Hiring: Platform Engineer (Forward Deployment) Company: Lightning AI Location: San Francisco, CA Job Posted Time: 2026-09-10 13:58:30 Employment Type: Hybrid Target Skills & Keywords : Docker, Kubernetes, PyTorch, Python, React, TensorRT, TypeScript, vLLM About the job Required Skills: •Partner directly with customers to design, implement, and deploy end-to-end AI systems and workflows on Lightning’s platform •Translate vague customer objectives into clear technical specifications, proof-of-concepts, and scalable production implementations •Own customer technical engagements end-to-end, from early discovery and architecture through deployment, monitoring, and expansion •Develop and maintain production-grade software systems and services using modern programming languages, with a strong preference for Python •Build reliable, observable systems with strong attention to latency, throughput, quality, scalability, and cost efficiency in production environments •Debug and optimize AI systems across inference infrastructure, model behavior, APIs, and distributed workloads to improve performance and reliability •Work closely with customer engineering teams throughout the full lifecycle of AI deployments, including technical discovery, implementation, deployment, and scaling •Collaborate cross-functionally with Lightning’s product and engineering teams to improve platform capabilities, influence roadmap priorities, and identify opportunities for reusable product improvements Qualifications: •Strong software engineering experience building production full-stack applications, including modern frontend frameworks such as React and TypeScript, and backend services in Python, Go, or similar programming languages. •Operational familiarity with AI/ML pipelines and the lifecycle of model development, evaluation, deployment, and monitoring •Operational familiarity with modern AI infrastructure and tooling such as Docker, Kubernetes, APIs, model serving systems, or distributed inference workloads •Strong communication and collaboration skills, especially when working through complex technical topics with customers, engineers, and cross-functional stakeholders •Demonstrated capacity to translate business needs into technical solutions and drive projects from initial concept through production delivery •Demonstrated capacity to execute effectively in ambiguous, fast-moving, high-growth environments •Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field •Operational familiarity with inference optimization, distributed systems, or GPU-accelerated workloads •Startup experience or experience operating in highly cross-functional environments •Track record of rapidly shipping proof-of-concepts and production systems while maintaining strong engineering quality Compensation: •$180,000 - $250,000 / year •Competitive benefits and rewards package Interested candidates, please apply directly through the job posting on company's career page or try via AI auto apply on this platform. Don't miss this opportunity to join a forward-thinking team!