Role at a glance
Software Engineer - Internal Tools at xAI — Palo Alto, CA. Intern-level engineering role on the Model team.
- →Based in Palo Alto, CA
- →Model team
Who should apply
Engineers with deep React and TypeScript expertise plus proven production backend experience in Node.js or Python. Candidates must demonstrate strong prioritization, communication, product intuition, and attention to visual details when building large-scale data applications. Ideal applicants have built performant web tools and thrive in fast-paced environments.
Skills & technologies
reactgoscala
Full job description
As published by xAI on their official careers page.
ABOUT xAI
xAI’s mission is to create AI systems that can accurately understand the universe and aid humanity in its pursuit of knowledge. Our team is small, highly motivated, and focused on engineering excellence. This organization is for individuals who appreciate challenging themselves and thrive on curiosity. We operate with a flat organizational structure. All employees are expected to be hands-on and to contribute directly to the company’s mission. Leadership is given to those who show initiative and consistently deliver excellence. Work ethic and strong prioritization skills are important. All employees are expected to have strong communication skills. They should be able to concisely and accurately share knowledge with their teammates.
We are looking for exceptional engineers and builders with great taste, strong product sense, excellent prioritization, and outstanding communication skills. You will own and elevate our mission-critical research platform that directly accelerates xAI’s frontier work.
Our team is contributing to Toolbox — our unified Research Platform for model training orchestration, evaluations, benchmarking, and experiment management.
You will design, build, and ship delightful, performant, and scalable systems that researchers and engineers love to use every day. This role values product ownership, taste and narrow specialization.
We are open to all levels from new grads to senior engineers.
Requirements
- Excellent prioritization skills — you know how to ruthlessly focus on high-impact work in a fast-moving environment
- Outstanding communication skills — you can clearly articulate trade-offs, technical decisions, and product thinking to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
- Strong product intuition and ownership mindset
- Strong taste & sensitivity — you have a sharp sense for quality. You can naturally feel and detect what feels good versus what feels off or uncomfortable across everything you build (frontend interfaces, backend APIs, data flows, system architecture, etc.).
- Proven technical excellence in at least one area (UX/frontend, backend, data, agentic systems, etc.)
Bonus Points
- Previously founded a startup or joined a fast-growing early-stage startup
- Familiarity with AI/ML workflows, annotation tools, or research platforms
- Experience creating and maintaining component libraries, design systems, or internal tools
- Background in UX design, product management, or related fields
Interview Process
- Coding 1 — Practical coding exercise (React component for frontend-focused; general practical exercise for others)
- Coding 2 — System design (dive deep into frontend architecture, backend architecture, or relevant domain based on the candidate)
- Coding 3 — Taste & Product (assess product taste, ability to gather user needs, craft roadmaps, and prioritize)
- Meet the team + Present an exceptional work/project to the team
xAI is an equal opportunity employer. For details on data processing, view our Recruitment Privacy Notice.
Related roles
Platform Operations Program Manager
OpenAI
Remote · San FranciscoEngineeringLead / Manager$252,000 – $280,000
Lead operational processes for OpenAI's developer ecosystem, partnering cross-functionally to scale platform growth while upholding trust and safety.
program managementdeveloper operationsapisoauth
Forward Deployed Engineer - Stockholm
OpenAI
Remote · Stockholm, SwedenEngineeringMid-level
Forward Deployed Engineer - Stockholm at OpenAI — Remote · Stockholm, Sweden. Mid-level engineering role on the Model Deployment for Business team.
pythonjavascriptrustjava
Engineering Manager, Identity & Access Platform
OpenAI
Remote · San FranciscoEngineeringLead / Manager$293,000 – $490,000
Engineering Manager, Identity & Access Platform at OpenAI — Remote · San Francisco. Lead-level engineering role on the Security team.
gorustawsrag
System Performance Engineer, Consumer Devices
OpenAI
Remote · San FranciscoEngineeringMid-level$293,000 – $325,000
System Performance Engineer, Consumer Devices at OpenAI — Remote · San Francisco. Mid-level engineering role on the Software team.
pythonrustc++aws
Manager, Forward Deployed Engineering
OpenAI
San FranciscoEngineeringLead / Manager$280,000 – $335,000
Manager, Forward Deployed Engineering at OpenAI — San Francisco. Lead-level engineering role on the Model Deployment for Business team.
pythonjavascriptrustjava
Full Stack Software Engineer, API Experience
OpenAI
Remote · New York CityEngineeringMid-level$293,000 – $385,000
Full Stack Software Engineer, API Experience at OpenAI — Remote · New York City. Mid-level engineering role on the Core Product & Platform | API team.
pythontypescriptreactgo