Gradial
Applied AI Engineer Seattle, Washington, United States
Gradial, Seattle, Washington, us, 98127
Gradial is a Seattle-based startup enabling digital experiences at the speed of thought. We empower marketers and creatives to implement their ideas directly, with software that adapts over time. Our platform automates website and design system updates, large-scale migrations to new design systems, and continuous content optimization while adhering to company and product brands.
Backed by world class investors and a recent Series A raise of $13 million—we’re looking to scale our platform and expand our team. At Gradial, we operate with extreme ownership, bias towards action, and critical path planning. We tackle problems from first principles, question assumptions, and find creative solutions. If you want to take risks, work on groundbreaking technology, and see the direct impact of your work, Gradial is where you belong.
Role Overview
We’re looking for an
Applied AI Engineer
to help build the next generation of agentic systems. This role combines deep software engineering skills with an experimental mindset around how AI can be practically applied to solve real user problems. You’ll collaborate across product, research, and engineering to design agents that reason, interact with environments and evolve through feedback. Ideal candidates bring curiosity, a love of ambiguous problems, and hands-on experience applying LLMs in production. Responsibilities Evaluate model behavior in live environments and pioneer approaches for applying reinforcement learning to end-to-end agent systems. Design modular frameworks for tools, memory, and evaluators to enable continuous learning and improvement of agents. Develop data pipelines to collect, transform, and annotate real-world usage data for SFT and RL training. Design and build proprietary agent libraries, prompting strategies and benchmarking frameworks. Partner with customers and internal stakeholders to understand edge cases and align AI behaviors with user expectations. Requirements 4+ years of software engineering experience, with at least a year working directly on AI/ML-powered applications. Strong fluency in AI tooling (e.g. OpenAI APIs, Anthropic APIs). Practical understanding of LLMs, prompt engineering and agentic architectures. High degree of ownership and comfort in experimental, fast-moving environments. Familiarity with benchmarks like SWE-bench or evaluation strategies for tool-using agents. Exposure to customer-facing roles or user research for AI product development. Background in reinforcement learning or data-centric AI approaches. The base salary range for this position is
$130,000 – $220,000 annually . Final compensation will be determined based on factors such as experience, skills, and qualifications. In addition to base salary, this role may be eligible for performance-based bonuses and equity awards. Gradial offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental & vision insurance, 401K retirement plan, paid time off, paid sick leave and other employee wellness programs. You'll thrive here if you... Learn quickly and actively seek out new challenges. Embrace AI as a core tool for problem-solving, creativity and scale. Show a strong work ethic, high ownership and bias toward action. Communicate clearly, directly and with curiosity. Thrive in fast-paced, hyper-growth environments where building better > maintaining status quo. What we offer Competitive salary and meaningful equity Fast-paced environment with flexibility and ownership A front-row seat to building category-defining AI infrastructure Gradial is dedicated to creating an environment where diverse perspectives are valued and all team members can grow. We offer competitive compensation, equity, flexible work hours, comprehensive benefits, and a collaborative culture focused on learning and impact. AI Literacy & Interviewing Tools As an AI-first company, we prioritize AI literacy as a core competency in our hiring decisions. We’re excited by candidates who thoughtfully apply AI tools in their work, but during interviews we’re focused onyou. This is your opportunity to show how you think, communicate, and solve problems. Over-reliance on AI-generated responses during the interview process (especially when it obscures your own voice) will result in disqualification. We want to understand your unique perspective and how you approach challenges, both with and without AI. Privacy Policy By submitting your application to Gradial, you acknowledge that any personal data you provide will be processed in accordance with ourPrivacy Policy . This includes the collection, use, and storage of your information for the purposes of evaluating your qualifications and communicating with you about your candidacy. We handle applicant data with care and in compliance with applicable data protection laws. If you have any questions about how your information is used, please refer to ourPrivacy Policy or contact us directly. #LI-JP1 #LI-Onsite Create a Job Alert Interested in building your career at Gradial? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email. Apply for this job
* indicates a required field First Name * Last Name * Preferred First Name Email * Phone Resume/CV * Enter manually Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf Enter manually Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf Why Gradial? * We'd like to get to know you better, please answer this question without AI support! This position requires regular in-office work at our Seattle location. Are you currently located within commuting distance, or willing to relocate prior to your start date? * Select... Are you legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for current or future employer sponsorship? * Select... What US state are you currently located in? * Select... Website (Personal/GitHub) Voluntary Self-Identification
For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file. As set forth in Gradial’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law. If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows: A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability. A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service. An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense. An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985. Select... Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability
Form CC-305 Page 1 of 1 OMB Control Number 1250-0005 Expires 04/30/2026 Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability Form CC-305 Page 1 of 1 OMB Control Number 1250-0005 Expires 04/30/2026 Why are you being asked to complete this form?
We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years. Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp . How do you know if you have a disability?
A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability.
