Staff AI Engineer

Taswiq4me; Scottsdale (AZ); Hybrid; USD 115,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health plan options

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

Job summary

Nextiva is seeking a Staff AI Engineer to accelerate AI initiatives and deliver AI-centric capabilities on a unified, modern platform. You will own end-to-end design, development, and launch while staying hands-on with production code.

The role supports remote work across the United States with onsite collaboration for Scottsdale-area teammates. You will partner with Google Gemini and other technology partners to extend Nextiva’s NextIQ capabilities.

Qualifications

• 7–10+ years of software engineering experience with hands-on production software
• Very strong Python engineering skills and distributed systems experience
• Ability to take initiatives from design through launch and stay hands-on at Staff level

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and launch AI-focused engineering capabilities and modules
• Own end-to-end initiatives from solutioning to launch
• Collaborate with internal teams and external partners to extend Nextiva capabilities
• Work with NextOS teams to propagate NextIQ capabilities across the ecosystem
• Remain hands-on with code and contribute production-grade solutions

Skills

Python

Distributed systems

System design

End-to-end ownership

Hands-on coding

Staff engineer

Collaboration

Leadership

Tools

Google Gemini

Job description

# Staff AI Engineer**Nextiva** • USA1 week ago Remote Full-timeSoftware EngineeringRedefine the future of customer experiences. One conversation at a time.At Nextiva, we’re reimagining how businesses connect, bringing together customer experience and team collaboration on a single, conversation centric platform. Powered by AI, driven by human innovation.Our culture is forward thinking, customer obsessed and built on the belief that meaningful connections drive better business outcomes. Whether it’s through our signature Amazing Service, the technology we create, or the experiences we cultivate, connection is at the core of who we are.If you’re ready to collaborate with incredible people, make an impact, and help businesses everywhere deliver truly amazing experiences, this is where you belong.Location: While this role is open to remote candidates across the United States, team members located within 40 miles of our Scottsdale headquarters (9451 E. Via de Ventura, Scottsdale, AZ 85256) are expected to work onsite four days per week to support collaboration, speed, and execution. Specific scheduling and flexibility will be guided by your leader to support both team collaboration and individual productivity.We are seeking a Staff AI Engineer to help accelerate new AI initiatives and support Nextiva’s mission of delivering exceptional customer experiences through a unified, modern platform powered by AI and automation. The Staff AI Engineer is a hands-on individual contributor role for an experienced engineer with deep technical expertise in Python, distributed systems, and system design. This role will help design, build, and launch new AI-focused initiatives while working across Nextiva engineering teams and with external technology partners.As a Staff Engineer, you will operate at the intersection of hands-on engineering, system design, and early-stage solutioning. You will take ownership of new capabilities from initial technical discussions through design, development, and launch. This is not an architecture-only position; we are looking for someone who remains close to the code and is comfortable building alongside the team.You will work on initiatives involving NextIQ capabilities, including collaboration with the Google Gemini team to bring capabilities built within Nextiva into partner environments. You will also work closely with global Nextiva product and engineering teams, including teams working on NextOS, to extend NextIQ capabilities across the Nextiva ecosystem.This role is ideal for an engineer who enjoys solving ambiguous problems, building new capabilities from the ground up, and taking end-to-end technical ownership while contributing as a deeply hands-on individual contributor.ResponsibilitiesDesign, build, and launch new AI-focused engineering capabilities and modules.Own engineering initiatives end to end, from early-stage solutioning and architecture through implementation and launch.Remain deeply hands-on with software development and contribute production code.Build solutions using Python and apply strong distributed-systems engineering principles.Participate in system design, architecture, and solutioning discussions with engineering teams.Work closely with the Google Gemini team on initiatives designed to bring NextIQ capabilities into Gemini.Collaborate with other external technology partners to extend Nextiva capabilities into their environments.Partner with U.S.