Software Engineer - Search Ranking Palo Alto, CA

Maxxd; Palo Alto, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 440,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Comprehensive medical, vision, dental

401(k) retirement plan

Disability insurance

Life insurance

Discounts and perks

Job summary

SpaceXAI in Palo Alto is seeking a senior contributor for the X Search team to build and operate the core search engine powering discovery. You will own end-to-end search systems and collaborate to deliver fast, relevant results.

The role emphasizes ownership, working on production ML ranking models, and integrating Grok into search products in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Experience with vector databases, search indices, or similar data stores.
• Experience on large-scale search systems.
• Deep experience building or working with production ML systems.
• Take ownership and learn quickly.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities and deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Build search and retrieval algorithms that scale to millions of users.
• Build and operate large-scale search engine and infrastructure.
• Train state-of-the-art ML ranking models.
• Integrate Grok in search systems and products.

Skills

Large-scale search

ML ranking

End-to-end search

Tools

Vector databases

Search indices

Job description

SpaceXAI’s mission is to create AI systems that can accurately understand the universe and aid humanity in its pursuit of knowledge. Our team is small, highly motivated, and focused on engineering excellence. This organization is for individuals who appreciate challenging themselves and thrive on curiosity. We operate with a flat organizational structure. All employees are expected to be hands-on and to contribute directly to the company’s mission. Leadership is given to those who show initiative and consistently deliver excellence. Work ethic and strong prioritization skills are important. All employees are expected to have strong communication skills. They should be able to concisely and accurately share knowledge with their teammates.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

The X Search team is responsible for building and operating the core search engine that powers discovery on X. We own the full end-to-end search stack — from real-time retrieval and indexing to ranking and the end-user search experience.

Our goal is to create the most relevant, fast, and intelligent search experience on the internet by combining state-of-the-art information retrieval systems with Grok’s reasoning capabilities.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Build search and retrieval algorithms that scale to millions of users
• Build and operate large scale search engine and search infrastructure
• Train state of the art ML ranking models
• Integrate Grok in search systems and products

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Have worked with vector databases, search indices, or similar data stores for search applications
• Have worked on large-scale search systems
• Have deep experience building or working with production ML systems
• Take full ownership of problems and learn whatever you need to solve them
• Can move quickly in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities and tight deadlines

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

$180,000 - $440,000 USD

Base salary is just one part of our total rewards package at SpaceXAI, which also includes equity, comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short & long-term disability insurance, life insurance, and various other discounts and perks.