Staff & Principal AI/ML Engineer

Harnham; California; On-site; USD 220,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

Harnham is seeking a senior technical leader to shape the next generation of AI-native data infrastructure. You will define multi-step agent architectures, lead large-scale initiatives, and own core AI code generation capabilities from design to production.

The role requires deep AI/ML experience and a proven ability to navigate ambiguity while delivering concrete outcomes. You will influence architecture across the engineering organization, mentor engineers at all levels, and establish robust

Qualifications

• 8+ years of software engineering with AI/ML depth and leadership.
• Experience owning and shipping AI agents or coding agents in production at scale.
• Strong Python with experience in RAG, vector databases, and knowledge graphs.
• Ability to make architectural decisions under uncertainty and ship to production.
• Experience with AWS & Kubernetes; comfortable across the full AI development lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Set technical direction across multi-step agent architecture, RAG pipelines, and knowledge retrieval systems.
• Own the AI behind the platform's core code generation capability, from prompt design to validation at scale.
• Lead large, complex initiatives end-to-end with minimal direction.
• Shape production AI practices with standards for evaluation, observability, and reliability.
• Influence architectural decisions across the engineering org and mentor engineers at all levels.

Skills

Software engineering

AI/ML leadership

Python

Architectural design

Tools

Neo4j

Databricks

Snowflake

BigQuery

Kubernetes

AWS

Job description

We're partnered with a well-funded, high-growth Series B startup building the next generation of AI-native data infrastructure for Fortune 500 enterprises. With 3.5x revenue growth in FY'24 and 160% net revenue retention, they're scaling fast and investing in senior technical leadership to define how AI gets built across the company.

This is a role for someone who sets technical direction, not just executes it. You'll shape agent architecture, evaluation strategy, and retrieval systems at the core of the platform, leading large-scale initiatives from design through to production with real ownership over outcomes. The scope is intentionally open-ended, and strong engineers have enormous leverage here.

What You'll Do

• Set technical direction across multi-step agent architecture, RAG pipelines, and knowledge retrieval systems, making the calls on agent design, model selection, and build vs. buy
• Own the AI behind the platform's core code generation capability, from prompt design and fine-tuning through to output validation at scale
• Lead large, complex initiatives end-to-end with minimal direction, defining the problem as much as the solution
• Shape how production AI gets built across the team, establishing standards for evaluation, observability, and reliability
• Influence architectural decisions across the broader engineering organisation and mentor engineers at all levels

Requirements

• 8+ years of software engineering experience with significant AI/ML depth and a track record of technical leadership
• Demonstrated experience owning and shipping AI agents or coding agents in production at scale
• Strong Python skills with deep hands-on experience across RAG, vector databases, and knowledge graphs (Neo4j)
• Ability to make architectural decisions under uncertainty and drive them through to production
• Experience with AWS and Kubernetes, and comfort operating across the full AI development lifecycle
• Experience with data platforms such as Databricks, Snowflake, BigQuery, or Spark is a strong plus
• Scala or Go experience is a bonus

If you're a technical leader who defines problems as much as you solve them, thrives in ambiguity, and wants to shape how AI is built at a company scaling toward its next funding round, this is the opportunity.