Senior Systems Engineer - AI Training Environment Development

About The Company

Idler is at the forefront of developing innovative reinforcement learning environments designed to teach artificial intelligence models to code with a level of proficiency comparable to highly skilled engineers. Our cutting-edge training environments are rooted in real-world coding scenarios that frontier models are expected to encounter, ensuring practical and effective AI training. We have achieved significant milestones, including closing a multimillion-dollar contract with a leading foundation laboratory—the largest contract they've issued to date—highlighting our credibility and the impact of our solutions. As demand for our services continues to grow rapidly, we are scaling our team swiftly to meet the increasing need for advanced AI training environments. Our mission is to revolutionize how AI models learn to code, bridging the gap between current capabilities and expert-level proficiency, and we are committed to pushing the boundaries of AI training technology.

About The Role

We are seeking a highly skilled and innovative engineer to join our team in San Francisco. In this role, you will be instrumental in building agentic systems that generate and quality-assure coding environments at scale. Your primary responsibility will be designing robust, scalable systems that facilitate the creation of reinforcement learning environments tailored for AI training. A significant aspect of this role involves critical thinking about what constitutes a "good" and "fair" coding environment and task. This requires a blend of technical expertise, philosophical insight, and high agency to develop systems that meet rigorous standards of quality and fairness. You will work directly with AI researchers from leading frontier labs, gaining exposure to the latest advancements in AI and contributing to the development of next-generation training environments. As part of our small, dynamic team, you will have the opportunity to influence product development and expand our offerings beyond coding environments, supporting new product lines as we grow. This role is ideal for someone passionate about AI, systems engineering, and creating impactful solutions that shape the future of AI training.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or higher degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field.
• Proven experience in designing and developing scalable systems, preferably in AI or software training environments.
• Strong proficiency in TypeScript, React, NodeJS, and related web technologies.
• Experience with databases such as Postgres and Redis.
• Familiarity with cloud deployment platforms like Vercel or similar.
• Ability to think critically about system fairness, quality assurance, and ethical considerations in AI training.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
• Effective communication skills and the ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams, including AI researchers and engineers.
• Self-motivated with a proactive approach to innovation and continuous learning.
  
  

Responsibilities

• Design and develop scalable, reliable systems that generate reinforcement learning environments for AI training.
• Create automated quality assurance systems to validate environment quality, fairness, and robustness.
• Collaborate closely with AI researchers to understand the nuances of effective training data and environment design.
• Support the expansion into new product lines beyond coding environments, contributing to product development and innovation.
• Engage in critical analysis of environment design principles to ensure high standards of fairness and effectiveness.
• Participate in code reviews, system testing, and documentation to maintain high-quality development standards.
• Stay current with advancements in AI, reinforcement learning, and system engineering to incorporate best practices into our solutions.
  
  

Benefits

• Comprehensive healthcare coverage to support your well-being and that of your family.
• 401(k) retirement plan with company matching to help you plan for the future.
• Generous paid time off, including 15 days of PTO annually to promote work-life balance.
• Coverage of meals, coffee, and snacks during working days to keep you energized.
• Latest MacBook Pro and state-of-the-art equipment to facilitate your work.
• Relocation assistance to support your transition to San Francisco.
• Team offsites and social events to foster collaboration and camaraderie.
• Opportunity to work in a dynamic, fast-paced startup environment with a passionate team dedicated to innovation and excellence.
  
  

Equal Opportunity

Idler is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. We do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or any other protected status. We believe that a diverse team enhances our creativity, innovation, and overall success. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply, and we are dedicated to providing a supportive environment where everyone can thrive and contribute to our mission of transforming AI training environments.