Software Engineer (AI)

TL;DR

Software Engineer (AI): Designing and building mission-critical evaluation platforms to measure model capabilities and behaviors with an accent on data quality, feedback loops, and infrastructure reliability. Focus on translating complex quality criteria into measurable metrics and shipping robust internal tools that accelerate frontier AI research.

Location: Must be based in Palo Alto, California, United States

Salary: $175,000–$275,000 USD

Company

xAI is an AI research company dedicated to creating systems that accurately understand the universe and aid humanity in its pursuit of knowledge.

What you will do

• Own and elevate the mission-critical research platform used for model evaluation.
• Create and execute instruments for measuring model capabilities, behaviors, and safety.
• Manage execution infrastructure, design datasets, and develop grading schemes.
• Diagnose agent failures and implement both short and long-term improvements.
• Design, build, and ship high-quality systems for internal engineering teams.

Requirements

• 3+ years of professional software engineering experience.
• Proven track record of shipping high-quality projects with a strong sense of urgency.
• Exceptional product taste with the ability to translate fuzzy quality criteria into concrete, measurable metrics.
• Strong attention to detail and first principles reasoning.
• Must be able to work onsite in Palo Alto, California.

Nice to have

• Previous experience founding or working in a fast-growing early-stage startup.
• Familiarity with AI/ML workflows, annotation tools, or evaluation frameworks.
• Experience creating and maintaining component libraries or design systems.

Culture & Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage.
• Equity participation in the company.
• Access to a 401(k) retirement plan.
• Short and long-term disability insurance and life insurance.
• Flat organizational structure with a focus on individual initiative and excellence.