Staff Software Engineer (SF)
About The Position
Anthropic is defining frontier AI, and the Ode team is bringing frontier AI into practice. Ode is Anthropic's services venture, tackling complex AI problems for companies with real stakes. The team works closely with client Applied AI and Product teams to turn frontier technology into real-world impact. This role is designed for experienced engineering leaders (individual contributors or managers) or founders who are comfortable owning end-to-end technical outcomes but specifically want to continue being impactful as individual contributors and spend more time in the code. The role involves working on a small, high-caliber team (2-5 engineers and a PM) building AI products for clients. The individual will set technical direction, write code, and be the go-to person for difficult technical challenges. Approximately 75% of the time will be spent coding, and 25% will be spent working directly with clients, often their CTOs, to understand problems, discuss tradeoffs, and ensure the solutions meet their needs. The company emphasizes being the best place to learn Applied AI engineering practices, offering exposure to a wide range of challenging problems across various domains within the first year.
Requirements
- 8+ years of engineering experience, with deep care for the craft.
- Shipped multiple complete products end-to-end.
- Write elegant, production-ready code across multiple disciplines.
- Specific interest in applying software engineering fundamentals to AI systems.
- Comfort talking with senior technical stakeholders.
- High ownership mindset.
- Low ego, high integrity.
- Experience as a former engineering leader (IC or EM) or founder.
Nice To Haves
- You care about balancing frontier model capabilities with good system design.
- You navigate conversations skillfully, and care about people using what you build.
- You embrace a "no job too big, no job too small" mindset, and want to shape strategy and culture.
- You help others and ask for help.
- You hold a high bar for honesty–with yourself and your team.
Responsibilities
- Own end-to-end technical outcomes.
- Spend more time in the code as an individual contributor.
- Work on a small, high-caliber team building AI products for clients.
- Set technical direction.
- Write code.
- Be the person the team looks to when something is hard.
- Spend roughly 75% of your time in code.
- Spend 25% of your time working directly with clients, understanding problems, walking through tradeoffs, and making sure what we’re building meets their needs.
- Apply software engineering fundamentals to AI systems.
- Balance frontier model capabilities with good system design.
- Navigate conversations skillfully with senior technical stakeholders.
- Jump in without instruction.
- Embrace a "no job too big, no job too small" mindset.
- Shape strategy and culture.
- Help others and ask for help.
- Apply standard software engineering discipline to the non-deterministic world of frontier AI.
- Design systems around testable hypotheses.
- Curate durable data sets.
- Ensure what we ship keeps working long after we've handed it over.
- Ship two to three products per year and learn from dozens more.
- Have outsized autonomy on each product.
- Spend constant time on the frontier of models and tooling.
- Develop a strong muscle for AI product development.
- Overdeliver on creating enterprise value with LLMs.
- Obsessively explore and experiment with Claude to push the frontier of applied AI.
- Share learnings with teammates.
- Over"engineer" the culture to attract and retain top applied AI talent.
- Stress test large decisions through the perspective of world-class builders.
Benefits
- Competitive Compensation Package: Attractive salary aligned with your experience and skills.
- 401k with Matching: Invest in your future with our company-matched retirement plan.
- Unlimited PTO: Take the time you need to relax and rejuvenate.
- Exceptional Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage: Comprehensive health benefits to keep you and your family healthy.
- Health FSA: Manage out-of-pocket health expenses effectively.
- Commuter Benefits: Make your travel to work easier and more affordable.
- Life Insurance: Providing peace of mind for you and your loved ones.
- Team Events and Activities: Regular events to build camaraderie and a strong team spirit.
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
Senior
Education Level
No Education Listed
