Staff AI Developer

robotsandpencils; United States; Remote; USD 124,000 - 171,000; Full time

Job summary

robotsandpencils leads the architecture and delivery of production AI and machine learning systems, guiding cross-functional teams from early investigation through deployment and operation.

You will set technical direction, design scalable and secure solutions, and mentor engineers to deliver high-impact work with strong engineering practices.

Qualifications

• At least seven years of software development experience, including four or more years building AI or machine learning systems in production and substantial generative AI experience.
• Expert software engineering skills in Python or a comparable language, with a strong grasp of maintainable system design.
• Deep experience with cloud services and generative AI offerings, plus a record of shipping complex agent-based systems.
• Strong knowledge of AI frameworks, orchestration, evaluation, and observability; able to create evaluation or monitoring capabilities when needed.
• Experience building retrieval-augmented generation systems, including chunking, embeddings, vector stores, and advanced retrieval methods.
• Understanding of AI safety, prompt injection defenses, personal data handling, API design, and operating cost controls; practical Docker and Kubernetes experience.
• Demonstrated daily fluency with AI-assisted development tools and ability to guide their effective use.

Responsibilities

• Own architecture and implementation for complex AI and machine learning systems, carrying solutions from research into production.
• Build and improve platforms, pipelines, and infrastructure that support repeatable model development and deployment.
• Guide model development and optimization, and resolve challenging service and system integrations.
• Establish engineering standards and lead technical reviews, including decisions about long-term design, reliability, cost, and responsible use.
• Work with product, engineering, and leadership to connect technical choices to business needs and explain tradeoffs clearly.
• Mentor other engineers through coaching, code review, and pairing; lead ambiguous, high-impact work through to delivery.

Skills

Python

AI/ML systems

Cloud services

System design

AI frameworks

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Vector stores

Job description

Role overview

Lead the architecture and delivery of production AI and machine learning systems, from early technical investigation through deployment and ongoing operation. You’ll set technical direction on a cross-functional team, solve complex integration challenges, and establish engineering practices that help systems scale securely and reliably. The work calls for hands-on development alongside mentorship and influence on broader technical decisions.

Responsibilities

• Own architecture and implementation for complex AI and machine learning systems, carrying solutions from research into production.


• Build and improve platforms, pipelines, and infrastructure that support repeatable model development and deployment.


• Guide model development and optimization, and resolve challenging service and system integrations.


• Establish engineering standards and lead technical reviews, including decisions about long-term design, reliability, cost, and responsible use.


• Work with product, engineering, and leadership to connect technical choices to business needs and explain tradeoffs clearly.


• Mentor other engineers through coaching, code review, and pairing; lead ambiguous, high-impact work through to delivery.

Requirements

• At least seven years of software development experience, including four or more years building AI or machine learning systems in production and substantial generative AI experience.


• Expert software engineering skills in Python or a comparable language, with a strong grasp of maintainable system design.


• Deep experience with cloud services and generative AI offerings, plus a record of shipping complex agent-based systems.


• Strong knowledge of AI frameworks, orchestration, evaluation, and observability; able to create evaluation or monitoring capabilities when needed.


• Experience building retrieval-augmented generation systems, including chunking, embeddings, vector stores, and advanced retrieval methods.


• Understanding of AI safety, prompt injection defenses, personal data handling, API design, and operating cost controls; practical Docker and Kubernetes experience.


• Demonstrated daily fluency with AI-assisted development tools and ability to guide their effective use.

Benefits and work setup

The stated salary range is $176,612–$243,680 CAD.