xAI · 2 days ago
Applied AI Engineer, Federal
San Francisco Bay Area
Full-time
Hybrid
Senior Level
$180K/yr - $440K/yr
6+ years expxAI is dedicated to creating AI systems that enhance human understanding and knowledge. The Applied AI Engineer will collaborate with federal and enterprise partners to drive the development of mission-critical AI solutions, ensuring compliance and delivering high-quality, secure code in regulated environments.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)Foundational AIGenerative AIInformation TechnologyMachine Learning
No H1B
U.S. Citizen Only
Responsibilities
Drive the development and enhancement of the core product and underlying model, while collaborating cross-functionally to deliver end-to-end AI solutions
Identifying pain points, scoping product specifications, and designing and building LLM-powered software for government or enterprise use cases
Benchmarking models and developing evaluation frameworks to assess performance and address weaknesses, ensuring compliance with customer standards
Enhancing model performance through system prompt tuning or fine-tuning, with an eye toward secure and scalable deployment
Analyzing request logs, prompt data, or system outputs to ensure reliability and auditability
Building internal tooling to streamline workflows and automate repetitive tasks in secure environments
Refining xAI SDKs or developer documentation based on customer feedback, with an emphasis on usability for government or enterprise developers
Qualification
Required
Demonstrated success working with government agencies, DoD, or federal contractors on AI, software, or data projects
Active U.S. security clearance (e.g., Secret, Top Secret) or eligibility to obtain one is highly desirable
6+ years of software engineering experience, ideally in environments requiring high reliability or security
Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English, with experience documenting technical solutions for diverse stakeholders
Ability to translate business, product, or mission needs into engineering solutions, particularly for government or enterprise clients
Proven experience implementing AI or machine learning products with APIs, back-end systems, and front-end interfaces
Proficiency in Python and/or TypeScript
Strong understanding of the HTTP protocol and secure API design
Robust engineering background, preferably in fields such as Computer Science, Mathematics, Software Engineering, Physics, or Data Science
Preferred
Experience building evaluation frameworks for AI systems and assessing capabilities in regulated or high-stakes contexts
Deep understanding of machine learning fundamentals—model evaluation, training, and fine-tuning—with a focus on production-ready deployments
History of deploying machine learning models to production, ideally in secure or cloud-based government environments
Expertise in writing developer documentation or maintaining SDKs for technical audiences, including government developers
Ability to work with massive datasets, optimize system performance, and scale solutions for high-throughput, mission-critical workloads
Familiarity with infrastructure-as-code tools like Pulumi or Terraform, particularly in secure or government-aligned deployments
Benefits
Competitive cash-based compensation
XAI equity
Private health and dental insurance
Unlimited time off subject to prior approval
Company
xAI
XAI is an artificial intelligence startup that develops AI solutions and tools to enhance reasoning and search capabilities.
11-50 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$42.73BKey Investors
Neptune Digital AssetsSpaceXMorgan Stanley
2026-01-06Series E· $20B
2025-12-11Secondary Market· $0.3M
2025-07-13Corporate Round· $5.32B
Leadership Team
Yuhuai Wu
Co-Founder
Toby Pohlen
Founding Member
Recent News
Company data provided by crunchbase