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Senior Software Engineer, AI

180k – 220kSan Francisco, CAHybrid5+ YOE
Summary

Lead design and delivery of high-priority AI initiatives across multiple codebases. Build and ship AI-powered features with strong backend fundamentals and product sense.

About the role

What You’ll Do

  • Lead the design and delivery of high-priority AI initiatives across Ironclad, from early prototype through production launch.
  • Rapidly ramp into new systems, codebases, and problem areas, and drive execution with minimal hand-holding.
  • Incubate new product ideas in areas such as contract AI, agentic workflows, intelligent extraction, search, and automation.
  • Partner closely with product, design, legal domain experts, and go-to-market teams to turn customer needs into shipped product.
  • Raise the engineering bar through strong technical judgment, crisp execution, and pragmatic use of AI-assisted development tools.
  • Identify organizational or technical bottlenecks and help close them, whether by building, debugging, simplifying, or unblocking teams.
  • Mentor other engineers through hands-on leadership, code reviews, technical direction, and example-setting.
  • Help shape how Ironclad builds with modern AI systems, including evals, orchestration, prompting, retrieval, and production quality standards.

What We’re Looking For

Execution

  • Ability to build and ship production software in fast-paced environments.
  • Ability to lead ambiguous, cross-functional efforts and turning them into concrete outcomes.
  • High agency and ownership: you see gaps, form a point of view, and drive things forward.
  • Strong bias to action, with the ability to balance speed and quality.
  • Excellent collaboration skills and low ego; you work well by influence, not just authority.

Technical Strength

  • Strong software engineering fundamentals, especially in backend systems and distributed systems.
  • Ability to learn unfamiliar systems quickly and be productive in codebases you did not originally build.
  • Experience building AI-powered product features, platforms, or internal developer systems.
  • Familiarity with modern LLM application patterns such as agentic workflows, retrieval, evals, tool use, and quality/error analysis.
  • Comfort using AI coding tools to accelerate development, while maintaining engineering rigor and sound judgment.

Product Mindset

  • Strong product instinct and customer empathy.
  • You care not just about whether a system works, but whether it solves an important user problem.
  • Excitement about iterating quickly, learning from real usage, and improving product quality over time.

Tech Stack

Our stack includes TypeScript, React, Node.js, and cloud-native infrastructure. Experience with the exact stack is less important than your ability to learn quickly, operate across systems, and ship high-quality work.

Success Looks Like

  • Help launch meaningful new AI capabilities faster.
  • Unblock important initiatives across teams.
  • Elevate execution quality wherever you engage.
  • Become a trusted technical leader for high-priority, cross-cutting work.
  • Help Ironclad build durable advantage in contract AI.

Benefits

  • 100% health coverage for employees (medical, dental, and vision), and 75% coverage for dependents with buy-up plan options available.
  • Market-leading leave policies, including gender-neutral parental leave and compassionate leave.
  • Family forming support through Maven for you and your partner.
  • Paid time off - take the time you need, when you need it.
  • Monthly stipends for wellbeing, hybrid work, and (if applicable) cell phone use.
  • Mental health support through Modern Health, including therapy, coaching, and digital tools.
  • Pre-tax commuter benefits (US Employees).
  • 401(k) plan with Fidelity with employer match (US Employees).
  • Regular team events to connect, recharge, and have fun.
Skills
TypeScriptReactNode.jsBackend SystemsDistributed SystemsLLM Application PatternsAgentic WorkflowsRetrievalEvalsAI Coding Tools
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