AI Engineer

AI Engineer Makai Labs Los Angeles, CA Job Details Contract $115,000 - $130,000 a year 1 day ago Benefits Health insurance Paid time off 401(k) matching Qualifications Computer science Computer Science Research Mid-level JavaScript frameworks Docker Back-end development Prototype creation Implementing APIs OCR Benchmarking Flask AI TypeScript Prototypes Full Job Description AI Engineer Who we are Makai Labs builds software that automates entire companies. We work across a diversified portfolio, which means our systems touch a wide range of domains, processes, and operational constraints. Our engineering team is small, senior, and high-output. We move fast, hold high standards, and trust each other to take ownership without being managed. What we're looking for Makai Labs is hiring a AI Engineer to help build AI systems for enterprise automation. This is a hands-on builder role where you'll work closely with our engineering and design teams to prototype, ship, and improve AI-powered products and internal tools. You'll have the opportunity to own smaller projects end to end while contributing to larger client and platform initiatives. Responsibilities will include Build and improve AI-powered applications and internal tools Rapidly prototype, experiment, and iterate across client and internal projects Implement workflows that use LLMs, retrieval systems, agents, and structured outputs Contribute to shared platform work and reusable tooling Turn prototypes into reliable, client-ready systems Conduct research, benchmarking, testing, and evaluation of new approaches Own smaller projects or sub-projects with guidance from the team Take ownership of deliverables and help deliver work that meets client needs Write and maintain clear internal documentation Ideal Experience Senior in college, recent graduate, or early-career engineer Background in computer science (bonus if you also have business exposure) Experience building AI applications through internships, coursework, research, or personal projects Experience running AI experiments and iterating quickly Strong Python skills What we value Initiative and willingness to learn quickly on the job Bias toward action and comfort with fast iteration Interest in staying current with AI advancements and applying them in practical systems Wants to solve hard problems Nice To Haves Experience with APIs, backend services, or workflow automation Familiarity with FastAPI, Flask, or similar backend frameworks Familiarity with React and TypeScript Familiarity with Docker and local development environments Familiarity with testing in Python or TypeScript Experience working with retrieval systems, embeddings, or search Experience working with OCR, document processing, or PDF workflows Experience with fine-tuning, benchmarking, or serving LLMs Experience in fast-paced, high-accountability team settings Core values for Makai employees Have a strong work ethic Be self-sufficient and self-driven with an ownership mentality, no matter your role Be a flexible thinker Be congenial and a team player Always be of service to each other and our clients, partners, and neighbors Benefits Fully remote role, Eastern time zone Opportunities to work in-person with local colleagues Generous PTO Full health insurance premium reimbursement 401(k) matching Career growth & development opportunities

Compensation Range:

$115K - $130K