Founding AI Engineer

Founding AI Engineer Salary: $160,000 – $230,000 + Equity Location: Remote (USA) The Opportunity Our client is the first fully integrated real estate ERP system, dedicated to unlocking siloed data to power advanced AI applications and workflow automation. Having recently secured a high-impact government contract with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) , they are seeking a founding AI Engineer for this initiative to help low-income families access housing through cutting-edge technology. The Role This is a high-visibility, hybrid role designed for an engineer who thrives in a startup environment. While your primary focus will be architecting production-grade AI systems (RAG, agents, and pipelines), you will leverage your deep backend expertise to contribute across the stack. You will be the first engineer hired for this specific government initiative, working closely with a tight-knit team to bridge the gap between commercial innovation and federal impact. What You’ll Be Doing Architect & Deploy: Build production-grade AI systems, including RAG architectures and agentic pipelines, specifically tailored for HUD initiatives. Full-Stack Contribution: Maintain and scale backend infrastructure using Java and AWS , stepping in on backend tasks to ensure seamless integration. Collaboration: Work alongside Product and Compliance teams to ensure all AI solutions meet rigorous federal security and responsible AI standards. Scale Capabilities: Partner with existing AI leadership to expand the platform's capabilities across both government and commercial sectors. Strategic Travel: Occasionally travel to Washington, D.C. (a few times per year) for high-level government meetings and briefings. What You Bring AI/ML Expertise: 5+ years of hands-on experience building and deploying AI/ML models (beyond simple API wrappers). Backend Mastery: 5–8 years of professional experience in backend engineering , specifically with Java and AWS . Mission-Driven Mindset: A desire to work on technology that provides tangible social good for low-income families. Startup Grit: Comfort with a ~50-hour work week and the fast-paced nature of a venture-backed (Global Founders Capital, LeFrak) startup. Citizenship: Must be a US Citizen due to the requirements of the HUD government contract. Why Join? Impact: Your work directly helps families navigate and secure housing through federal programs. Ownership: Be the "first on the ground" for a massive new project with significant autonomy. Stability & Growth: Backed by $7M in seed funding with a proven product in the enterprise real estate space.