Founding AI/ML Engineer

Founding AI/ML EngineerLocation: New York, NY or San Francisco, CA (Hybrid – 3 days onsite)Employment Type: Full-TimeCompensation: $125,000 – $200,000 base 0.3% – 1% equity bonusAbout the CompanyOur client is building advanced AI systems that help law enforcement agencies search digital evidence and accelerate investigations. Their platform processes large-scale video, audio, and text datasets to surface investigative leads quickly and accurately.Backed by leading venture investors and already serving live, paying customers, the company is entering a high-growth phase. The founding engineering team includes experienced builders of national-scale systems, and this role will be instrumental in shaping the technical foundation of the platform.The OpportunityThis is a founding-level engineering role with significant ownership and impact. You will design, build, and scale the core backend infrastructure and applied machine learning systems that power the platforms intelligence layer.You will work across infrastructure and model deployment, building secure, distributed systems in highly sensitive environments.Key ResponsibilitiesDesign and scale backend infrastructure for AI-driven systemsBuild and deploy applied ML systems in productionArchitect retrieval pipelines and integrate LLM and VLM technologiesProcess and manage high-volume multimodal datasets (video, audio, text)Develop secure distributed systems that meet strict compliance standardsOwn end-to-end deployment from architecture through productionRequired Qualifications3 years of engineering experience (4–6 preferred)2 years of hands-on applied ML experienceStrong backend development skills in PythonExperience with ML Ops frameworks such as FastAPI, LangChain, PyTorchProven track record deploying production-grade ML systemsU.S. work authorization (no visa sponsorship available)Willingness to undergo FBI or CJIS background clearancePreferred ExperienceBuilt secure distributed systems using Python, Go, or TypeScriptExperience across both infrastructure and model-level implementationWorked on real-time or high-throughput data systemsSuccessfully shipped ML systems in production environmentsIdeal Candidate ProfileYou are comfortable operating in early-stage environments and thrive in zero-to-one builds. You combine strong backend engineering fundamentals with real-world ML deployment experience and understand the security and compliance requirements of sensitive data systems.Benefits & PerksCompetitive base salary ($125K–$200K)Meaningful founding-level equity (0.3%–1%)Performance bonuses3% 401(k) contribution (no employee match required)Full health and dental coverageUnlimited PTOFree lunches and dinnersGym reimbursementSponsored FBI/CJIS clearanceWell-funded, fast-growing team with strong technical leadership

Salary : $125,000 - $200,000