Disabilities include, but are not limited to: Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally) Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS Blind or low vision Cancer (past or present) Cardiovascular or heart disease Celiac disease Cerebral palsy Deaf or serious difficulty hearing Diabetes Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders Epilepsy or other seizure disorder Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome Intellectual or developmental disability Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD Missing limbs or partially missing limbs Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS) Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities Partial or complete paralysis (any cause) Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema Short stature (dwarfism) Traumatic brain injury
Disability Status Select... PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.
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Applied AI Engineer
to help build the next generation of agentic systems. This role combines deep software engineering skills with an experimental mindset around how AI can be practically applied to solve real user problems. You’ll collaborate across product, research, and engineering to design agents that reason, interact with environments and evolve through feedback. Ideal candidates bring curiosity, a love of ambiguous problems, and hands-on experience applying LLMs in production. Responsibilities Evaluate model behavior in live environments and pioneer approaches for applying reinforcement learning to end-to-end agent systems. Design modular frameworks for tools, memory, and evaluators to enable continuous learning and improvement of agents. Develop data pipelines to collect, transform, and annotate real-world usage data for SFT and RL training. Design and build proprietary agent libraries, prompting strategies and benchmarking frameworks. Partner with customers and internal stakeholders to understand edge cases and align AI behaviors with user expectations. Requirements 4+ years of software engineering experience, with at least a year working directly on AI/ML-powered applications. Strong fluency in AI tooling (e.g. OpenAI APIs, Anthropic APIs). Practical understanding of LLMs, prompt engineering and agentic architectures. High degree of ownership and comfort in experimental, fast-moving environments. Familiarity with benchmarks like SWE-bench or evaluation strategies for tool-using agents. Exposure to customer-facing roles or user research for AI product development. Background in reinforcement learning or data-centric AI approaches. The base salary range for this position is
$130,000 – $220,000 annually . Final compensation will be determined based on factors such as experience, skills, and qualifications. In addition to base salary, this role may be eligible for performance-based bonuses and equity awards. Gradial offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental & vision insurance, 401K retirement plan, paid time off, paid sick leave and other employee wellness programs. You'll thrive here if you... Learn quickly and actively seek out new challenges. Embrace AI as a core tool for problem-solving, creativity and scale. Show a strong work ethic, high ownership and bias toward action. Communicate clearly, directly and with curiosity. Thrive in fast-paced, hyper-growth environments where building better > maintaining status quo. What we offer Competitive salary and meaningful equity Fast-paced environment with flexibility and ownership A front-row seat to building category-defining AI infrastructure Gradial is dedicated to creating an environment where diverse perspectives are valued and all team members can grow. We offer competitive compensation, equity, flexible work hours, comprehensive benefits, and a collaborative culture focused on learning and impact. AI Literacy & Interviewing Tools As an AI-first company, we prioritize AI literacy as a core competency in our hiring decisions. We’re excited by candidates who thoughtfully apply AI tools in their work, but during interviews we’re focused onyou. This is your opportunity to show how you think, communicate, and solve problems. Over-reliance on AI-generated responses during the interview process (especially when it obscures your own voice) will result in disqualification. We want to understand your unique perspective and how you approach challenges, both with and without AI. Privacy Policy By submitting your application to Gradial, you acknowledge that any personal data you provide will be processed in accordance with ourPrivacy Policy . This includes the collection, use, and storage of your information for the purposes of evaluating your qualifications and communicating with you about your candidacy. We handle applicant data with care and in compliance with applicable data protection laws. If you have any questions about how your information is used, please refer to ourPrivacy Policy or contact us directly. #LI-JP1 #LI-Onsite Create a Job Alert Interested in building your career at Gradial? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email. Apply for this job
* indicates a required field First Name * Last Name * Preferred First Name Email * Phone Resume/CV * Enter manually Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf Enter manually Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf Why Gradial? * We'd like to get to know you better, please answer this question without AI support! This position requires regular in-office work at our Seattle location. Are you currently located within commuting distance, or willing to relocate prior to your start date? * Select... Are you legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for current or future employer sponsorship? * Select... What US state are you currently located in? * Select... Website (Personal/GitHub) Voluntary Self-Identification
For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file. As set forth in Gradial’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law. If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows: A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability. A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service. An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense. An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985. Select... Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability
Form CC-305 Page 1 of 1 OMB Control Number 1250-0005 Expires 04/30/2026 Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability Form CC-305 Page 1 of 1 OMB Control Number 1250-0005 Expires 04/30/2026 Why are you being asked to complete this form?
We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years. Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp . How do you know if you have a disability?
A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability.
Disabilities include, but are not limited to: Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally) Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS Blind or low vision Cancer (past or present) Cardiovascular or heart disease Celiac disease Cerebral palsy Deaf or serious difficulty hearing Diabetes Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders Epilepsy or other seizure disorder Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome Intellectual or developmental disability Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD Missing limbs or partially missing limbs Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS) Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities Partial or complete paralysis (any cause) Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema Short stature (dwarfism) Traumatic brain injury
Disability Status Select... PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.
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