Engineering Jobs in Stanford, CA

I am working with a team leveraging AI + Reinforcement Learning for accelerating Chip Design.

Most agentic research today deals with text, where feedback is subjective and ground truth is hard to find. I'm working with a Stanford spinout moving RL and post-training into chip design, an environment where physics and logic provide a strict, non negotiable ground truth.

The founding team is being built with an intentional focus on high talent density. The Head of AI, who led Trust & Safety at a Frontier Lab and worked on RL for Claude, is bringing together a small group, including a founding engineer from Augment Code, a member of xAI who worked on special projects under Elon, and peers from Superintelligence and DeepMind.

They are solving for long horizon reasoning by building agents that plan, critique, and verify their own outputs in a closed loop. The goal is to collapse the traditional 2–3 year design cycle through two main products: a licensed IP system for hardware reasoning and a \"Cursor for Verilog\" that validates its own code against real execution feedback.

They are a well funded early stage company backed by a top tier VC, with support from people like Jeff Dean and the co-founder of SambaNova. The role is in Palo Alto and comes with high ownership & scope and equity that reflects the level of trust and impact you would have.

Apply here to discover more about this opportunity.

Job Title: Film Engineer/ Optical Coating Process Engineer

Location: Sunnyvale, CA/Redmond, WA

Duration: 12 Months

Summary

The Client brings together a world-class team of researchers, developers, and engineers to create the future of virtual and augmented reality, which together will become as universal and essential as smartphones and personal computers are today. And just as personal computers have done over the past 45 years, AR and VR will ultimately change everything about how we work, play, and connect.

We are developing all the technologies needed to enable breakthrough AR glasses and VR headsets, including optics and displays, computer vision, audio, graphics, brain-computer interface, haptic interaction, eye/hand/face/body tracking, perception science, and true telepresence. Some of those will advance much faster than others, but they all need to happen to enable AR and VR that are so compelling that they become an integral part of our lives.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and optimization of optical coating processes, including Anti-Reflective (AR), hardcoat, and photochromic coatings, to meet performance, reliability, and manufacturability requirements.
• Collaborate closely with external vendors and contract manufacturers to drive process development, conduct failure analysis, and implement effective corrective actions for coating-related issues.
• Drive Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (PFMEA) activities to identify and mitigate risks in the coating manufacturing process.
• Own the end-to-end process control plan, from material selection and incoming quality control to in-process monitoring and final inspection, ensuring a stable and high-yield production environment.
• Define, validate, and implement metrology and characterization techniques to ensure coating performance and quality, correlating measurements to visual and functional performance.

Minimum Qualifications

• Has a BS degree in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Optical Science, Physics, or a relevant technical field.
• 3+ years of experience in optical coating process engineering, with hands-on experience in deposition technologies such as PVD, IAD, or PECVD for anti-reflective and hardcoat applications.
• Demonstrated experience working with external vendors and contract manufacturers, including process transfer, qualification, and sustaining support.
• In-depth knowledge of coating characterization techniques, including spectrophotometry, ellipsometry, environmental testing, and mechanical durability testing (e.g., adhesion, abrasion).
• Experience with statistical process control (SPC), design of experiments (DOE), and structured problem-solving methodologies.
• Must obtain work authorization in the country of employment at the time of hire and maintain ongoing work authorization during employment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in a relevant technical field.
• Experience with the design, process, and metrology of photochromic coatings.
• Proven track record of launching products in a high-volume manufacturing environment.Familiarity with thin-film design principles and software (e.g., OptiLayer, FilmStar, Macleod).
• Experience in failure analysis techniques to determine root cause of coating defects and failures.
• Excellent project management and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively in a cross-functional and multicultural team environment.

About the Company

An early-stage AI research lab focused on interpretability, alignment, and reinforcement learning is hiring a Research Engineer. Founded by former frontier-model researchers, the team works directly on model internals and training dynamics to better understand how AI systems reason. The lab runs fast experimental research cycles, building custom tools to explore open-ended questions about model behavior.

About the Role

This role focuses on building the experimental tooling that enables interpretability research. You will develop systems that allow researchers to inspect, measure, and manipulate internal model representations. This is not a production ML or MLOps role — it's for engineers who enjoy building new experimental systems from scratch and working closely with researchers.

