Principal AI/ML Engineer - VC Backed Startups

Job Description

**Join SignalFire's Talent Network for Principal AI/ML Engineer Roles at VC-Backed Startups**
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**?? This is not an application for a specific job. Instead, this is a way to get on the radar of VC-backed startups that are actively hiring AI/ML talent. If you have any questions, please direct inquiries to [email protected].**

At **SignalFire** , we partner with **top early-stage startups** that are shaping the future of technology. Our ++portfolio++ spans 200 innovative companies across AI, cybersecurity, healthtech, fintech, developer tools, and enterprise SaaS.

We're looking to connect with exceptional **Principal AI/ML Engineers** who are excited about **driving AI strategy, advancing machine learning research, and scaling AI-powered systems** at high-growth startups. By joining SignalFire's Talent Network, your profile will be shared with our portfolio companies, giving you visibility into **exclusive early-stage opportunities** that may not be publicly listed.

**Who Should Join?**
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We're looking for AI/ML experts who are:

? Passionate about **developing and deploying cutting-edge machine learning and deep learning models** ? Experienced in **architecting scalable AI systems and leading technical teams** ? Excited to **push the boundaries of AI research and apply it to real-world business challenges**

**Typical Roles \& Responsibilities**
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* Architect, develop, and optimize **machine learning and deep learning models** for production systems

* Research and apply **state-of-the-art AI methodologies**, including LLMs, transformers, and reinforcement learning

* Lead AI strategy, **identifying opportunities for innovation and model optimization**

* Develop **scalable training and inference pipelines** for AI-powered applications

* Work closely with **engineering, data, and product teams** to integrate AI/ML into business solutions

* Optimize **ML models for efficiency, accuracy, and scalability** in real-world deployments

* Ensure **robust MLOps practices**, including model monitoring, retraining, and deployment automation

* Collaborate on **AI/ML research publications, patents, and open-source contributions**

**Common Qualifications**
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While each startup has its own hiring criteria, many **Principal AI/ML Engineer** roles in our network look for:

* **8 years of experience** in AI/ML, deep learning, or applied AI

* Expertise in **Python and ML frameworks** (TensorFlow, PyTorch, JAX, Hugging Face Transformers)

* Strong background in **computer vision, NLP, generative AI, or reinforcement learning**

* Experience developing **scalable AI pipelines, data processing workflows, and distributed training systems**

* Familiarity with **big data tools** (Apache Spark, Kafka, Hadoop) and **MLOps platforms** (MLflow, TFX, SageMaker)

* Deep understanding of **LLMs, transformer architectures, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines**

* Experience with **model quantization, fine-tuning, and optimization for performance**

* Strong knowledge of **cloud environments (AWS, GCP, Azure) and containerization tools (Docker, Kubernetes)**

* A track record of **technical leadership, mentoring, and driving AI innovation**

?? **Technologies You Might Work With:**
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* **Languages \& Frameworks:** Python, TensorFlow, PyTorch, JAX, Hugging Face Transformers

* **MLOps \& Data Pipelines:** MLflow, Kubeflow, TFX, Apache Spark, Airflow, Ray

* **Cloud \& Deployment:** AWS SageMaker, GCP Vertex AI, Azure ML, Kubernetes, Docker

* **Big Data \& Storage:** Apache Kafka, Hadoop, BigQuery, Snowflake, Redis, NoSQL databases

* **Model Optimization:** ONNX, TensorRT, pruning, quantization, distillation

**What Happens Next?**
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1. Submit your application to join SignalFire's Talent Ecosystem.

2. We review applications on an ongoing basis to identify strong candidates.

3. If there's a match, a SignalFire talent partner or a leader from one of our startups may reach out directly.

4. No match yet? We'll keep your profile on file for future AI/ML roles in our portfolio.