AI Engineer - Unusual Ventures
About The Position
Unusual Ventures is seeking its first AI Engineer to build internal systems that enhance the firm's operational leverage. This role involves working across various departments including investing, talent, platform, founder services, finance, and operations to identify high-impact problems and develop practical solutions. The engineer will have significant ownership, setting technical standards, choosing the technology stack, and deciding on development priorities. The focus is on solving underlying problems effectively rather than solely integrating new APIs. The role also includes occasional work with portfolio companies, assisting founders with AI feature scoping, technical approach validation, and internal workflow setup.
Requirements
- 3–6 years of software engineering experience.
- At least 1–2 years of experience shipping LLM-powered products or internal tools to production.
- BS or MS in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
- Strong Python skills (TypeScript is a plus).
- Comfortable across the full stack, including data pipelines, APIs, and front-end development.
- Hands-on experience with LLM APIs, retrieval, agents/tool use, and evaluation.
- Demonstrated product taste: ability to talk to users, identify core problems, ship iteratively, and improve.
- Experience working with messy real-world data (CRMs, email, calendars, third-party data providers).
- Clear communication skills to explain technical tradeoffs to non-technical stakeholders.
- Self-directed and comfortable setting priorities with light direction.
Nice To Haves
- Experience building internal tools or intelligence products at a VC firm, investment firm, or data-heavy operations team.
- Early-stage startup experience, or experience as a founder.
- Familiarity with venture or enterprise software Go-to-Market (GTM) strategies.
- Experience with recruiting or people data.
- Public work such as open-source projects, side projects, or writing that demonstrates technical thinking and building capabilities.
Responsibilities
- Design, build, and ship internal tools and systems to improve firm operations.
- Develop AI-powered agents and pipelines for talent intelligence, sourcing, and research.
- Create workflows to expedite diligence processes such as market mapping, competitive analysis, and memo drafting.
- Enhance firm knowledge management by making existing data searchable and accessible.
- Automate operations related to portfolio reporting, LP updates, and back-office processes.
- Develop reusable AI playbooks and tools for portfolio company support.
- Collaborate with founders to scope AI features, pressure-test technical approaches, and set up internal workflows.
Benefits
- Ownership and trust.
- Direct access to partners and operators.
- Short path from idea to production.
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
