Backend Engineer - Grok Chat

xAI’s mission is to create AI systems that can accurately understand the universe and aid humanity in its pursuit of knowledge. Our team is small, highly motivated, and focused on engineering excellence. This organization is for individuals who appreciate challenging themselves and thrive on curiosity. We operate with a flat organizational structure. All employees are expected to be hands-on and to contribute directly to the company’s mission. Leadership is given to those who show initiative and consistently deliver excellence. Work ethic and strong prioritization skills are important. All engineers are expected to have strong communication skills. They should be able to concisely and accurately share knowledge with their teammates.

About the Role

Join the innovative team at xAI, where we're revolutionizing the user experience for Grok—the witty, insightful AI companion that's becoming an essential part of users' lives worldwide. As a Backend Engineer on the Grok Chat team, you'll design and implement scalable systems that harness the world's most advanced language models to tackle complex challenges at unprecedented scale. You'll drive AI innovation by creating seamless, high-performance backend infrastructure that powers captivating user interactions. If you're passionate about solving intricate problems and building products that delight millions, this is your opportunity to make a lasting impact.

What You’ll Do

• Innovate on frameworks for large-scale experimentation, enabling rapid iteration to keep Grok at the forefront of AI advancements.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams of top engineers and researchers to deliver AI-driven features that engage and empower users.
• Architect and develop high-performance, personalized chat systems powered by Grok, ensuring reliability and scalability for global users.
• Build and optimize large-scale data pipelines to fuel Grok's continuous improvement using real-time signals and massive datasets.
• Own end-to-end projects, from ideation and design to deployment and monitoring, delivering production-ready solutions with efficiency and excellence.
  

Who You Are

• A proactive self-starter who excels at transforming bold ideas into high-impact realities through focused execution.
• An expert coder proficient in Python or Rust, with a talent for crafting clean, maintainable, and scalable code.
• Experienced in developing experimentation frameworks for consumer products operating at massive scale.
• Skilled in designing and maintaining robust, large-scale data infrastructure systems that support cutting-edge AI technologies.
• Proven track record of shipping consumer-facing products to millions of users, with a focus on performance and reliability.
• Deeply passionate about AI and dedicated to creating indispensable products that users love and rely on.

Tech Stack

• Python
• Rust

Interview Process

After submitting your application, the team reviews your CV and statement of exceptional work. If your application passes this stage, you will be invited to a 15 minute interview (“phone interview”) during which a member of our team will ask some basic questions. If you clear the initial phone interview, you will enter the main process, which consists of four technical interviews:

1. Coding assessment in a language of your choice.
2. Systems hands-on: Demonstrate practical skills in a live problem-solving session.
3. Project deep-dive: Present your past exceptional work to a small audience.
4. Meet and greet with the wider team.

Our goal is to finish the main process within one week. All interviews will be conducted via Google Meet.

Benefits

Base salary is just one part of our total rewards package at xAI, which also includes equity, comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short & long-term disability insurance, life insurance, and various other discounts and perks.

Annual Salary Range

$180,000 - $440,000 USD

Benefits

Base salary is just one part of our total rewards package at xAI, which also includes equity, comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short & long-term disability insurance, life insurance, and various other discounts and perks.

xAI is an equal opportunity employer.

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