Senior​/AI Engineer

About Forterra

Forterra is a leading provider of autonomous systems for ground-based movement in the working world. Amongst some of the earliest innovators in the field of driverless technology, Forterra is focused on building systems that protect front-line soldiers and enable civilian workers in our industrial base. Forterra is the go-to provider of ground autonomy solutions for the U.S. Department of Defense, which harnesses the technology for asymmetric warfare in critical conditions.

We are looking for a researcher/engineer with deep expertise in large language models (LLMs), reasoning, and multimodal AI. You will help design and develop methods that enable intelligent systems to make robust, explainable, and context-aware decisions. This role sits at the intersection of advanced research and applied engineering, with direct impact on building real-world AI capabilities.

• Research and prototype new methods to extend LLMs with reasoning capabilities
• Develop and optimize multimodal pipelines combining text, vision, and structured data
• Adapt and scale models for real-time, safe, and efficient performance
• Define evaluation strategies to measure robustness, reliability, and uncertainty in reasoning
• Work cross-functionally with research and engineering teams to bring ideas into production

• Proficiency in Python and modern deep learning frameworks (PyTorch, or Tensor Flow)
• Strong foundations in machine learning and reasoning algorithms
• Experience with scaling and optimizing LLMs for efficiency (e.g., distillation, quantization, inference optimization)
• Excellent problem-solving and collaboration skills
• A strong background in transformer-based models and LLMs
• Hands-on experience with multimodal ML (e.g., vision-language, text + spatiotemporal data)
• Solid understanding of probabilistic methods, uncertainty modeling, or decision-making under uncertainty
• Proven ability to translate research into practical implementations

• Experience working on real-time or safety-critical AI systems
• Publications in top ML/AI conferences (e.g., NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, CVPR)
• Contributions to open-source ML frameworks or toolkits
• Curiosity and drive to explore explainable and reliable AI reasoning

US Salary Range
$160,000—$210,000

The salary range for this role is an estimate and is based on a wide variety of compensation factors. The salary offered to candidates will vary based on a variety of factors including (but not limited to) relevant work experience, education, specialized training, critical expertise, training, and more. Equity in Forterra is included in most of our full-time, high-demand roles and is therefore considered part of Forterra’s overall compensation package.

In addition to base salary and equity, Forterra offers competitive benefits for full-time employees including:

• Premium Healthcare Benefits:
  Three plan options, including an HSA-eligible plan, with Forterra covering 80% of the plan premium for you and your dependents.
• Basic Life/AD&D, short and long-term disability insurance plans 100% covered by Forterra, plus the option to purchase additional life insurance for you and your dependents.
• Extremely generous company holiday calendar including a winter break in December.
• Competitive paid time off (PTO) offering 20 days accrued per year.
• A minimum of 7 weeks fully paid parental leave for birth/adoption.
• A $9k annual tuition reimbursement or professional development stipend.
• Fully stocked beverage refrigerators with all the Celsius your little heart desires.
• 401(k) retirement savings plan, including traditional, Roth 401(k), and after-tax deferral with company match up to 4%.

Your recruiter will be able to share more information about our salary and benefits offering during the hiring process.

CLEARANCE ELIGIBILITY - This position may require eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance. For more information about U.S. Security Clearances:  .

Forterra is an equal-opportunity employer, providing and promoting equal employment opportunity in all personnel practices. Forterrans are unique, talented individuals who are united through a shared passion to deliver autonomous systems that enable national resilience and a robust supply chain.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any factor, including veteran and disability status, and criminal history, in accordance with applicable local, state, and federal laws.

Forterra is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Please let your recruiter know if you need an accommodation at any point during the interview process.

160, USD per year (Palo Alto Office)