Member Of Technical Staff (Software Engineer, Applied AI)
Perplexity is looking for an Applied AI Engineer to design, build, and iterate on cutting-edge agents powering our core experience in Perplexity Computer. Working in this mission critical team, you will develop frontier context layer applications - fulfilling the curiosity of millions of users across the globe.
What this role actually needs.
Perplexity is looking for an Applied AI Engineer to design, build, and iterate on cutting-edge agents powering our core experience in Perplexity Computer. Working in this mission critical team, you will develop frontier context layer applications - fulfilling the curiosity of millions of users across the globe. Responsibilities: - Apply state-of-the-art ML and LLM techniques to solve problems spanning: Personalization (LLM memory, context summarization, retrieval and ranking); - Contextual recommendations and Monetization applications - Build frontier agent capabilities on top of Perplexity Computer - Build auto research harness for both offline and online techniques, designing experiments and metrics that provide deep insight into quality and impact. - Own the entire model lifecycle from research to production: data analysis, modeling, evaluation, offline/online A/B testing, and iterative improvement and build autonomous harness for agent squad to explore different problem spaces. - Collaborate cross-functionally with engineers, PMs, data scientists, and designers to ensure our AI drives meaningful product improvements. Requirements: - 5+ years experience building and shipping robust AI products for large-scale, user-facing or data-driven products. - Strong software engineering skills (Python, production-quality codebases, collaborative development) and experience using agentic coding tools for large scale parallel developments. - In-depth experience with the full AI lifecycle: data analysis, rigorous evaluation, and ongoing monitoring/improvement. - Proven collaborator and communicator; excels in high-velocity, cross-functional teams. - Curious, driven by end-user/product impact, and passionate about advancing the state of applied ML and AI. - BS, MS, or PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience). Company context: Perplexity is an answer engine — an AI-native search product used by millions of professionals daily.
Day-to-day expectations
Perplexity lists these responsibilities for the Member Of Technical Staff (Software Engineer, Applied AI) role.
- Apply state-of-the-art ML and LLM techniques to solve problems spanning: Personalization (LLM memory, context summarization, retrieval and ranking);
- Contextual recommendations and Monetization applications
- Build frontier agent capabilities on top of Perplexity Computer
- Build auto research harness for both offline and online techniques, designing experiments and metrics that provide deep insight into quality and impact.
- Own the entire model lifecycle from research to production: data analysis, modeling, evaluation, offline/online A/B testing, and iterative improvement and build autonomous harness for agent squad to explore different problem spaces.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with engineers, PMs, data scientists, and designers to ensure our AI drives meaningful product improvements.
What a strong candidate brings
These requirements are extracted from the source listing and normalized for UpJobz readers.
- 5+ years experience building and shipping robust AI products for large-scale, user-facing or data-driven products.
- Strong software engineering skills (Python, production-quality codebases, collaborative development) and experience using agentic coding tools for large scale parallel developments.
- In-depth experience with the full AI lifecycle: data analysis, rigorous evaluation, and ongoing monitoring/improvement.
- Proven collaborator and communicator; excels in high-velocity, cross-functional teams.
- Curious, driven by end-user/product impact, and passionate about advancing the state of applied ML and AI.
- BS, MS, or PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience).
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Member Of Technical Staff (Software Engineer, Applied AI) is framed against UpJobz source checks, country scope, compensation visibility, and work-authorization signals so candidates can make a faster go/no-go decision.
United States tech market
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$220K - $405K is visible before the click, so candidates can compare the role against local market expectations before applying.
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On-site roles in San Francisco should be compared against commute, local salary bands, and nearby employer demand.
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Source: jobs.ashbyhq.com · Source ID: 3c656963-876a-458d-bca6-916a42a24c1a · Confidence: 94/100 · Last checked: May 7, 2026
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