Responsibilities

• Build custom RL-style environments and experimental testbeds for interpretability research
• Develop tools for activation tracing and mechanistic interpretability
• Implement probes to detect latent concepts (e.g., deception, goals, uncertainty)
• Prototype activation-level steering methods beyond prompting or fine-tuning
• Collaborate with researchers to rapidly iterate on experiments and tooling

Qualifications

• Strong programming skills in Python
• Experience with ML frameworks such as PyTorch or JAX
• Experience working with deep learning models or LLMs
• Strong software engineering fundamentals and ability to build experimental ML systems

Preferred Skills

• Experience in mechanistic interpretability or alignment research
• Familiarity with reinforcement learning environments
• Background working with model internals, representations, or probing methods
• Research experience (PhD preferred but not required)

Pay range and compensation package

Competitive salary, equity, and benefits.

About Nucleus

Nucleus is a research-driven talent and intelligence platform for the next generation of investors, built at the intersection of data, experimentation, and community. We hire investors for some of the best firms in the world and are building the network, community, and intelligence layer around the people shaping the future of venture and company building.

The Role

This is a foundational hire working directly with the founder across research, community, events, client relationships, fellow experience, and search execution. One day you may be building cap tables. Another you may be running a mixer for 40 fellows or sitting in on a GP hiring conversation at a top firm.

The title is intentional. You will be in the room early, learning how the best firms operate and earning responsibility as you prove you can carry it. Over time you will own projects and workstreams. The starting point is proximity, pattern recognition, and high output across a wide surface area.

The founder focuses on strategy, vision, brand, community, and high-trust client relationships. Your role is to absorb the operational surface area so his time goes to the work only he can do. Nothing drops while he goes deep.

What the work looks like

• Work side by side with the founder across research, community, content, events, and client delivery
• Own the operational follow-through: prep materials, follow-ups, scheduling, and keeping workstreams moving between meetings
• Conduct research on investors and firms. Build and maintain the Nucleus Brain so the founder can go deeper on priority engagements.
• Collaborate on candidate shortlists and search materials for active client work
• Help coordinate NEXT Fellowship programming, pod logistics, and fellow experience
• Plan and execute community events: mixers, firesides, dinners, partner programming
• Draft and edit external communications: emails, proposals, partnership materials, client decks • Contribute to content across Nucleus Intelligence, Substack, social, and the Rise podcast
• Help shape brand and media presence
• Pick up whatever needs to get done so nothing falls through the cracks

Who you are

• 1 to 2 years in a high-intensity environment: investment banking, management consulting, executive search at a top firm, or an operating role at a venture-funded startup
• Genuinely curious about venture capital, the people in it, and how the industry actually works
• Technical bias. At the least, you are highly analytical by nature and can find information others can't and synthesize it clearly
• Warm, high-energy, and natural with people. You make rooms better when you walk in.
• Excellent writer with a tight, dense style
• Comfortable with ambiguity and context-switching in a fast-moving, founder-led environment
• Based in San Francisco or NYC. Remote will be considered. Must be in the US and be willing to travel.

Why this role

You will have a front-row seat to how the best venture firms operate, hire, and think about talent. You will build relationships with builders, investors, LPs, and emerging managers that most people spend years trying to access. And you will help build a company from the ground floor with real revenue, real clients, and a vision that extends well beyond search.

Promotions follow ownership and output, not tenure. We stay intentionally lean. Earn it, and the path to real ownership is short.

Compensation

Base: $120-180k DOE

Bonus eligible day one

Profit sharing with meaningful upside as the business grows

DM alexklein0x on X for the fastest reply. Will check LinkedIn weekly.

Role: ASIC Power Engineer (AR/VR – Meta)

Location: Sunnyvale CA

Duration: 6 Months Contract

Experience Required: 10+ Years

Overview

We are seeking an experienced ASIC Power Engineer to perform power analysis and optimization for ASIC designs used in next-generation AR/VR products. The ideal candidate will have deep expertise in power optimization, low-power methodologies, and ASIC implementation flows, along with strong scripting and data analysis skills.

