AI Systems Engineer ($180k - $200k + Equity) at VC-backed AI automation startup

About this role

Build production-grade AI agents that reliably execute complex workflows in high-stakes environments. This role focuses on architecting robust infrastructure for validation, failure handling, and feedback loops that transform unreliable LLM outputs into dependable enterprise solutions.

What you'll do

• Design and architect autonomous agents capable of executing multi-step workflows with complex logic transitions
• Build validation systems, automated retries, and sophisticated failure handling mechanisms to ensure reliability
• Create internal developer tools and feedback loops for system self-improvement and failure detection
• Move AI systems from prototype stage to production-grade solutions with verifiable correctness

What they're looking for

• Systems engineering or backend infrastructure experience
• High-reliability platform design
• Schema and constraint-based thinking
• Debugging complex, non-deterministic systems
• Architectural design and correctness focus
• LLM integration and AI system design
• Workflow orchestration

Benefits

• Competitive salary: $180k-$200k
• Equity compensation
• VC-backed and Y Combinator-backed startup
• Work on frontier AI reliability challenges
• San Francisco-based with opportunity to shape core platform architecture