Staff AI Engineer

Robots & Pencils is seeking a Staff AI Engineer to lead the design and delivery of AI/ML systems. This role involves owning architectural decisions, driving solutions from research through production, and mentoring junior engineers while shaping AI strategy in collaboration with cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the design and implementation of complex ML/AI systems end-to-end, owning architecture decisions and driving solutions from research through production at scale
• Build and evolve scalable ML platforms, pipelines, and infrastructure that support reliable, repeatable model development and deployment across teams
• Set the standard for AI-forward engineering, using tools like Claude and Cursor with sophistication and helping the team adopt them effectively
• Partner with product, engineering, and leadership to shape AI strategy and align technical direction with business outcomes
• Translate complex AI tradeoffs, risks, and opportunities into clear narratives that drive decision-making across technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Lead design reviews and technical discussions, raising the bar for engineering rigor and constructive challenge across the team
• Define AI architecture and engineering standards, bringing depth on tradeoffs, long-term implications, and responsible AI practices
• Mentor and grow junior and mid-level engineers, multiplying impact through coaching, code reviews, and pairing on hard problems
• Take ownership of the most ambiguous and highest-stakes pieces of work, driving them through to production with care for reliability, cost, and safety