AI Software Engineer, Systems

About Nexus

Nexus is innovating at the intersection of artificial intelligence, blockchain, and zero-knowledge cryptography to build a Layer 1 for the AI era. Our team of world-leading experts is developing the Nexus Layer 1 blockchain, Nexus zkVM, and other breakthrough products with the goal of creating a verifiable world.

Nexus has raised $25M in Series A funding from Lightspeed, Pantera, Dragonfly, SV Angel, and more.

We are headquartered in San Francisco, and this role will be an in-person, hybrid role with the rest of the Nexus team.

AI Software Engineer, Systems
At our fast-growing startup, we’re on a mission to harness AI to solve real-world problems and delight our users. As an AI Software Engineer (Systems), you'll design and optimize the backbone of our AI-powered products — making sure they're robust, scalable, and blazing fast. You’ll join a mission-driven, fast-paced team that values innovation, collaboration, and a sense of humor while tackling cutting-edge challenges.

Responsibilities

• Design & build the core systems and services that power our AI products, ensuring they are scalable, secure, and highly performant.

• Develop and optimize machine learning pipelines (from data ingestion to training and real-time inference) to deliver AI features quickly and reliably.

• Integrate new machine learning models into production applications, working closely with ML engineers to turn prototypes into rock-solid services.

• Monitor and improve system performance and reliability in production – you'll debug issues, tweak performance, and ensure our infrastructure can grow with our user base.

• Collaborate with a small, cross-functional team (ML engineers, data scientists, product managers) to brainstorm ideas, plan projects, and rapidly ship new features.

• Rapidly prototype new ideas and experiments to push the boundaries of our AI capabilities – we love quick iterations and learning by doing.

• Maintain quality: Write clean, maintainable code with proper tests, and participate in code reviews to keep our codebase top-notch.
  

Responsibilities

• 3+ years of hands-on software development experience, with a focus on building and scaling backend systems (bonus if some of that is with AI or data-intensive applications).

• Strong coding skills in Python, C++, or similar languages, and solid computer science fundamentals (data structures, algorithms, etc.).

• Experience with AI/ML: Familiarity with machine learning frameworks (e.g. PyTorch, TensorFlow) and a good understanding of how ML models work.

• Cloud & DevOps savvy: Experience deploying applications on cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, etc.) and using containers/orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes) to build scalable systems.

• Problem-solving chops: Excellent debugging and problem-solving skills – you enjoy digging into complex systems to figure out how things work (and how to make them better).

• Adaptability: Comfortable working in a fast-paced, agile environment. You pick up new technologies quickly and aren't afraid of the unknown.

• Team player attitude: Great communication skills and a collaborative spirit. You enjoy working with others and sharing knowledge in a supportive, no-ego team.

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field (or equivalent practical experience).

• Embrace AI as a core part of how you work, think, and build.
  

Bonus Points

• Deep learning extras: Experience with GPU programming (CUDA) or optimizing model inference (we’ll be impressed if you can squeeze out extra speed from our models!).

• MLOps tools: Familiarity with tools like Kubeflow, MLflow, or other MLOps/DevOps pipelines to automate and streamline ML workflows.

• Open-source contributions: You've contributed to open-source AI projects or have cool personal projects in AI/ML that you’re proud to share.

• Ever-curious mindset: You stay up-to-date with the latest AI research and love tinkering with new models and technologies just for fun.
  

Benefits

• Competitive salary and generous equity compensation

• Health insurance for employees and their dependents

• Daily lunch and dinner provided at SF headquarters

• Company-paid travel to events and conferences

Nexus is committed to diversity in our workforce and is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer (EEO).