Staff Software Engineer - AI Applications

Plaid1 weeks ago

Location

San Francisco

Type

Full Time

Salary

USD 200,000 – 350,000

Level

Staff

Role

Staff Software Engineer

Posted

Mar 10, 2026

Full TimeStaff

The role

Summary

Plaid is seeking a Staff Software Engineer to join their pioneering AI Applications team, focusing on revolutionizing financial technology through innovative AI-powered solutions. The ideal candidate will lead critical projects that integrate AI into Plaid's financial data platform, developing cutting-edge technologies that transform how consumers interact with financial services.

What you'll do

AI Product Architecture: Lead the design and implementation of AI-powered solutions for Plaid's financial data platform

Integration Innovation: Develop preferred integration patterns for Plaid with AI providers, including API adaptations and MCP Servers

Customer Experience Enhancement: Improve AI-powered customer support systems, focusing on multi-turn interactions and intelligent agent systems

Experimental AI Development: Design and execute rapid experiments to explore AI capabilities with minimal viable testing approaches

What we look for

Technical

LLM ExpertiseComprehensive understanding of Large Language Model technologies and applications

AI Product DevelopmentProven track record of building and shipping AI-powered products

Education

Computer ScienceBachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related technical field

Experience

AI EngineeringMinimum 5-7 years of software engineering experience with 2-3 years specialized in AI/ML technologies

FinTech BackgroundExperience in financial technology or related innovative technology sectors preferred

Skills

Required skills

System DesignStrong software engineering fundamentals in system architecture and API design

LLM DevelopmentHands-on experience with Large Language Model development and deployment

Prompt EngineeringAdvanced skills in designing and optimizing AI prompts

AI Product DevelopmentExperience in building and shipping AI-powered products with iterative user feedback

Nice to have

ML Model TrainingExperience in training and serving machine learning models in production environments

ComplianceFamiliarity with privacy and PII-sensitive system design

FinTech AIUnderstanding of AI applications in financial technology

Compensation & benefits

Salary

USD 200,000 – 350,000 (annual)

Benefits

Health Insurance

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage

Equity

Stock options and competitive equity package

Professional Development

Continuous learning opportunities, conference attendance, and skill development programs

Flexible Work

Potential remote or hybrid work arrangements

Wellness Programs

Mental health support and wellness initiatives

Interview process

1
Initial Screening — Phone or video call with recruiting team to assess basic qualifications and background
2
Technical Phone Interview — Deep dive into technical skills, AI expertise, and system design capabilities
3
Onsite/Virtual Interviews — Multiple rounds including technical interviews, system design challenges, and team fit assessments
4
AI Project Presentation — Candidate presents a past AI project demonstrating problem-solving and innovation skills