Technical Analyst

Apaluma • Albuquerque, NM

3h • Hybrid

About The Position

Apaluma Inc. is a startup dedicated to transforming dark data into actionable intelligence. We build AI-driven and physics-based technologies that help government agencies unlock insights from regulatory, environmental, and real-time monitoring data. Our mission is to provide transparent, data-backed decision-making tools that empower agencies to manage resources effectively and sustainably. We are a small team where Engineering, data science, design, and product all work together directly. There is not a lot of ceremony, and people regularly move between areas as the work requires it. This role is a good fit if you like digging into the details, care about getting things right, and are energized by work that directly unblocks the people around you. Communication matters a lot to us. With a team this size, things move quickly and context gets lost if people are not talking to each other. We try to be direct and kind at the same time, give honest feedback, and keep each other in the loop without overloading on meetings. AI tools are a required part of how we work. Everyone on the team uses LLMs, copilots, and other AI-assisted tooling in their daily workflows. We are looking for someone who already works this way or is ready to start. This is primarily a documentation and knowledge capture role. The core of the job is reviewing permitting and regulatory workflows, understanding how they work at a technical level, and writing clear, detailed specs that engineering can build from without a lot of back-and-forth. A big part of why this matters right now: we are building agentic AI systems that automate portions of these workflows, and that requires someone who can document the processes thoroughly enough for both engineers and AI systems to act on them. Right now, much of this work sits with our Chief Technology Officer and Head of Product. Adding a Technical Analyst means they can focus on higher-level product direction and architecture while you handle the detailed requirements, workflow documentation, and spec writing that keeps engineering moving. This role does not require deep software engineering experience, but it does require a genuine interest in how technology works and the ability to bridge the gap between a regulatory process and a software requirement. Our platform deals with environmental permitting, compliance data, and monitoring systems, so the work is specific and substantive. There is a lot to learn, and we are open to someone earlier in their career who is sharp, thorough, and motivated to ramp up quickly. For someone with a genuine interest in AI, ML, or agentic systems, this is a strong entry point. The work gives you direct exposure to how AI products get built from the ground up: how real-world processes get translated into structured data, how specs feed into AI-driven automation, and how a small team ships AI products for government clients.

Requirements

• 1-3 years of professional experience in a technical analyst, business analyst, requirements engineer, or similar role. We are open to candidates earlier in their career if the fundamentals are strong.
• Strong writing skills. This role produces a lot of written output and it needs to be clear, organized, and precise.
• Ability to read and understand technical documentation, data models, and system architecture at a conceptual level.
• Comfort working with technical teams and translating between business/regulatory context and engineering requirements.
• Genuine interest in AI, ML, or agentic systems. You do not need a background in these areas, but you should be excited about working on products that use them.
• Demonstrated comfort using AI tools (e.g., Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot, or similar) in daily work.

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with environmental regulations, permitting processes, or compliance workflows.
• Experience working with government agencies or govtech products.
• Exposure to Agile development processes and tools like Linear, Jira, or similar.
• Basic familiarity with databases, APIs, or data formats (JSON, CSV, etc.). Not engineering-level, but enough to read a schema or follow an API call.
• Coursework, projects, or self-directed learning in AI/ML, data science, or related areas.
• Experience working in a startup or small-team environment.

Responsibilities

• Review environmental permitting workflows, regulatory requirements, and compliance processes to understand what the platform needs to support.
• Write detailed, structured specs that translate regulatory and business logic into clear requirements for engineering.
• Document workflows end to end: who is involved, what data moves where, what decisions get made, and what the edge cases are. This documentation feeds directly into our agentic AI development.
• Maintain and organize requirements documentation so it stays current and useful as the product evolves.
• Deliver specs with enough detail and clarity that engineers can start building without extended discovery conversations.
• Answer follow-up questions from engineering quickly and accurately. When you do not know the answer, figure it out.
• Identify gaps, ambiguities, or conflicts in requirements before they become engineering blockers.
• Work closely with the technical lead to make sure specs align with the platform architecture and data model.
• Learn the regulatory and permitting domain as it relates to our platform. This includes environmental permits (like Title V Air Permits, Discharge Permits etc), compliance reporting, and agency workflows.
• Research how government agencies handle specific processes and translate that understanding into product context.
• Stay current on the data sources, standards, and terminology relevant to the work.
• Work closely with product and engineering daily. This role sits at the intersection.
• Talk to end users when needed. Sometimes the best way to understand a workflow is to hear it described by the person who does it every day. You should be comfortable with that kind of conversation.
• Participate in sprint planning, standups, and retrospectives.
• Ask good questions. Surface issues early. Be clear about what you know and what you are still figuring out.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and health benefits, including major medical, dental, and vision.
• Hybrid position with flexible work hours.
• A small, collaborative team that cares about the work and treats each other well.
• A chance to learn a specialized domain (environmental data, regulatory tech) with real depth.
• Direct exposure to agentic AI product development, from workflow analysis through to automation.
• Meaningful problems: the work directly supports government agencies managing environmental and public health data.

What This Job Offers

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