Forward Deployed Engineer, Production

David AI • San Francisco, CA

12h • $165,000 - $225,000 • Onsite

About The Position

David AI is an audio data research company that develops datasets with the rigor AI labs apply to models. The company builds pipelines, platforms, and models that transform raw audio into high-signal data for AI labs and enterprises.

The Forward Deployed Engineer, Production owns the feedback loop between customer models, David AI’s research team, and data production. The role runs rapid experiments to determine whether data improves customer models, then translates findings into actionable recommendations and changes to data collection and production. It combines coding and product engineering with a close understanding of data production, including recording setups, contributor pools, annotation, and quality assurance.

The engineer builds evaluation harnesses, pipelines, and analysis tools to accelerate experimentation; collaborates with research engineers to design ablations and benchmarks; and helps shape the team’s experimentation practices, engineering culture, and roadmap. The position is intended for someone excited to work in person in San Francisco.

Requirements

• AI-native coding experience and a track record of fast, impact-driven experiments and product features across the stack.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to work independently or collaboratively.
• Ability to translate open-ended research questions into concrete experiments and clear recommendations.
• Excellent communication skills, including explaining technical findings to researchers and non-technical stakeholders.
• Desire to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and adapt as the audio AI field evolves.
• Excited to work in person in San Francisco.

Nice To Haves

• At least 3 years of relevant engineering or product experience in product engineering, ML engineering, or applied research.
• Degree in computer science, electrical engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience working with audio or speech models, or audio/signal data more broadly.
• Familiarity with machine learning research workflows, including training, fine-tuning, evaluation, and metrics.
• Experience working directly with technical or enterprise customers.

Responsibilities

• Turn customer questions into fast, rigorous experiments and iterate until results support a clear decision.
• Design ablations and benchmarks with research engineers to identify what drives model behavior.
• Translate experiment results into changes to what data is collected, how it is collected, and how it is filtered and weighted.
• Understand data production operations, including recording conditions, contributor pools, annotation, and quality assurance, and address causes of model outcomes at their source.
• Build evaluation harnesses, pipelines, and analysis tools that make experiments faster across customers.
• Ensure lessons from the model improvement lifecycle change data production so the data continues to improve customer models.
• Help define experimentation practices, engineering culture, and the team’s roadmap as it grows.

Benefits

• Unlimited PTO.
• Top-notch health, dental, and vision coverage, with 100% coverage for most plans.
• FSA and HSA access.
• 401(k) access.
• Meals twice daily through DoorDash, plus office snacks and beverages.
• Unlimited company-sponsored Barry’s classes.

What This Job Offers

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