AI Researcher - Orchestration & Agentic AI
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Founding AI Engineer (LLMs / Agents) | Austin, TX
If you’ve been waiting for a chance to build something from zero...not just tweak models or ship features, this is that role.
We’re working with an early-stage startup hiring a Founding AI Engineer to own the core AI architecture behind a new product. You’ll operate at the intersection of LLMs, agentic systems, and real-world application, with direct influence on what gets built and how.
What You’ll Actually Do
- Architect and build LLM-powered systems (RAG, agents, orchestration)
- Take ideas from 0 ? prototype ? production
- Design AI that people actually use (not just demos)
- Evaluate new models/tools and implement what works
- Work side-by-side with a small, highly technical team
- 2–5 years building with modern AI/ML (not just theory)
- Hands-on experience with LLMs (prompting, fine-tuning, RAG)
- Experience with agents, workflows, or multi-step reasoning systems
- Strong Python + comfort shipping real systems
- Builder mindset — you move fast and figure things out
- True founding role — real ownership, not title inflation
- Direct impact on product and architecture from day one
- No layers, no bureaucracy — just building
- Massive upside as the company scales