Lead Systems Engineer

Lead People Technology Engineer – Klaviyo

• Reimagine core People workflows (recruiting, onboarding, performance, daily tasks) through an AI‑first lens, not just incremental automation.
• Design and build AI‑powered workflows, copilots, and agents that automate and augment People processes across the employee lifecycle.
• Architect and implement systems that integrate across SaaS such as Workday, Greenhouse, Sana, and Klaviyo’s internal platforms.
• Partner with the internal IT AI team to establish best practices for:
  • Prompt engineering and evaluation.
  • LLM system design and orchestration.
  • Versioning, testing, security, and observability of AI systems.
• Enable AI use cases (copilots, assistants, automated workflows) that drive faster execution and better decision‑making for People teams.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to translate business problems into scalable AI solutions.

• Identify high‑leverage opportunities to replace manual workflows with AI‑native solutions.
• Define and track success metrics tied to efficiency gains, time savings, and operational effectiveness.
• Help the People organization shift toward AI‑augmented ways of working.
• Act as a thought partner to People leadership on what’s possible with AI, not just what’s requested.
• Design systems that handle sensitive employee data with security, privacy, and trust at the core.
• Partner with Security, Legal, and Global IT to ensure compliant and ethical AI deployment.

• Work closely with Security, IT, and GTM Systems to align on shared AI infrastructure and standards.
• Contribute to and adopt company‑wide AI patterns, tooling, and best practices.
• Enable People teams to leverage AI by building:
  • Reusable frameworks and workflows.
  • Playbooks and training materials.
• Help non‑technical stakeholders confidently use and iterate on AI‑powered tools.

• Advocate for scalable, well‑governed AI systems that integrate cleanly into Klaviyo’s broader tech ecosystem.
• Act as a key voice in shaping how Klaviyo becomes AI‑first internally, starting with People systems.

• Passion and curiosity to experiment and reimagine People workflows.
• 7+ years of engineering or data engineering experience, with 2+ years building AI/ML or LLM‑powered solutions delivering tangible business outcomes.
• Proven ability to set technical direction and build 0→1 systems with meaningful organizational impact.
• Strong experience with, but not limited to:
  • Python, SQL, and modern APIs.
  • LLM platforms (OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, etc.).
  • Lang Chain and Lang Graph.
  • Designing AI‑powered workflows, agents, or copilots.
• Experience integrating with enterprise SaaS systems (HRIS, ATS, etc.).
• Experience designing scalable systems, automation frameworks, and internal tools.
• Experience working with sensitive data and implementing responsible AI practices.
• Strong ability to translate ambiguous business problems into scalable technical solutions.

• Experience with People/HR systems (Workday, Greenhouse, Sana).
• Familiarity with workflow automation platforms (n8n, Workato, Zapier).
• Experience in high‑growth SaaS environments.
• Contributions to AI governance, internal AI platforms, or experimentation frameworks.

This foundational role defines how Klaviyo becomes an AI‑first company from the inside out. You will shape how People teams operate with AI, set standards for responsible, scalable internal AI systems, and build the blueprint for AI embedded across the business.

Base salary: $140,000—$210,000 USD (US locations). The role may include:

• Annual cash bonus plan participation.
• Variable compensation (OTE) for sales and customer success roles.
• Equity and sign‑on payments.
• Comprehensive health, welfare, and wellbeing benefits.
• Up to 10% travel for onboarding, client or partner work, team meetings, and industry events.

Klaviyo is committed to a policy of equal opportunity and non‑discrimination. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, citizenship, national origin, color, religion or religious creed, age, sex (including pregnancy), gender identity, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, veteran or active military status, marital status, criminal record, genetics, retaliation, sexual harassment or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.