Senior AI Engineer

About Blank Metal

Blank Metal is an AI-native engineering company that partners with enterprises to deliver production AI fast. We blend strategic insight with hands-on execution, shipping high-impact systems that turn AI initiatives into measurable business results.

We're builders, not theorists. Our team of seasoned engineers, designers, and strategists work across industries to create AI applications that actually get used and make a difference.

The Role

You're a technical leader who shapes how Blank Metal approaches AI engineering. With experience designing, building, and shipping AI features that hold up under real‑world use, you combine deep technical expertise with mentorship and vision. You architect complex AI systems, make critical technical decisions, and elevate the entire team's capabilities.

What You'll Do

Lead the technical architecture and strategy for AI‑powered projects

Design scalable, production‑grade systems that handle real‑world complexity

Make critical decisions about tooling, frameworks, and architectural patterns

Own the quality and reliability of systems in production

Mentor and develop other engineers

Drive technical discussions and shape team standards

Keep up with emerging tools and techniques

Build observability and evaluation frameworks

Partner with product and client teams to translate business needs into technical solutions

Contribute to longer‑term technical vision and innovation

What We're Looking For

AI Architecture Expertise : Deep understanding of production AI systems design, scalability, and reliability

Production AI Leadership : Extensive hands-on experience building, deploying, and operating AI systems

System Design Mastery : Can architect complex AI integrations that scale, handle edge cases, and provide excellent observability

AI Tooling Depth : Expert knowledge of LLM APIs, vector databases, prompt engineering, agents, and emerging AI tools

Full-Stack Fluency : Advanced development skills across frontend, backend, and infrastructure

AI Observability & Evals : Experience building evaluation frameworks and monitoring for AI systems

Technical Leadership : You mentor others, set technical standards, and drive architectural decisions

Strategic Thinking : You connect technical decisions to business outcomes

Learning Mindset : You stay current with the rapidly evolving AI landscape

Required Experience

At least 5 years of professional software engineering experience, with a demonstrated ability to deliver production‑ready AI features that real users depend on

Proven record of shipping complex, mission‑critical software

Strong full‑stack and/or backend development skills applied to real projects

Experience designing and leading technically challenging work from concept through delivery

Shown ability to guide others, share knowledge, and influence technical direction

Nice to Have

Experience building RAG systems at scale

Deep experience with vector databases and semantic search

Background in AI observability, evaluation frameworks, or monitoring

Experience with agent-based architectures and agentic AI systems

Understanding of inference optimization and model serving

Previous mentorship or technical leadership roles

Contribution to AI-focused open source projects

Why You'll Love It Here

Build AI that ships: every project ends in a live deployment, not a slide deck

Craft meets velocity: we obsess over quality while delivering at startup speed

Outcome-driven model: our projects align with client success, not billable hours

AI-native culture: you'll work with peers who deeply understand modern AI's potential and limits

Real collaboration: open conversations, shared ownership, and space to bring your voice and creativity

What Success Looks Like

In your role, you'll:

Establish technical standards and best practices for AI engineering across the team

Lead the design of complex, large-scale AI systems that others will follow

Mentor engineers and accelerate their growth as AI builders

Ship high-impact AI projects that showcase innovation and quality

Become a thought leader on production AI within the organization

Build a culture of technical excellence and continuous learning

Help the company scale AI capabilities as it grows

Equal Opportunity

Blank Metal is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We welcome all backgrounds and perspectives. Diversity makes our work better and our team stronger.