Applied AI Engineer
Content + Source + Freshness • 14 Dec 2025 • 95% confidence
Offer value
High value offering due to good compensation range, strong mission alignment and high potential for personal growth.
- Salary range: $175,000 - $220,000.
- Impactful work in supporting small businesses.
- Dynamic work environment with opportunities for growth.
Pros
- Competitive salary range ($175,000 - $220,000).
- Work in a mission-driven environment focused on supporting small businesses.
- Opportunities to leverage AI for impactful financial products.
Cons
- Expectations for relevant experience could limit applicant pool.
- Potentially high workload from ambitious projects.
- Startup risk may influence job stability.
Who it's for
Early to Mid-Level • In-Person.
Good fit
- Early to mid-career professionals in AI and fintech.
- Enthusiasts for solutions that assist small businesses.
- Individuals looking to grow in innovative environments.
Not recommended for
- Candidates without relevant background or experience.
- Individuals not interested in working in person.
- Those seeking roles not related to business support.
Motivation fit
Key skills
About the job
Location
San Francisco, CA
Employment Type
Full time
Department
Engineering
About Us:
At Parafin, we’re on a mission to grow small businesses.
Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, but traditional banks often don’t have their backs. We build tech that makes it simple for small businesses to access the financial tools they need through the platforms they already sell on.
We partner with companies like DoorDash, Amazon, Worldpay, and Mindbody to offer fast and flexible funding, spend management, and savings tools to their small business users via a simple integration. Parafin takes on all the complexity of capital markets, underwriting, servicing, compliance, and customer service for our partners.
We’re a tight-knit team of innovators hailing from Stripe, Square, Plaid, Coinbase, Robinhood, CERN, and more — all united by a passion for building tools that help small businesses succeed. Parafin is backed by prominent venture capitalists including GIC, Notable Capital, Redpoint Ventures, Ribbit Capital, and Thrive Capital. Parafin is a Series C company, and we have raised more than $194M in equity and $340M in debt facilities.
Join us in creating a future where every small business has the financial tools they need.
About the Position:
With the advent of LLMs, those without a tenured background in ML have been able to use the technology to drive impactful business outcomes in a rapid manner. We’re looking for a highly motivated early career Applied AI Engineer to help do just this: focus on leveraging industry-leading models to ideate and execute initiatives across our financial infrastructure, underwriting, risk modeling, merchant platforms, and partner integrations.
What You’ll Do
Build end-to-end GenAI-based systems from the ground up in a lean, fast-paced team, working across the entire stack from data collection and experimentation to integration and reliability.
Shape the direction of our applied GenAI areas of investment by engaging with engineering and product teams across the company.
Architect and implement robust & scalable infrastructure, from supporting platform-level monitoring and auditing systems to safely integrating agents into production environments.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver seamless product integrations and enhance the merchant experience.
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Work with industry-leading GenAI libraries, frameworks, and platforms to drive successful business outcomes.
What We Look For
1-4 years of experience - an early career candidate with high motivation to own entire agentic projects
Familiarity with basic LLM principles
Bias towards first-principles thinking and strong engineering fundamentals
Proficiency in backend development, ideally with Python, Go, or similar languages
Passion for building impactful financial products that empower small businesses
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Excellent communication and collaboration skills, especially in cross-functional settings
Bonus Points
Experience with GenAI in a production setting
Experience with fintech, risk, or underwriting systems
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A history of owning and delivering projects entirely end-to-end
What We Offer
Salary Range: $175k - $220k
Equity grant
Medical, dental & vision insurance
Unlimited PTO & work from home flexibility
Commuter benefits
Free lunches
Paid parental leave
401(k)
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Employee assistance program
If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please contact us.
