Join SignalFire's Talent Network for Principal AI/ML Engineer Roles at VC-Backed Startups




This is not an application for a specific job. Instead, this is a way to get on the radar of VC-backed startups that are actively hiring AI/ML talent. If you have any questions, please direct inquiries to talentnetwork@signalfire.com.



At
SignalFire , we partner with
top early-stage startups that are shaping the future of technology. Our portfolio spans 200+ innovative companies across AI, cybersecurity, healthtech, fintech, developer tools, and enterprise SaaS.



We're looking to connect with exceptional
Principal AI/ML Engineers who are excited about
driving AI strategy, advancing machine learning research, and scaling AI-powered systems at high-growth startups. By joining SignalFire's Talent Network, your profile will be shared with our portfolio companies, giving you visibility into
exclusive early-stage opportunities that may not be publicly listed.




Who Should Join?



We're looking for AI/ML experts who are:

✔ Passionate about
developing and deploying cutting-edge machine learning and deep learning models ✔ Experienced in
architecting scalable AI systems and leading technical teams ✔ Excited to
push the boundaries of AI research and apply it to real-world business challenges




Typical Roles & Responsibilities

• Architect, develop, and optimize machine learning and deep learning models for production systems


• Research and apply state-of-the-art AI methodologies, including LLMs, transformers, and reinforcement learning


• Lead AI strategy, identifying opportunities for innovation and model optimization


• Develop scalable training and inference pipelines for AI-powered applications


• Work closely with engineering, data, and product teams to integrate AI/ML into business solutions


• Optimize ML models for efficiency, accuracy, and scalability in real-world deployments


• Ensure robust MLOps practices, including model monitoring, retraining, and deployment automation


• Collaborate on AI/ML research publications, patents, and open-source contributions

Common Qualifications



While each startup has its own hiring criteria, many
Principal AI/ML Engineer roles in our network look for:

• 8+ years of experience in AI/ML, deep learning, or applied AI


• Expertise in Python and ML frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch, JAX, Hugging Face Transformers)


• Strong background in computer vision, NLP, generative AI, or reinforcement learning


• Experience developing scalable AI pipelines, data processing workflows, and distributed training systems


• Familiarity with big data tools (Apache Spark, Kafka, Hadoop) and MLOps platforms (MLflow, TFX, SageMaker)


• Deep understanding of LLMs, transformer architectures, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines


• Experience with model quantization, fine-tuning, and optimization for performance


• Strong knowledge of cloud environments (AWS, GCP, Azure) and containerization tools (Docker, Kubernetes)


• A track record of technical leadership, mentoring, and driving AI innovation

Technologies You Might Work With:

• Languages & Frameworks: Python, TensorFlow, PyTorch, JAX, Hugging Face Transformers


• MLOps & Data Pipelines: MLflow, Kubeflow, TFX, Apache Spark, Airflow, Ray


• Cloud & Deployment: AWS SageMaker, GCP Vertex AI, Azure ML, Kubernetes, Docker


• Big Data & Storage: Apache Kafka, Hadoop, BigQuery, Snowflake, Redis, NoSQL databases


• Model Optimization: ONNX, TensorRT, pruning, quantization, distillation

What Happens Next?

1. Submit your application to join SignalFire's Talent Ecosystem.


2. We review applications on an ongoing basis to identify strong candidates.


3. If there's a match, a SignalFire talent partner or a leader from one of our startups may reach out directly.


4. No match yet? We'll keep your profile on file for future AI/ML roles in our portfolio.