Full Stack Software Engineer - Applied AI

Perplexity AI6 days ago

Location

San Francisco

Type

Full Time

Salary

USD 220,000 – 405,000

Level

Senior

Role

Full Stack Software Engineer

Posted

Mar 11, 2026

Full TimeSenior

The role

Summary

Perplexity AI is seeking a Full Stack Software Engineer specializing in Applied AI to build innovative end-to-end solutions that power next-generation AI products. The ideal candidate will develop scalable systems integrating advanced language models, drive product features across discovery, research, and monetization platforms, and contribute to cutting-edge AI technology.

What you'll do

AI Feature Development: Design and deliver scalable AI features for core user experiences including discovery, research, and monetization

System Integration: Build full stack systems integrating third-party and in-house Sonar models with seamless orchestration and observability

Evaluation Platforms: Develop and maintain platforms for measuring answer quality, model performance, and product impact

Cross-Team Collaboration: Work closely with research, product, design, and infrastructure teams to translate model capabilities into user-facing features

Performance Optimization: Continuously improve performance, reliability, and cost efficiency of AI-powered applications

What we look for

Technical

AI Application DevelopmentProven experience in building production AI and agentic applications end-to-end

API IntegrationExpertise in integrating modern LLM APIs and performing context engineering

Education

DegreeBachelor's or Master's in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related technical field preferred

Experience

Industry Experience4+ years of professional experience in software or AI engineering

Full Stack ProficiencyDemonstrated ability to work across the entire technology stack

Skills

Required skills

Production AI DevelopmentHands-on experience building end-to-end AI applications with tool calling and context engineering

Systems DesignStrong backend skills with ability to make practical tradeoffs in real-world systems

Full Stack DevelopmentProficiency in both backend and frontend technologies

Nice to have

AI Model IntegrationExperience with integrating third-party and in-house language models

Performance OptimizationTrack record of improving system reliability, cost efficiency, and performance

Compensation & benefits

Salary

USD 220,000 – 405,000 (annual)

Stock options

Available

Benefits

Equity Compensation

Stock options or equity included in compensation package

Cutting-Edge Technology

Opportunity to work on frontier AI technologies and innovative products

Flexible Team Placement

Potential to join various engineering teams based on individual strengths

Interview process

1
Initial Screening — Evaluation of technical background and AI development experience
2
Technical Interview — In-depth discussion of AI system design, problem-solving approach, and technical skills
3
Team Fit Assessment — Exploration of potential team placement and unique talents