Next Step Systems

Engineering Lead, AI Email Applications, Artificial Intelligence (AI) Required -

United States full-time Executive $170,000 - $190,000
full-time Executive level Technology & IT Salary listed Curated
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About the role

Engineering Lead, AI Email Applications, Artificial Intelligence (AI) Required - Work From Home
As the Engineering Lead, AI Email Applications, you own the engineering layer that turns Artificial Intelligence (AI) capability into a reliable product. You will shape the architecture across backend services, APIs, and client applications, while leading a small team of senior engineers. This is a hands-on leadership role. You stay close to the code, make critical architectural decisions, and ensure the system remains fast, reliable, and coherent as it scales. This position is 100% Remote.
MUST BE WILLING TO TAKE A 60 MINUTE CODING ASSESSMENT.
Engineering Lead Responsibilities:

Own the 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 the APIs and abstractions that connect Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems to real-world product experiences.

Lead a small, senior engineering team and raise the technical bar through design reviews, code reviews, and hands-on mentorship.

Make high-impact trade-offs across latency, reliability, cost, security, and user experience.

Establish strong production foundations: observability, monitoring, testing, and operational excellence.

Partner closely with Machine Learning (ML) leadership to turn model capabilities into robust, shippable product experiences.

Move quickly while keeping the architecture simple, maintainable, and ready to scale.

Engineering Lead Outcomes:

Production systems are observable, monitored, and stable under real-world load.

Decisions consistently balance speed, cost, reliability, and user experience.

Features across backend, mobile, and desktop work smoothly and reliably.

Latency and reliability improve measurably over time.

Engineering Lead Qualifications:

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 the ability to make decisions with incomplete information.

Comfortable working across backend and client platforms, with deep expertise in at least one.

A strong bias toward ownership, shipping, and learning from real-world usage.

High standards for code quality, reliability, and engineering fundamentals.

Benefits include medical insurance, Dental, Vision, Savings Plan Options, PTO, etc.
Keywords: San Francisco CA Jobs, AI, Artificial Intelligence, AI Email Applications, APIs, Backend, Desktop, Engineering Lead, IT Lead, LLM, Large Language Model, ML, Machine Learning, Mobile, Work From Home, Remote, California Recruiters, IT Jobs, California Recruiting
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Please check out all of our jobs at www.nextstepsystems.com.
Originally posted on Himalayas

Interview prep

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Executive
Technology & IT Remote Collaboration Engineering Email Applications Artificial Executive level

Likely questions

  1. Tell us about work you have done that is close to the Engineering Lead, AI Email Applications, Artificial Intelligence (AI) Required - role.
  2. How would you approach your first 30 days at Next Step Systems?
  3. Which of Remote Collaboration, Engineering and Email have you used recently, and what did it help you achieve?
  4. How have you led people, improved a process, or made a hard decision in a previous role?
  5. How do you handle busy days, changing priorities, or pressure at work?

Prepare before the call

  • A recent example that proves your experience with Remote Collaboration, Engineering and Email.
  • One short story with a problem, your action, and the result.
  • Two examples that show the strengths listed on your CV.
  • A clear reason why this role and company interest you.
  • Your availability, preferred work style, and salary expectations.

Ask them

  • What would success look like in the first 90 days?
  • What are the main problems this hire should help solve?
  • How does the team give feedback and measure good work?
  • What does a normal working week look like for this role?
Practice line

I am interested in the Engineering Lead, AI Email Applications, Artificial Intelligence (AI) Required - role because I can bring practical experience in Remote Collaboration, Engineering and Email, learn the team quickly, and contribute to the outcomes Next Step Systems needs from this hire.

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