Founding Applied AI Engineer
Role Overview
This senior-level role involves designing and shipping real-world AI systems, such as recommendation and booking flows, RAG systems, and preference engines, to personalize and automate services for a luxury concierge platform. As a founding applied AI engineer, you'll work in a small, high-performing team of around 35 people, focusing on building user-facing AI products that impact luxury travel, dining, and payments. Your responsibilities include integrating LLMs, optimizing low-latency systems, and collaborating closely with product, design, and operations to drive innovation.
Perks & Benefits
The role offers a competitive salary and meaningful equity, with the opportunity to have real impact in an early-stage, well-funded company with no bureaucracy. While remote-friendly, it requires in-person collaboration in the San Francisco office at least three days a week, implying a hybrid setup with expectations for Pacific Time Zone availability. You'll join a creative, high-caliber team from top companies, working on fun, meaningful problems in luxury travel and payments, with potential for career growth in a fast-moving environment.
Full Job Description
About Atlas
Atlas is the concierge and credit card built for those who expect more — unlocking coveted access across dining, travel, and lifestyle while making spending seamless and effortless.
Our members are discerning, busy individuals who rely on Atlas to deliver insider access, curated service, and unmatched reliability.
In just 12 months, we've scaled to over $X00,000,000 in spending volume, growing double digits month-over-month — organically, without paid marketing.
We're backed by world-class investors and have multiple years of runway ahead. Our team brings deep experience from building and scaling iconic products at companies like Apple, Robinhood, and DoorDash.
Today, we're a small, high-performing team of around 35 people based between New York and San Francisco. We value in-person collaboration and expect you to join us in our SF office (FiDi) at least three days a week.
The Role
We’re looking for an applied AI engineer to help us build the next generation of Atlas — starting with an AI-powered travel and hotel concierge used by some of the most influential people in the world.
You’ll design and ship real-world AI systems that personalize recommendations, automate complex requests, and rethink how payments, dining, and travel can work at the highest level.
This is a rare opportunity to work on meaningful, user-facing AI products inside a small, world-class team.
What You'll Build
AI recommendation and booking flows (hotels, dining, flights)
Retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems for dynamic hotel and travel searches
Preference engines that learn and evolve from member interactions
Lightweight AI orchestration layers integrated with Zendesk, Slack, and our internal tools
What We’re Looking For
We believe determined and passionate people can adapt to any tech stack. Ideally, you have:
5+ years experience developing software in modern environments (Python, Node.js, Go, or similar)
3+ years experience deploying and scaling cloud-based applications (AWS, GCP, or similar)
Deep experience integrating LLMs (OpenAI, Anthropic, Hugging Face) and building production AI systems
Knowledge of retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), embeddings, and vector search (Pinecone, FAISS, or similar)
Solid understanding of database design (Postgres, Redis, vector DBs)
Strong optimization skills, especially for low-latency, high-availability systems
Product instincts — you think about the end experience, not just the technical specs
Collaboration skills and a desire to work tightly with product, design, and operations
Why You’ll Love Working Here
Real impact: You’ll help define how AI changes luxury travel, payments, and experiences for the most discerning customers in the world.
Early stage, no bureaucracy: We’re lean, well funded, growing fast, and moving faster.
Creative, high-caliber teammates: Our team comes from places like Shopify, Apple, Y Combinator startups — but what matters most here is what you build.
Solid compensation: Competitive salary and meaningful equity — you’re helping build the foundation of Atlas.
Fun problem space: Every day involves designing tech that makes luxury travel, dining, and payments feel seamless.
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