Software Engineer, AI

ABOUT NUMERAL: Numeral is transforming how taxes get done. Digital businesses are currently bogged down by a painful web of regulations across 47 states and 70+ countries. We’re eliminating this burden so teams can focus on their core mission. We’re the largest and fastest-growing AI-native tax solution. Started in 2023, Numeral has raised over $57M from Benchmark, Mayfield, Y-Combinator, and many others. We now serve over 3,000 paying customers and have more than tripled our revenue every year in our history. ABOUT THE ROLE: We’re looking for a Foundational AI Engineer who thrives in ambiguity, enjoys building real-world AI systems end-to-end, and wants to define the technical and architectural foundations of an early-stage startup. This is a hands-on role for someone who wants to design and implement LLM-powered automation systems: model orchestration, tool calling, MCP-style integrations, agentic workflows, and automation-driven tooling. WHAT YOU’LL DO: • Design, build, and operate production AI systems, including tool-calling agents, model orchestration layers, and RAG. • Implement and maintain AI integrations using modern frameworks, MCP servers, and external model providers. • Build and evolve scalable backend services and APIs that power automated workflows and customer-facing features. • Think in automation and workflows: design systems using tools like n8n, Claude Code-style agents, or similar orchestration approaches. • Make architectural decisions that balance latency, cost, reliability, and iteration speed. • Own infrastructure, observability, and performance for both AI and non-AI services. • Collaborate closely with product, design, and data teams to ship features that solve real customer problems. • Help define engineering best practices, AI safety/reliability norms, and our overall technical culture. WHAT YOU’LL BRING: • 7+ years of experience building products in high-growth environments. • 2+ years of experience building with LLMs. • Avid use of state-of-the-art AI development tools such as Cursor and Claude Code. • Fluency with backend technologies like PostgreSQL, Redis, and cloud services (AWS preferred). • Experience with frontend development, especially TypeScript and its ecosystem. • Strong product sense, balancing performance, flexibility, and speed. • Comfortable working in dynamic startup environments with evolving needs. • Excellent communication and collaboration skills. • Startup mindset: Not scared of ambiguity and hungry for rapid growth • Intensity & Ownership: This is not a 9-5 — we’re scaling rapidly and have a massive opportunity ahead of us. • Customer Obsession: You deeply care about the user experience and solving their problems NICE TO HAVES: • Experience in payments, tax, accounting, or regulatory tech. • Experience with automation tools (n8n, Zapier-style systems, workflow engines) or building internal automation platforms. • Familiarity with MCPs, tool calls, agent frameworks, or model orchestration patterns. • Understanding of vector databases and concepts (such as Pinecone, HNSW). LOCATION: • This role is hybrid (3 days a week in our NYC office) WHAT WE OFFER: • Competitive salary and equity - you'll share directly in the company's success • Full medical, dental, and vision coverage • Wellness perks like Headspace and the Peloton One App • 401(k) to help you build long-term financial security • Relocation assistance to NYC or SF (if needed) • Lunch and snacks when you're in the office • Regular team offsites and company events as we grow • A culture built on ownership - your work matters and people will see it! Compensation: $175K - $300K