Forward Deployed Engineer

Department: Rational Dynamics

Location: Berkeley, CA, New York City, NY

Employment Type: FullTime

The Company

Rational Dynamics builds customized AI reasoning systems for tasks of high cognitive complexity.

Our initial market is the world’s leading institutional asset owners. We work very closely with these customers to create specialized, rigorous benchmark datasets encompassing their most valuable and difficult knowledge work. Then we use the benchmarks to construct agentic large reasoning models, applying the same rigor to prove that the models correctly do the work. Customers access the models through a tailored application service, making their most skilled, expensive workers dramatically more productive.

We are an early-stage startup. Our founders previously started Voleon, now one of the world’s largest systematic investment managers, and recognized as a longstanding industry leader in applied machine learning. They bring to Rational Dynamics the same research discipline and data-driven focus that succeeded in the unforgiving, high-stakes setting of financial markets.

Job Opportunities

We are looking for entrepreneurial researchers and engineers who want to work on cutting-edge agentic AI methods and build out a best-in-class core technical infrastructure. Our work environment is highly collaborative. Your colleagues will be accomplished experts in AI/ML, statistics, and systems engineering.

Job Description

As a Forward Deployed Engineer, you will implement AI systems for leading institutions. You will work closely with clients to understand their unique needs, partnering with RD researchers to build end-to-end workflows. You will manage deployments in cutting-edge cloud and data environments. You will contribute to architectural decisions and product roadmaps.

Duties

• Collaborate with customers and researchers to thoroughly understand business objectives and technical constraints

• Lead the technical implementation of customized large reasoning models and related AI systems, including prototyping, deployment, and monitoring

• Deliver high-quality code and documentations meeting the highest engineering standards

• Continuously improve the RD system design and deployment process

• Provide targeted training to clients, including non-technical stakeholders

Requirements

• Relentlessness, in large quantities

• Demonstrable clarity of thought

• 5+ years as a software engineer, preferably with a focus on backend systems and data infrastructure

• Proven ability to ship production-grade applications in languages such as Python, Java, C++, Go, and Rust

• Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate with diverse stakeholder groups, including non-technicians

• B.A./B.S. in Computer Science or a related technical field

• Willingness to go on-site for direct customer engagement

Preferred qualifications

• Skill in building LLM systems and familiarity with agentic workflows

• Foundational knowledge of AI/ML, especially modern generative AI

• Skill in deploying systems across multiple cloud platforms (GCP, AWS, Azure, neoclouds, hybrid) and data architectures

“Friends of Rational Dynamics” Candidate Referral Program

If you have a great candidate in mind for this role and would like to have the potential to earn $7,500 to $15,000 if your referred candidate is successfully hired and employed by Rational Dynamics, please use this form to submit your referral. For more details regarding eligibility, terms and conditions please make sure to review the Rational Dynamics Referral Bonus Program.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Rational Dynamics is an Equal Opportunity employer. Applicants are considered without regard to race, color, religion, creed, national origin, age, sex, gender, marital status, sexual orientation and identity, genetic information, veteran status, citizenship, or any other factors prohibited by local, state, or federal law.