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Senior Applied AI Engineer

Gradient Search is partnering with a confidential client of Gradient Search on a confidential search.

RemoteRemoteFull-time

About the opportunity

We're hiring: Lead AI Engineer | 100% Remote

We're recruiting for a Lead AI Engineer to join an established, highly profitable industrial services company that's investing heavily in AI and internal software development.

This is a fully remote opportunity for a hands-on engineer who wants to own the technical direction of a company's AI initiatives, build production-ready applications, and eventually grow an engineering team.

You'll work directly with the CEO and CFO to modernize the company's internal systems, replace expensive third-party software, and develop AI-enabled solutions that have a direct impact on the business.

What you'll be working on:

  • Replacing a Salesforce-based CRM and invoicing platform with a custom-built solution.
  • Automating financial workflows and the monthly close process.
  • Building an internal inventory management system.
  • Developing AI-powered applications and automating business processes across the organization.

This is not a traditional management position or a role focused exclusively on training machine learning models. We're looking for a builder who can own the entire development lifecycle, from architecture through deployment.

Compensation & benefits:

💰 ~$200K base salary + 20% annual bonus

🏠 100% remote, with daily overlap with a North American team

🌴 160 hours of PTO

📈 401(k) with company match

🏥 Healthcare and additional benefits

The company is well-established, financially strong, and committed to bringing its AI engineering capabilities in-house for the long term.


Required qualifications

  • Strong software engineering fundamentals and experience building production applications.
  • Hands-on experience with LLMs, RAG, AI agents, and AI-assisted development tools.
  • Proficiency in Python, SQL, APIs, databases, and systems integration.
  • Ability to translate business requirements into well-architected, maintainable software.
  • Someone who enjoys building, can operate independently, and has the potential to lead a team as the company grows.

    • About Gradient Search

    Gradient Search is a technical recruiting firm working with companies building ambitious products across defense, aerospace, AI, robotics, autonomy, advanced manufacturing, and frontier technology. We work as an extension of our clients’ teams to find people who can do the work, not just talk about it.

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