Staff Software Engineer, Applied AI

Description Role Overview Flock Freight is looking for a Staff Software Engineer, Applied AI to help the company work differently with AI. This is a builder role: you will ship AI-powered agents, copilot experiences, and integrations that accelerate how Flock's workforce gets to the data and answers they need in their highly transactional days. The primary focus is accelerating knowledge worker productivity -- analytics agents for self-service data access, copilot experiences that reduce time-to-insight, and streamlined back-office workflows. Think: a scheduling coordinator who can ask a question in natural language and get an answer from Snowflake in seconds. The secondary focus is contributing to Freight Factory automation as product roadmap priorities dictate. Both areas are product-driven. This role has optionality by design, with a natural path into broader product engineering over time. Team/Department Overview: Infrastructure Engineering – Reporting to the Senior Director of Engineering, Infrastructure & Applied AI Key Responsibilities Applied AI & Agent Development Design and build agentic architecture that connects AI to enterprise data sources (e.g., Snowflake, operational databases), including evaluation and feedback loops that make solutions reliable over time. Build AI agents and automations using LLMs, RAG, agentic frameworks, and enterprise AI platforms to streamline back-office workflows and contribute to freight factory automation as roadmap priorities dictate. Define the technical roadmap for applied AI within corporate systems with high autonomy and ownership. Copilot Experiences & Integrations Build copilot experiences that let employees query and act on operational data conversationally, partnering with data engineering to plug semantic layers and structured data interfaces into agents you build. Create reusable integration patterns and frameworks that connect enterprise platforms to AI capabilities, making the whole ecosystem smarter. Measurement & Impact Instrument and report on the business impact of every automation -- cost savings, hours saved, throughput gains -- to leadership. Qualifications Technical: 7+ years of software engineering experience, with at least 1 year in applied AI/ML or intelligent automation in production. Hands-on experience with LLMs (OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, or similar), including prompt engineering, RAG, function/tool calling, and agentic patterns. Strong software engineering fundamentals (data structures, algorithms, system design) and demonstrated ability to ship production applications at high velocity. Strong proficiency in Python and experience with APIs, data pipelines, and integration patterns. Experience with Git/GitHub workflows, CI/CD, and modern development practices. Preferred: Experience with agentic AI frameworks (LangChain, LangGraph, CrewAI, or similar) or workflow orchestration tools. Familiarity with enterprise AI search/assistant platforms (e.g., Glean, Claude Cowork, or similar copilot-style tools). Experience with agentic process automation or RPA platforms (e.g. Sola). Experience in logistics, freight, or operations-heavy industries. Delivery & Attributes: Uses AI tools across its own development workflow, not just builds them for others. Stays current on the rapidly evolving landscape and forms strong opinions about what works. Prefers shipping working solutions over theoretical frameworks. Comfortable starting scrappy and iterating toward production quality. First hire of this kind, embedding across three teams -- earns trust fast, helps the people around you work better, and builds tools that scale. Comfortable in the freight world. Flock isn't a typical SaaS company. The work is deeply operational, and the people you're building for -- scheduling coordinators, account managers, operations teams -- need answers fast from the tools you will build. Compensation The expected salary range for this position is $178,000 - $201,000 per year . This reflects typical earning potential in this role based on market data and individual factors including skill sets, experience, and geographic location. In addition to salary, full-time employees are eligible for an equity package and competitive benefits that support you and your family as part of your total rewards package at Flock Freight. We target candidates local or willing to relocate to Flock Freight’s San Diego headquarters. Life & Benefits of the Flock: Hybrid Work Model: As an organization we value in-office collaboration, working cross-functionally, and winning together. Through scheduled in-office and work from home days, we are able to work more efficiently and collaboratively. 401(k): We know Flock may just be a stepping stone in your epic journey, but we want to be sure you’re setting your future self up for success! Medical, Dental & Vision: Generous coverage for employees and dependents. Both HMO and PPO options provided. Our promise to you: Flock Freight is committed to creating an environment that’s fair and inclusive. We fill our open positions based on qualifications, merit, and business needs. We value the skills of people from all backgrounds and are proud to hire, promote, and retain talent from a diverse candidate pool. Diverse perspectives are central to innovation at Flock Freight and make our team better. We're interested in your inherent abilities, not just the skills you bring from your last role - if you think you have what it takes to succeed in the role but don't check every box, please still get in touch. We'd love to start a conversation with you. Flock Freight has zero tolerance for behavior that negatively impacts marginalized groups, including women, people of color, veterans, immigrants, people with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. We invite people of all identities to join the Flock! Talent in San Diego/Encinitas or nearby cities is preferred.