This role requires hands-on experience analyzing and reducing power consumption at RTL and netlist levels while working with industry-standard tools from Synopsys and Cadence.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform Power, Performance, Area (PPA) optimization using Synopsys Fusion Compiler
• Conduct RTL and netlist-level power analysis
• Analyze ASIC flows including:
• Synthesis
• Physical Design
• Timing
• Power analysis
• Perform post-processing and scripting on report logs for:
• Data extraction
• Format conversion
• Power analysis insights
• Develop scripts using Python, Tcl, or Perl for automation and analysis
• Implement selected RTL blocks and UPF power intent
• Debug and analyze reports across ASIC flows
• Identify and implement power reduction techniques
• Document results and communicate findings effectively

Minimum Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in ASIC Power Engineering, CAD Engineering, or Physical Design
• Strong expertise in power estimation tools and synthesis flows
• Hands-on experience with power analysis and optimization methodologies
• Knowledge of power trade-offs in design and backend implementation
• Strong scripting and data analysis skills
• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Synopsys tools
• Design Compiler (DC)
• IC Compiler (ICC)
• PrimeTime PX / PrimePower
• VCS
• Verdi
• Experience with Cadence Joules
• Proficiency in Python, Perl, Tcl scripting
• Experience with Excel or MATLAB for modeling and data visualization
• Experience in low-power design methodologies
• Hands-on experience with UPF power intent specifications
• Experience with Silicon Power Characterization
• Experience with power profiling at IP or SoC level

Must-Have Skills

• ASIC Power Optimization
• Synopsys Power Tools:
• PrimePower
• PTPX
• DC
• ICC
• Cadence Joules
• Low Power Design methodologies
• UPF Power Intent
• Python / Perl scripting
• Silicon Power Characterization

Nice-to-Have Skills

• Power profiling at IP or SoC level
• Data analytics and visualization
• Experience with Machine Learning related ASIC workloads

Mechanical Engineer

We are an award-winning and innovative multi-disciplinary engineering consulting firm, has several openings for HVAC Engineers in our San Francisco CA. We work closely with architects and owners from around the world on large, complex projects with a focus on sustainability and energy performance of the built environment.

About the Job

Our Engineers work on high quality, high-profile, national and international projects. You will actively participate in the full project cycle, from the design phase through the final construction close-out. We offer excellent growth opportunities:

Many of our senior leaders started out as young engineers in our firm.

Responsibilities include

Design of air distribution systems

Design of hydronic systems

Specification writing

Scheduling and selecting major equipment

Automatic temperature controls system design and specification

Cooling/heating load calculations

Construction administration

Assist with Project Management

Attend client meetings

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical/HVAC Engineering
• 1-4 years experience designing mechanical systems for the built environment.
• Project experience submitted for consideration should include buildings on which you have actively participated in the project from the design phase through the final construction close-out.
• Experience of the design of HVAC systems and automatic temperature controls for a broad range of commercial systems.
• Strong working knowledge of building and energy codes
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with an emphasis on the ability to organize and present design information to clients.
• Special consideration will be given to those candidates who have successfully demonstrated innovative design experience specifically related to renewable energies and sustainable, high performing buildings.
• Revit experience is Highly preferred
• LEED AP is preferred

Full Benefits, 401K plan, Competitive salary, Vacation Package,

Automation CSV Engineer (Biotech/Pharma)

Location – California Bay Area

Please note: We are only considering W2 candidates at this time. Applications from third-party vendors or C2C arrangements will not be considered.

ADVENT Engineering is an engineering and consulting firm providing expertise to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Headquartered near San Francisco, California, and with operations in the Eastern and Western US, Canada and Singapore, our company is involved in almost every facet of global pharmaceutical and biotechnology facility design and process engineering and quality system projects.

ADVENT's services include process engineering, automation engineering, project engineering, facility/system design, start up and commissioning, validation and compliance consulting for distinguished and successful biotechnology and pharmaceutical manufacturing companies.

The successful candidate will work with a group of engineers involved in the design, automation, commissioning and start-up of various processes, systems and facilities. A combination of strong technical aptitude, automation engineering skills and technical writing are the desired skill set.

