Engineering Lead, AI Email Applications

Next Step Systems - National IT Recruiting Firm

. Own application engineering strategy and execution across backend, mobile, and desktop .

Posted 9/22/2026full-timeRemote • California • United StatesSenior💰 $170,000 - $190,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in leading application engineering strategies and executing complex systems, particularly in AI-powered product development. Proficient in building reliable, observable, and scalable backend systems while mentoring engineering teams and ensuring high standards of code quality.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Artificial Intelligence ExperienceBackend System DevelopmentLeadership in EngineeringMachine Learning IntegrationOperational Excellence

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

API DevelopmentSystem DesignObservabilityMonitoringTestingLatency ImprovementReliability EngineeringScalabilityCode QualityTechnical Judgment

Soft Skills

MentorshipOwnershipDecision-MakingCollaborationLearning Orientation

Industry Keywords

AI-Powered WorkflowsMachine LearningLarge Language ModelProduction SystemsEngineering Fundamentals

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Own application engineering strategy and execution across backend, mobile, and desktop
Design reliable systems for AI-powered workflows, including state, orchestration, tool use, retries, fallbacks, and failure handling
Build APIs and abstractions connecting AI systems to real-world product experiences
Lead a small, senior engineering team through design reviews, code reviews, and hands-on mentorship
Make trade-offs across latency, reliability, cost, security, and user experience
Establish observability, monitoring, testing, and operational excellence foundations
Partner with Machine Learning leadership to turn model capabilities into robust, shippable product experiences
Keep architecture simple, maintainable, and scalable
Deliver observable, monitored, stable production systems
Improve latency and reliability measurably over time

Requirements

What you’ll need

Artificial Intelligence (AI) experience is required
Significant experience leading application or product engineering for complex systems
Strong hands-on background building and shipping backend systems used in production
Experience building AI-powered products or systems that integrate with modern Machine Learning (ML)/Large Language Model (LLM) capabilities
Strong technical judgment and ability to make decisions with incomplete information
Comfortable working across backend and client platforms, with deep expertise in at least one
Strong bias toward ownership, shipping, and learning from real-world usage
High standards for code quality, reliability, and engineering fundamentals
Must be willing to take a 60 minute coding assessment

Benefits

Comp & perks

Medical insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Savings Plan Options
PTO