-based Nextiva product and engineering teams on new initiatives.Work with teams supporting NextOS to help bring NextIQ capabilities into other areas of the Nextiva ecosystem.Navigate ambiguous, early-stage technical problems and translate them into practical engineering solutions.Take accountability for designing, building, and successfully launching the capabilities you own.RequirementsBasic Qualifications7–10+ years of relevant software engineering experience, with strong hands-on experience building and delivering production software.Very strong hands-on Python engineering skills.Strong system design capabilities.Experience designing and building distributed systems.Demonstrated experience owning and launching software modules or capabilities end to end.Experience taking technical initiatives from solutioning and design through development and launch.Ability and willingness to remain hands-on with coding at Staff Engineer level.Experience contributing to architecture and technical solutioning discussions.Ability to work effectively on new initiatives where requirements and technical approaches may still be evolving.Ability to collaborate effectively with internal engineering teams and external technology partners.Ability to work remotely within a time zone reasonably aligned with the Arizona-based team.Preferred QualificationsExperience operating as a Staff Engineer or at a comparable level in a similarly sized or slightly larger organization.Experience building new products, modules, or technical capabilities from the ground up.Experience combining system-level design responsibilities with significant hands-on implementation.Experience collaborating directly with external technology partners.Experience working across distributed engineering teams.AI & Modern Engineering ExpectationsUse AI-assisted engineering tools as part of day-to-day development to improve productivity and accelerate coding, problem-solving, testing, and engineering workflows.Apply strong engineering judgment when working with AI-generated code or recommendations, including appropriate validation, testing, and technical review.Understand how AI capabilities can be integrated into larger products and partner environments while maintaining scalable system design.Stay current with evolving AI-assisted software engineering practices and apply them where they improve engineering effectiveness.Contribute directly to AI-related initiatives involving NextIQ and partner environments such as Google Gemini.Additional QualitiesStrong sense of ownership and accountability.Comfortable working through ambiguity and early-stage technical challenges.Able to move effectively between system design and hands-on implementation.Strong problem-solving and technical decision-making skills.Collaborative approach to working across engineering teams and external partners.Ability to take ownership of a capability through design, build, and launch.Self-directed and comfortable operating as a senior individual contributor.Nextiva DNA (Core Competencies)Nextiva’s most successful team members share common traits and behaviors:Drives Results: Action-oriented problem solvers who quickly bring clarity and simplicity to ambiguity, challenge the status quo, and lead meaningful change; celebrating wins to fuel momentum. They act swiftly and pragmatically, learning and improving as they go.Critical Thinker: Data-driven, forward-thinking individuals who identify key drivers, anticipate risks, and deliver clear recommendations. They confidently leverage AI and automation to reduce friction, improve decision-making, and focus on higher-value work.Right Attitude: Collaborative, competitive, and resilient team players who jump in to solve tough problems, learn from setbacks, and foster a culture of service, respect, and care for customers and teammates.Total RewardsOur Total Rewards offerings are designed to allow Nexties to take care of themselves and their families so they can be their best, in and out of the office.Our compensation packages are tailored to each role and candidate's qualifications. We consider a wide range of factors, including skills, experience, training, and certifications, when determining compensation. We aim to offer competitive salaries or wages that reflect the value you bring to our team. Depending on the position, compensation may include base salary and/or hourly wages, incentives, or bonuses.The expected hiring range is $115,000 - $200,000. A different level in the job hierarchy may apply to a specific candidate, resulting in a different hiring range.Health: Multiple health plan options to suit your needs, including medical, dental, vision, and telemedicine coverageInsurance: Life, disability, and supplemental indemnity plans Work-Life Balance: Flexible Time Off for salaried employees, PTO for hourly employees, Paid Sick Time, Paid Parental Bonding Leave, and holiday payFinancial Security: 401(k) with company match, Health Savings Accounts with company contributions, Dependent Care FSA Wellness: Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and comprehensive wellness initiativesGrowth: Access to ongoing learning and development opportunities and career advancementAt Nextiva, we're committed to supporting our employees' health, well-being, and professional growth. Join us and build a rewarding career!Nextiva is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Nextiva participates in the E-Verify Program where and as required by law. For additional information about E-Verify visit USCIS.