About the Role

As the only physical AI unicorn headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, we go beyond models and dashboards — we deploy AI that continuously computes across supply chains, energy systems, and industrial operations. Our Operational Technology platform turns fragmented data into real-time, autonomous decisioning across the systems that power the global economy.

This is not digital AI. This is AI for operational reality — where latency, constraints, and failure have real-world consequences.

Forward Deployed AI Engineers at Avathon are rewiring how the physical world operates. You will work directly with customers to take the hardest operational problems — multi-echelon supply chains, constrained production systems, global logistics networks — and turn them into continuously computing, AI-led systems. You will design, build, and deploy production-grade AI applications that operate across real-world infrastructure where decisions propagate across thousands of nodes in real time.

Responsibilities

This role operates with the intensity and ownership of a founder in the field:

Own end-to-end delivery of high-stakes deployments in operational environments
Design and implement Avathon's Computational Knowledge Graph (CKG) that unifies data, constraints, and decisioning — performing continuous computation across physical networks
Replace static planning workflows with real-time, autonomous execution applications
Work side-by-side with operators, planners, and key stakeholders to define problems and deliver solutions
Push systems into production that directly control and influence real-world operations
Drive product evolution by feeding field learnings back into Avathon's core platform

Preferred Skills

Experience building AI/ML applications in production
Strong foundation in machine learning, optimization, and system design
Exceptional inferencing skills on applying necessary models in the field
Demonstrated proficiency in programming languages such as Python, Java, C++, TypeScript/JavaScript, or similar
Ability to reason complex, interconnected systems (supply chains, networks, infrastructure)
Ability to move from problem to architecture to deployment without handoffs

We Value

We value engineers who build systems and tune industrial models
Comfort operating in ambiguity, pressure, and high-stakes environments
Willingness to work directly with customers and operate in real-world environments
Travel to customer sites (up to 50%)

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Science, Technology, Engineering
An active U.S. Government security clearance (preferred)
Excellent problem-solving, critical thinking, and communication skills
Must be authorized to work in the United States without current or future company sponsorship

Compensation & Benefits

California Base Salary Range: $130,000 – $180,000 USD (based on experience)
Equity in the form of stock options
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage
401(k) participation
Generous PTO and company holidays
Ongoing learning and development opportunities

Location: Reporting out of Avathon’s HQ in Pleasanton (San Francisco Bay Area), California.

Forward Deployed AI Engineer