Founding AI Engineer – Senior/Staff

SignalFire

Founding AI Engineer developing production ML models, data pipelines, RAG systems, and LLM-powered products. Connecting exceptional AI talent with SignalFire’s VC-backed startup portfolio.

Posted 8/5/2026full-timeCalifornia • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $170,000 - $250,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

Use this summary to align your resume positioning with the role.

Demonstrates expertise in building and deploying AI/ML models, with strong proficiency in Python and experience with frameworks such as TensorFlow and PyTorch. Familiarity with cloud platforms and big data tools is essential for optimizing AI strategies in startup environments.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Machine LearningDeep LearningPython ProgrammingTensorFlowMLOps

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Machine LearningDeep LearningPython ProgrammingModel DeploymentFeature EngineeringData Pipeline DevelopmentAI Model OptimizationRAG PipelinesAgent ArchitecturesLLM-Powered Systems

Soft Skills

CollaborationPassion for AI/MLStartup MindsetStrategic Thinking

Tools & Technologies

TensorFlowPyTorchJAXApache SparkKafkaHadoopAWSGCPAzureDocker

Industry Keywords

AIMLBig DataMLOpsStartup Environment

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

ApacheAWSAzureDockerGoogle Cloud PlatformHadoopKafkaKubernetesPythonPyTorchSparkTensorflow

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Join SignalFire’s Talent Network for founding AI engineer roles at VC-backed startups
Build AI/ML models from the ground up and deploy them in production
Design, develop, and deploy machine learning and deep learning models
Build scalable data pipelines for preprocessing, feature engineering, and model training
Optimize and deploy AI models for real-time and batch processing
Work closely with founders to align AI strategies with product and business goals
Research and integrate state-of-the-art AI methodologies
Develop and optimize RAG pipelines, agent architectures, and LLM-powered systems
Submit an application to join SignalFire’s Talent Ecosystem
If matched, engage with a SignalFire talent partner or a leader from a portfolio company
Maintain profile consideration for future AI/ML roles in SignalFire’s portfolio

Requirements

What you’ll need

3+ years of experience in machine learning, deep learning, or applied AI
Strong Python skills
Experience with TensorFlow, PyTorch, or JAX
Experience with big data tools such as Apache Spark, Kafka, and Hadoop
Experience with MLOps platforms
Familiarity with AWS, GCP, or Azure
Familiarity with Docker and Kubernetes
Passion for building AI/ML models from the ground up and deploying them in production
Excitement about joining early-stage startups and working directly with founders
Interest in shaping AI strategy and leading development of AI-powered products
Startup experience or interest in early-stage environments is a plus

Benefits

Comp & perks

Equity offered
Profile visibility into exclusive early-stage opportunities
Potential matching with SignalFire portfolio companies
Ongoing consideration for future AI/ML roles