Founding ML Engineer / Series A / NYC / $250k + Founding Equity
Open Talent, New York, NY, United States
Founding AI/ML Engineer (Production) - NYC - $250k-$500k+ + Founding Equity
We’re hiring for one of NYC’s top 10 robotics startups. If you’re an elite engineer looking to join an A squad-builders from SpaceX, Palantir, Google & Anduril - this is where you want to be.
Most AI roles are currently focused on generating pixels or text. This team are using LLMs to command multi-ton autonomous machines.
Must be based in NYC & role requires US citizenship due to regulatory constraints.
We need a
Founding AI/ML Engineer
to build the production intelligence layer for autonomous heavy machinery. This isn't a research lab. We have real robots, real customers, and systems operating in the field 24/7. Your work won't just generate tokens; it will drive physical outcomes.
The Work This is a 100% production role focused on critical AI infrastructure. You are responsible for the intelligence that allows multi-ton machines to act on complex environments.
Production LLMs:
Fine-tuning and deploying models that handle mission-critical operational logic.
Systems & Infra:
Building the RAG pipelines and data flywheels that power our fleet’s intelligence.
Evals & Determinism:
Designing evaluation frameworks to ensure model outputs are safe and reliable enough for heavy hardware.
Problem Solving:
Moving from raw telemetry to deployed models. You own the pipeline, the tuning, and the performance in the field.
The Team You’ll be joining a high-density team from
SpaceX, Palantir, and Anduril . We’ve stripped away the typical corporate friction -no bloated meetings or research for the sake of research. We hire for high agency and low ego. As a founding hire, you aren't just training models; you’re architecting the intelligence of the company.
What we're looking for We want high-signal builders who are bored with "wrapper" apps and want to solve hard problems grounded in physics.
Production Grit:
You’ve shipped ML systems at scale. You care about inference latency and reliability more than "vibe checks."
LLM Mastery:
Deep experience with fine-tuning, RAG, and prompt engineering in high-stakes environments.
Systems Thinker:
You understand the full stack. You know how to optimize models to run efficiently and how to build the infra that supports them.
High-Bar Pedigree:
You’ve worked in environments where the standard for "production-ready" is exceptionally high.
Stack & Comp
Location:
NYC (Manhattan) - On-site/Hybrid.
Comp:
$250k - $500k+ base +
Founding Member Equity .
The Process 1 Week & 0 Take-Homes
We move as fast as we ship. We can go from first touch to offer in one week:
(Founders) Technical Deep Dive:
A conversation about the most complex AI system you’ve actually shipped.
(Team) Practical Pairing:
Solving a real-world production ML or data infra problem together.
No Leetcode.
(Exec) Founding Team Chat:
A focus on judgment, trade-offs & vision.
If you’re ready to put AI into the physical world, let’s talk.
TL;DR
Focus:
Fine-tuning, Evals, and RAG for Robotics
Team:
Ex-SpaceX, Palantir, Anduril, Google
Comp:
$250k - $500k+ base + Founding Equity
Process:
1 week. 3 rounds.
We’re hiring for an Equal Opportunity Employer.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
We’re hiring for one of NYC’s top 10 robotics startups. If you’re an elite engineer looking to join an A squad-builders from SpaceX, Palantir, Google & Anduril - this is where you want to be.
Most AI roles are currently focused on generating pixels or text. This team are using LLMs to command multi-ton autonomous machines.
Must be based in NYC & role requires US citizenship due to regulatory constraints.
We need a
Founding AI/ML Engineer
to build the production intelligence layer for autonomous heavy machinery. This isn't a research lab. We have real robots, real customers, and systems operating in the field 24/7. Your work won't just generate tokens; it will drive physical outcomes.
The Work This is a 100% production role focused on critical AI infrastructure. You are responsible for the intelligence that allows multi-ton machines to act on complex environments.
Production LLMs:
Fine-tuning and deploying models that handle mission-critical operational logic.
Systems & Infra:
Building the RAG pipelines and data flywheels that power our fleet’s intelligence.
Evals & Determinism:
Designing evaluation frameworks to ensure model outputs are safe and reliable enough for heavy hardware.
Problem Solving:
Moving from raw telemetry to deployed models. You own the pipeline, the tuning, and the performance in the field.
The Team You’ll be joining a high-density team from
SpaceX, Palantir, and Anduril . We’ve stripped away the typical corporate friction -no bloated meetings or research for the sake of research. We hire for high agency and low ego. As a founding hire, you aren't just training models; you’re architecting the intelligence of the company.
What we're looking for We want high-signal builders who are bored with "wrapper" apps and want to solve hard problems grounded in physics.
Production Grit:
You’ve shipped ML systems at scale. You care about inference latency and reliability more than "vibe checks."
LLM Mastery:
Deep experience with fine-tuning, RAG, and prompt engineering in high-stakes environments.
Systems Thinker:
You understand the full stack. You know how to optimize models to run efficiently and how to build the infra that supports them.
High-Bar Pedigree:
You’ve worked in environments where the standard for "production-ready" is exceptionally high.
Stack & Comp
Location:
NYC (Manhattan) - On-site/Hybrid.
Comp:
$250k - $500k+ base +
Founding Member Equity .
The Process 1 Week & 0 Take-Homes
We move as fast as we ship. We can go from first touch to offer in one week:
(Founders) Technical Deep Dive:
A conversation about the most complex AI system you’ve actually shipped.
(Team) Practical Pairing:
Solving a real-world production ML or data infra problem together.
No Leetcode.
(Exec) Founding Team Chat:
A focus on judgment, trade-offs & vision.
If you’re ready to put AI into the physical world, let’s talk.
TL;DR
Focus:
Fine-tuning, Evals, and RAG for Robotics
Team:
Ex-SpaceX, Palantir, Anduril, Google
Comp:
$250k - $500k+ base + Founding Equity
Process:
1 week. 3 rounds.
We’re hiring for an Equal Opportunity Employer.
#J-18808-Ljbffr