Forward Deployed Engineer, Applied AI

Pika • Palo Alto, CA

1d

About The Position

Pika is seeking a technically strong, client-facing AI researcher who can translate customer feedback into models and workflows that address business needs. The role works directly with clients to understand their goals, identify shortcomings in model outputs, and fine-tune or post-train models for their use cases. When model adaptation alone is insufficient, the engineer builds the supporting workflow.

This is a full-time, hands-on, revenue-driven applied research role. Clear communication, professional client service, reliable delivery, and independent execution are as important as technical ability. The role helps clients realize value quickly, builds confidence in working with Pika, and turns successful technical work into closed engagements and ongoing business.

Success is measured by client service, the speed of turning feedback into useful improvements, and the reliability of work for deployment needs. Strong performance builds client trust, helps close engagements, encourages continued collaboration, and contributes to revenue.

Requirements

• Hands-on experience fine-tuning or post-training generative AI models, including diagnosing model behavior and evaluating whether an adaptation solves the intended problem.
• Strong coding and practical machine learning skills, including implementing experiments, working with data, debugging model pipelines, and building supporting workflows.
• Excellent listening and communication skills, including the ability to clarify ambiguous requests and explain technical work to clients with different levels of expertise.
• Professional judgment, reliability, and a service mindset; handle feedback constructively, communicate limitations honestly, own commitments, and build trust through consistent follow-through.
• Independence and ownership, along with strong communication and collaboration within a team.
• Ability to work in fast feedback cycles, prioritize high-impact improvements, and connect technical decisions to client value and commercial outcomes.

Nice To Haves

• Prior professional experience in a similar client-facing AI or ML role, with end-to-end delivery from requirements and model adaptation through evaluation, integration, and deployment; this experience is strongly preferred.
• Experience delivering reliable AI solutions for external clients or users and supporting them through feedback and iteration.
• Experience with LoRA fine-tuning, other parameter-efficient adaptation methods, or feedback-driven post-training.
• Experience building model evaluation pipelines, API integrations, or workflows used in a deployed product.
• Experience participating in customer demos, technical pilots, or the delivery of paid projects.

Responsibilities

• Listen to clients, clarify their goals, and translate requests and feedback into a defined problem, practical scope, and agreed success criteria.
• Fine-tune and post-train models for client use cases; prepare examples and evaluation criteria, diagnose gaps, and verify that iterations improve relevant outcomes.
• Create or adapt workflows around models, connecting APIs, tools, and processing steps into usable solutions that fit client deployment needs.
• Share working results early, gather specific feedback, and make focused improvements in short cycles while balancing quality, complexity, cost, and delivery speed.
• Explain technical options and limitations clearly, set realistic expectations, respond thoughtfully, and keep clients informed about progress and next steps.
• Drive day-to-day work independently while aligning teammates on requirements, priorities, progress, and blockers; seek input or escalate risks early when needed.
• Help move successful experiments into usable deployments with clear evaluation results, reproducible workflows, and handoff documentation.
• Demonstrate solution value, address technical concerns, and work with the team to turn successful iterations into client commitments and revenue.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: No Education Listed