Applied AI Engineer

Job Summary

Drata is at the vanguard of compliance software innovation and renowned for its commitment to trust and security across the internet. We are on an ambitious path to redefine how AI and General AI technologies bolster compliance automation. We are seeking an Applied AI Engineer to drive the quality and effectiveness of our AI systems through rigorous research, experimentation, and evaluation.

In this research‑focused role you will optimize retrieval strategies, build evaluation frameworks, and establish the scientific foundation that enables our AI features to deliver accurate, trustworthy results. You will work closely with AI Engineers, handing off validated approaches for production while owning the quality metrics and evaluation systems that ensure our AI delivers on its promises.

While we’re ideally looking for someone who can join us in a hybrid capacity from our San Francisco office, we consider remote candidates across the U.S. who are a strong match for the role.

• Design and evaluate information access and reasoning strategies across RAG, agents, and classic ML (chunking, embedding models, hybrid search, metadata filtering, structured retrieval, tool use, and multi‑step workflows)
• Prototype GenAI workflows (including agentic systems) that map and reason over compliance objects (controls risks requirements)
• Explore ML and probabilistic approaches where GenAI is not the best fit: classifiers, ranking models, graph/link prediction, calibration, and weak supervision
• Build and maintain evaluation frameworks: golden datasets, automated quality metrics, regression detection
• Implement and tune ranking/reranking systems: cross‑encoders, LLM‑based rerankers, learning‑to‑rank, custom scoring functions
• Run experiments to validate hypotheses and quantify improvements before production rollout
• Debug failure modes and build error taxonomies across retrieval, reasoning, and generation
• Collaborate with AI and Software Engineers to hand off validated approaches for productionization
• Stay current on applied research in RAG, agents, LLM evaluation, and relevance modeling; bring innovations into the product

• 6+ years of experience in applied research, data science, or ML with a focus on NLP, information retrieval, or knowledge systems
• 2+ years of hands‑on experience building or contributing to production AI/ML systems
• Strong foundation in information retrieval: dense and sparse retrieval, embedding models, search relevance
• Experience with RAG systems: chunking strategies, vector databases, retrieval optimization
• Proficiency in evaluation methodology: metrics design, golden dataset creation, A/B testing, statistical analysis
• Strong Python skills and comfort with notebook‑driven research workflows
• Experience communicating research findings to engineering teams and translating insights into actionable recommendations
• Bonus:
  Experience with compliance, legal, or document‑heavy domains
• Bonus:
  Publications or contributions in IR, NLP, or RAG evaluation

• Shared Success:
  We provide stock equity to ensure that as the company grows, you share directly in that success.
• Health & Wellness:
  Up to 100% employer‑paid premiums for medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and their dependents, along with comprehensive wellness benefits and healthcare concierge services.
• Financial Well‑being: A comprehensive suite of financial benefits, including a 401(k) plan, company‑paid life and disability insurance, tax‑advantaged spending accounts, and a range of discounted voluntary offerings.
• Family Support:
  Paid parental leave after six months of employment, fertility and family‑building benefits, and dedicated leave specialists to guide you through the process.
• Growth & Development:
  Generous annual stipends for professional and personal development, plus internal learning opportunities to build new skills and advance your career.
• Time Off & Flexibility:
  Flexible vacation policy, paid holidays, and other perks to recharge and maintain work‑life balance.

The applicable salary range for each US‑based role is based on location and aligns with one of three tiers. The expected ranges for this role are:
Tier 1: $220,800 – $298,800;
Tier 2: $198,700 – $268,900;
Tier 3: $176,600 – $239,000. These ranges may be modified in the future and final offers may vary.

Thank you for considering this opportunity to shape the future of compliance and security automation with Drata.