Software Engineer, AI
At a glance
Mid-level Software Engineering role at Numeral. New York · full-time · $175,000–$300,000 base.
techroles summary, based on the employer's posting.
What you'll do
- Build and run production AI systems, including agents that call tools, model-routing layers and retrieval-augmented generation
- Connect AI products to frameworks, MCP servers and external model providers, then keep those links working
- Create backend services and APIs for automated processes and customer-facing product features
- Make architecture tradeoffs across speed, cost, reliability and latency, while owning infrastructure and service monitoring
- Work with product, design and data teams to ship customer-focused features and set engineering and AI reliability practices
What you bring
- At least seven years building products in fast-growing settings, including two or more years working with LLMs
- You actively use current AI coding tools such as Cursor and Claude Code
- You can build backend systems with PostgreSQL, Redis and cloud platforms, with AWS preferred
- You have frontend development experience, especially with TypeScript and its ecosystem
Who this fits
This hands-on role suits an experienced engineer who can work through ambiguity, make product-minded tradeoffs and collaborate across teams. It calls for strong ownership in a fast-moving startup environment. You’ll work hybrid, with three days each week in the New York City office.
From the employer
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!