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Backend Engineer - Product Safety Tooling

San Francisco & Palo Alto, CA

About xAI

xAI’s mission is to create AI systems that can accurately understand the universe and aid humanity in its pursuit of knowledge.

Our team is small, highly motivated, and focused on engineering excellence. This organization is for individuals who appreciate challenging themselves and thrive on curiosity.

We operate with a flat organizational structure. All employees are expected to be hands-on and to contribute directly to the company’s mission. Leadership is given to those who show initiative and consistently deliver excellence. Work ethic and strong prioritization skills are important.

All engineers and researchers are expected to have strong communication skills. They should be able to concisely and accurately share knowledge with their teammates.

About the Role

As a Tooling Engineer on our Product Safety team, you’ll design and build internal systems to support data collection, compliance, and safety for our AI products. Your work will ensure responsible and efficient operations, delivering delightful user experiences at scale for millions worldwide.

What You’ll Do

  • Develop systems to enhance data collection, compliance, and safety processes.
  • Create scalable solutions to support the Product Safety team’s goals.
  • Collaborate with engineers and AI experts to integrate with existing workflows.
  • Drive projects from concept to deployment with efficiency and precision.

Who You Are

  • A creative problem-solver eager to build impactful solutions.
  • Experienced in designing scalable, reliable systems for internal use.
  • Passionate about AI safety and operational efficiency.
  • (Strong plus) Background in data collection, compliance, or safety systems.
  • (Strong plus) Familiar with DevOps practices or CI/CD workflows.

Tech Stack

  • Python (required)
  • Rust or Scala (strongly preferred)
  • RESTful APIs, microservices architecture
  • Docker and containerization tools
  • SQL/NoSQL databases
  • Major cloud service providers (CSPs) or on-prem environments

Interview Process

After submitting your application, the team reviews your CV and statement of exceptional work. If your application passes this stage, you will be invited to a 15-minute phone screening with a member of the team. If you clear that interview, you will enter the main process, which consists of four steps:

  1. Coding in Python Round 1.
  2. Coding in Python Round 2.
  3. Coding in Python & System Design
  4. Meet & Greet with the wider team.

Our goal is to finish the main process within one week. There will be at least one in-person interview.

Annual Salary Range

$180,000 - $440,000 USD

xAI is an equal opportunity employer and does not unlawfully discriminate based on race, color, religion, ethnicity, ancestry, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, medical conditions, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, or any other applicable legally protected characteristics. 

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the California Fair Chance Act. 

For Los Angeles County (unincorporated) Candidates:

xAI reasonably believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship on the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment: 

  • Access to information technology systems and confidential information, including proprietary and trade secret information, and/or user data;
  • Interacting with internal and/or external clients and colleagues; and
  • Exercising sound judgment.

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