Applied AI Engineer

Valence has built the only first-to-market AI native coaching platform for enterprise, offering personalized, expert, and human-like guidance and support to any leader or employee. We’re not just talking about the future of work — we’re building it now, with the most innovative Fortune 500 companies across healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, and technology.

Our focus is on the problems that actually decide whether AI changes how organizations operate — the ones with no playbook, no obvious answers, and no guarantee of success. If you want to be part of the small group that defines how AI transforms the future at a global scale, this is your chance.

And this isn’t for everyone. We’re not looking for people who want predictability or incremental progress. We only want those who are restless at the edge of what’s possible, who get bored when things feel “done,” and who are driven to redefine what AI can mean for leaders, companies, and the world. Because at Valence, the work worth doing is the kind that redefines work itself.

The Role

As a founding Applied AI Engineer at Valence, you'll spearhead the development of groundbreaking AI-driven leadership coaching, reporting directly to our Head of AI. This pivotal role places you at the intersection of cutting-edge generative AI and practical business applications, offering the opportunity to shape the future of workplace development. You'll pioneer AI coaching by developing and deploying advanced generative AI models that revolutionize leadership development, while crafting intelligent interactions through sophisticated natural language processing systems that provide personalized, context-aware guidance to leaders.

In this position, you'll optimize our AI systems for enterprise scale, building robust and scalable solutions capable of serving Fortune 500 clients with high performance and reliability across diverse corporate environments. Collaborating closely with our product and leadership teams, you'll drive product innovation by identifying new opportunities for AI integration and constantly pushing the boundaries of what's possible in AI-assisted coaching. As a champion of ethical AI, you'll lead the charge in developing responsible AI practices, ensuring our coaching solutions maintain the highest standards of fairness, transparency, and user trust.

This role presents a rare opportunity to apply state-of-the-art AI techniques to transform how businesses approach leadership development. You'll tackle unique challenges at the intersection of AI, psychology, and leadership development, creating truly innovative solutions.

About Valence

We're the only AI-first company pioneering the first generative AI leadership coach for large enterprises. Our mission is to transform how the world's biggest companies approach learning and development, helping teams work better together through AI-powered personalization that adapts to individual goals and organizational culture using the latest advances in machine learning and natural language processing.

We've been featured in Harvard Business Review, TIME, World Economic Forum, Financial Times, Forbes and an Inc. 5000 fastest-growing private companies in America. Our clients represent the most diverse and sophisticated enterprise AI implementations globally, including Coca-Cola, Delta, Nestlé, General Mills, ServiceNow, Schneider Electric, Deutsche Telekom, AstraZeneca, Prudential, CVS and Bristol Myers Squibb.

Working at Valence means you'll work directly with Fortune 500 technology leaders, building expertise through the most complex enterprise deployments while gaining insight into diverse organizational approaches to AI transformation. These aren't just any enterprise clients - they're the companies defining what AI-first business transformation looks like across every major industry.

• Architect and develop enterprise-grade conversational AI solutions for leadership coaching
• Develop, design and implement improvements in user experience in conversational interactions leveraging LLMs in novel ways to advance product goals.
• Evaluate and improve existing conversational (LLM-based) models across dimensions of  effectiveness, scalability, and efficiency. 
• Implement, test, and deploy LLM-powered coaching agents that understand complex tasks, provide accurate and relevant responses, and adapt to diverse conversational contexts
• Integrate and manage diverse data sources to enhance the knowledge and contextual understanding of our AI coaching models
• Work with the product team to study user behavior and prioritize evolving product developments.
• Experiment at a high velocity to optimize user experience 
• Full stack - write, review and deploy code across back and front end as needed
• Streamlining data science processes to support rapid iteration and quality improvement. 
• Support other science and software development where required.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, related field, or equivalent experience
• 3+ years of professional experience (or equivalent) in software engineering, AI/ML development (ideally including a Master's or Ph.D. in Computer Science, ML, Data Science, or a related field)
• Practical and theoretical knowledge of language systems in the areas of: conversational systems, NLP, and Information Retrieval with knowledge of relevant tools
• Strong software engineering skills with a track record of developing data-driven machine learning systems or products
• Proficiency in Python and relevant deep learning frameworks - both training (e.g. PyTorch, Tensorflow, JAX) and serving (e.g., Hugging Face TGI/Transformers/Adapters/outlines, vLLM)
• Experience with cloud deployment of ML systems (e.g., AWS, GCP, Azure) including and open systems (e.g. Docker and Kubernetes) and their associated ML services.
• Experience with Data Science tools and processes (e.g. NumPy, scikit-learn, Pandas, PySpark)
• Familiarity with ML lifecycle tools like MLflow, Weights & Biases
• Hands-on experience building Generative AI-powered applications, including Large Language Models
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to communicate complex ideas and concepts effectively
• Exposure to early-stage startups, preferably B2B SaaS

• Ownership & Rapid Growth
• Outsized missions from day one, with direct responsibility for company-defining projects
• Work alongside the executive team with transparency into strategy and decision-making
• Influence on direction through real-time customer feedback and market insights

• AI-First Operator
• Work directly with cutting-edge AI models and next-generation platforms
• Build expertise in enterprise AI implementation across Fortune 500 companies and multiple industries
• Establish yourself as a recognized leader among peers in shaping how AI transforms work at a global scale

• Compensation
• Competitive salary including base + bonuses
• Comprehensive health coverage (medical, dental, vision) from day one
• Generous PTO, company-wide R&R shutdowns, and paid parental leave
• Retirement plan support for US and global employees

• Equity
• Meaningful ownership in a venture-backed company at a growth inflection point
• Financial upside that comes from scaling fast
• Top-up grants as we scale and you deliver exceptional performance — your compensation grows alongside your impact

• Top-Performing Culture
• A culture built for top talent: intensity to win, growth without limits, and a team that solves hard problems and celebrates big wins together

Location and Work Environment

If candidates are based in NYC or Toronto they can work hybrid in our offices, otherwise this role can be remote. Candidates must be comfortable working with colleagues in different time zones (UK), and have valid travel documents without work authorization restrictions in the US.

Diversity and Inclusion

We are dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and supported. We encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds and offer accommodations upon request throughout the hiring process. If you have any questions, please reach out to Allison Langille, Head of People, at [email protected].

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