Founding AI Engineer

About the Role

Join the founding team of an AI-first consumer startup tackling one of Gen Z's most pressing challenges: loneliness. The company organizes AI-powered small-group in-person hangouts every week, helping thousands of young people build real friendships — no app, no swiping, no ghosting. AI agents handle the entire experience end-to-end: onboarding, profiling, matching, logistics, reminders, follow-ups, and continuous learning. The team is expanding rapidly across hundreds of university campuses across the United States.

As a Founding AI Engineer, you will be one of the earliest technical hires, working directly at the intersection of machine learning, social graph intelligence, and conversational AI agent infrastructure. This is a high-ownership, high-impact role for someone who thrives in fast-moving, ambiguous environments.

What You'll Do

AI Matching & Social Graphs

• Build a novel social graph grounded in real-world interaction data, processing millions of data points across a growing user base
• Design and iterate on group-matching algorithms that surface highly compatible friend groups
• Implement collaborative filtering, graph embeddings, and ranking systems to drive personalization
• Apply reinforcement learning from real-world outcomes to continuously improve match quality
• Discover patterns in social data that lead to meaningful, lasting friendships

Multi-Channel AI Agent Experiences

• Design and build AI agent workflows that operate natively across channels users already use (e.g., Instagram, iMessage, WhatsApp, TikTok)
• Orchestrate a suite of specialized AI agents handling distinct stages of the user journey
• Integrate third-party messaging APIs and services into a cohesive, reliable agent infrastructure
• Build scalable backend infrastructure to support AI workloads and multi-channel agent orchestration
• Craft human-AI interaction patterns that feel natural, effortless, and trustworthy

What We're Looking For

Required

• 0–4 years of hands-on experience building AI/ML systems in production, ideally in recommender or matching domains
• Proven ability to build large-scale AI systems processing millions of data points
• Strong proficiency in collaborative filtering, graph embeddings, and ranking systems
• Experience applying reinforcement learning from real-world feedback to personalization problems
• Experience designing AI agent experiences across multiple messaging channels and handling API integrations
• Ability to architect scalable infrastructure for AI workloads and agent orchestration
• Strong cross-functional communication skills; comfortable collaborating with product, design, and data science
• Founding mindset: you ship fast, own problems end-to-end, and thrive in ambiguity
• Must be eligible to work in the United States without visa sponsorship

Nice to Have

• Prior experience with social graph platforms or large-scale personalization systems
• Familiarity with multi-agent orchestration frameworks
• Background in consumer social or community-focused products

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary: $150,000 – $200,000 USD per year
• Equity: Meaningful founding equity package
• Competitive benefits commensurate with an early-stage, well-resourced team

Location

This is a fully on-site role based in San Francisco, California. The team works together in person. Visa sponsorship is not available; candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.