AI Engineer
Makai Labs · New York City
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