Applied AI Engineer

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in New York.

📋 Description

• Oversee the complete deployment of AI systems within program settings, from initial scoping and setup to live implementation.

• Tailor systems to fit local contexts, encompassing language, cultural nuances, and operational realities.

• Set up prompts, workflows, and AI system behaviors, including conversation flows, instructional logic, and user experience.

• Curate, organize, and verify domain-specific knowledge bases, including system memory and personalization strategies to enhance relevance and continuity.

• Ensure systems embody real-world humanitarian knowledge that may be absent from training data.

• Manage multiple simultaneous software deployments.

• Test AI systems in real-world scenarios to identify potential failure modes prior to scaling.

• Employ an agile, iterative methodology, quickly building, testing, and refining systems based on real-world feedback, while exercising sound judgment on when to iterate versus escalate or reconsider the approach.

• Conduct safety validations and red teaming to uncover risks, harms, and unintended consequences, ensuring responsible and ethical AI deployment in sensitive contexts.

• Troubleshoot technical and operational challenges, even in low-connectivity environments.

• Gather and analyze user and community feedback regarding usability, relevance, and performance.

• Escalate systemic issues and collaborate with engineering teams for solutions and enhancements.

• Define and monitor success metrics to assess system performance, user engagement, and real-world impact over time.

• Train field teams on the deployment of systems and facilitate structured handovers to ensure adoption and sustained usage.

• Document deployment processes, configurations, and lessons learned to build institutional knowledge and aid in replication.

• Collaborate closely with AI engineers and technical teams to translate field insights into system enhancements.

• Work with program teams and partners to ensure deployments align with strategic priorities.

• Serve as the primary liaison between field teams and technical development during the deployment phase.

• Support the scoping and technical input for proposals and cost recovery opportunities where deployment capacity is a consideration.

• Ensure solutions are incorporated into workflows in a manner that is practical, adopted, and maintained.

• Contribute to collective learning across deployments to enhance future implementations.

• Identify patterns across deployments and translate them into reusable frameworks and best practices to improve the speed and quality of future implementations.

• Contribute to product design and system enhancements by translating field insights into system requirements, feature priorities, and roadmap contributions.

⛳️ Requirements

• 3–5+ years of experience in software engineering, technical implementation, or related fields.

• Proficient in JavaScript/TypeScript and modern web development practices; familiarity with Python or similar scripting languages is a plus.

• Experience deploying and iterating on LLM-based applications in real-world conditions.

• Previous experience with communications or messaging platforms (e.g., Zendesk, WhatsApp, Telegram) is preferred.

• Experience integrating AI systems with third-party platforms and business tools (e.g., CRMs, messaging platforms, APIs), with knowledge of common integration patterns, authentication methods, and data flow considerations.

• Proficient with AI-assisted development tools (e.g., Cursor, Claude Code) and a clear understanding of their limitations and potential failure modes.

• Strong problem-solving abilities, with a talent for converting real-world challenges into technical solutions.

• Experience working in low-resource, high-complexity, or field-based environments.

• Capable of operating in ambiguous situations and establishing structure where none exists.

• Comprehensive understanding of AI system behavior in practice, including limitations and potential failure modes.

• Ability to collaborate with both technical and non-technical teams and facilitate effective communication between them.

• Experience training non-technical users and managing system handovers.

• Background in humanitarian, development, or nonprofit sectors is strongly preferred.

• Familiarity with East or Central Africa contexts is preferred.

• Fluency in English is required; additional regional language skills are preferred.

🏝️ Benefits

• 10 sick days

• 10 US holidays

• 20-25 paid time off days based on role and tenure

• Medical insurance starting at $163 per month

• Dental coverage starting at $6.50 per month

• Vision coverage starting at $5 per month

• Flexible Spending Account for healthcare and commuting expenses

• A 403b retirement savings plan with immediate vested matching

• Disability and life insurance

• Employee Assistance Program available for staff and their families to provide counseling and care during crises and mental health challenges