This is an outstanding opportunity to join our growing team!

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Sr. Automation CSV Engineer to support a complex automation system migration project at a large, regulated biotechnology/pharmaceutical manufacturing site in the California Bay area. The ideal candidate will bring deep, hands-on expertise in PCS and MES system migration, validation, and implementation, with a strong preference for experience in Rockwell and PharmaSuite environments.

This role requires a senior-level engineer capable of independently executing and leading CSV and automation activities while collaborating closely with cross-functional teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and execute CSV and automation activities for PCS/MES system migration projects
• Support implementation, migration, commissioning, and validation of:
• PCS systems (Rockwell, Honeywell)
• MES systems (PharmaSuite, POMSnet)
• SCADA and PLC platforms
• Author, review, approve, and execute CSV lifecycle documentation, including:
• Validation Plans
• Risk Assessments
• Test Protocols (IQ/OQ/PQ)
• Traceability Matrices
• Validation Summary Reports
• Ensure compliance with SDLC, 21 CFR Part 11, Annex 11, Data Integrity, and GAMP 5
• Manage and document software changes throughout the SDLC per site procedures
• Support programming, configuration, commissioning, and validation of Rockwell and PharmaSuite platforms
• Collaborate with automation, IT, QA, and manufacturing teams
• Support troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and deviation investigations as needed
• Communicate effectively with stakeholders at all levels

Required Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in CSV and Automation within a regulated biotech/pharma environment
• Hands-on experience with implementation, migration, and validation of:
• PCS (Rockwell and/or Honeywell)
• MES (PharmaSuite, POMSnet)
• SCADA/PLC systems
• Strong, hands-on expertise with Rockwell and PharmaSuite (required)
• In-depth knowledge of:
• SDLC
• 21 CFR Part 11 / Annex 11
• Data Integrity
• Computerized System Validation (CSV)
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in team environments
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with S88 Batch Standard
• Experience with Rockwell software object development
• MES recipe authoring and testing experience
• Experience with Kneat

Additional Information

• This position requires 100% onsite support in California
• Long-term project opportunity in a regulated manufacturing environment

Enterprise Account Executive – Security & IT AI Automation Platform

Salary: $150,000–$165,000 base, Double OTE plus attractive equity and corporate benefits including healthcare and 401k

Extremely well-funded by Tier 1 Cyber Investors - Unicorn Valuation

Location: Bay Area, North California

Trident Search is partnering with a fast-growing, enterprise-focused SaaS company that’s redefining workflow automation for security, IT, and operations teams. The platform empowers teams to eliminate repetitive tasks, orchestrate complex workflows across any tool, and leverage AI to work smarter, faster, and more efficiently.

Great Glassdoor, Gartner peer reviews scores and various G2 awards.

The Role

We are seeking a high-performing Enterprise Account Executive based in California to land and grow new enterprise accounts. This is a full sales-cycle SaaS sales role where you will engage senior stakeholders, manage multi-touch deals, and drive new business across mid-market and large enterprise clients.

Why This Role is Exciting

• Partner-driven growth: 90% of 2024 deals were partner-sourced or influenced.
• High conversion and retention: 90% POC to deal conversion rate with strong customer retention.
• Fast ramp & huge earning potential: 9-month ramp schedule plus 3 month non recoverable draw. Average global sales attainment: +80%—well above market norms, with some huge performers earning 2x OTE.

Responsibilities

• Identify, prospect, and close new enterprise business opportunities across Northern California (Bay Area).
• Manage the full sales cycle, from discovery calls and demos to contract negotiation and closure.
• Build strong relationships with senior stakeholders, including security, IT, and operations executives.
• Execute strategic territory plans in collaboration with marketing, solutions engineers, and customer success teams.
• Accurately forecast pipeline and revenue; track all sales activities in Salesforce CRM.
• Represent the company at industry events, conferences, and partner engagements.
• Build and leverage relationships with regional and national channel partners to drive sales.

