics, Statistics, or equivalent) combined with applied technical automation experience.
• Experience in fintech, crypto, or a high‑growth remote‑first company where HR systems serve employees across 50+ countries.

Unless a specific application deadline is stated in the job posting, applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

Please note, applicants are permitted to redact or remove information on their resume that identifies age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.

We consider qualified applicants with criminal histories for employment on our team, assessing candidates in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.

Our commitment

Payward is powered by people from around the world and we celebrate the diverse talents, backgrounds, contributions, and unique perspectives that everyone brings to the table. We hire based on merit, seeking out people with the right abilities, knowledge, and skills for the job. We encourage you to apply for roles where you don't fully meet the listed requirements, especially if you're passionate or knowledgeable about crypto.

We may ask candidates to complete job‑related skills or work‑style assessments as part of our hiring process. These assessments evaluate competencies relevant to the role and are applied consistently across candidates for similar positions. Results are considered alongside experience and interviews, and are not the sole basis for any employment decision.

As an equal opportunity employer, we don't tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind, whether based on race, ethnicity, age, gender identity, citizenship, religion, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.