Requirements

• 5–10 years of enterprise SaaS sales experience, ideally in security, IT operations, or automation.
• Proven ability to execute complex, multi-stakeholder sales campaigns.
• Demonstrated track record of consistently exceeding quotas.
• Strong consultative selling skills and ability to engage with C-level executives.
• Self-motivated, results-driven, and collaborative, with high professional integrity.
• Experience with Salesforce and modern sales engagement platforms.
• Experience working with relevant channel partners.

Trident Search builds GTM teams across the U.S. for VC- and PE-backed cybersecurity vendors.

Connect with me today:

Holly Evans

About DepthFirst AI

We believe that software is the foundation of modern civilization - yet vulnerabilities threaten its integrity, security, and resilience. We are on a mission to solve security.

DepthFirst is building intelligence to detect and remediate critical software vulnerabilities. We are training and scaling security AI agents to discover zero-days vulnerabilities, from large customer codebases to popular open source software.

Our founding team includes expertise in security and LLMs (with technical leaders from DeepMind, Databricks, Square, and Faire). We are looking for strong technically-minded people who are interested in working at the intersection of AI, Security and Infrastructure.

About this role:

We’re seeking an experienced Account Executive to lead the charge in building DepthFirst’s sales and account management team. This newly created role puts you at the helm of DepthFirst’s most strategic enterprise accounts—owning customer success, account expansion, and meaningful business outcomes.

You’ll partner directly with senior leaders in Security and Engineering and influence how leading global enterprises build their security systems in the age of AI, with your impact measured by strong Net Revenue Retention through renewals, retention, and targeted growth.

You’re excited about this role because you will…

• Manage and grow a portfolio of DepthFirst’s most strategic enterprise accounts across the globe.
• Develop and execute account strategies that drive long-term customer loyalty and unlock new business value.
• Build strong, multi-level relationships with C-suite executives and senior stakeholders.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Customer Success, Solutions Engineering, and Channel teams to identify and realize expansion opportunities.
• Help customers integrate security seamlessly into fast-moving, AI-driven development workflows.
• Provide strategic customer insights to Product Management to influence product direction and priorities.
• Drive measurable results through targeted, outcome-focused account growth plans.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of enterprise account management experience in technical SaaS - owning large, complex accounts.
• Proven success in driving outstanding Net Revenue Retention through renewals, retention, and strategic account growth.
• Skilled at engaging and influencing C-level executives within complex, matrixed organizations.
• Deep expertise in Cybersecurity, DevOps, DevSecOps, or enterprise software account leadership.
• Comfortable operating in high-growth, fast-paced environments, with a track record of building new strategies, functions, or approaches from the ground up.
• Strong collaborator with the ability to align cross-functional teams around customer outcomes.

What We Offer

• Competitive Salary with generous equity
• Health and Dental Insurance
• Office lunch (when working out of San Francisco office)

Senior Account Executive (San Francisco Bay-Area)

About the Role:

An innovative Data & AI technology business (Series B $50M+) is looking to hire a Senior Account Executive to drive enterprise growth across the West Coast. This role will focus on selling a category-defining data security, privacy and AI governance platform to senior security stakeholders, requiring a consultative, methodology-led approach to high growth markets.

The Company:

This fast-scaling technology company is redefining how organisations approach data defence, unifying security, privacy and AI governance into a single, forward-thinking platform. With strong product-market fit and ambitious growth plans, the business is building a commercial team to support enterprise expansion across key US markets.

Benefits & Opportunities:

• Join at a pivotal growth stage as a significant commercial hire, shaping the go-to-market strategy and long-term revenue engine.
• Sell a genuinely differentiated platform that is redefining the data security and privacy landscape.
• Work closely with leadership in a business that values grit, intelligence, curiosity and disciplined sales execution.

To Be Successful, You’ll Need:

• At least 5 years of field sales experience with a consistent track record of enterprise performance.
• Demonstrated experience selling into security, infrastructure, or observability environments within mid-size growth and enterprise companies.
• A consistent record of over achievement of quota in sales environments
• Formal sales methodology training (e.g. MEDDPIC, Command of the Message) and a highly consultative, process-driven approach.

Key Words:

Account Executive | Enterprise Sales | Data Security | Privacy Technology | AI Governance | MEDDPIC | Command of the Message | Observability | Infrastructure | CISO | Enterprise Software | Field Sales