Senior Staff AI Engineer - Office of the CTO
Sonatus
CA$227,000 - CA$313,000 / year
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Description
At Sonatus, we’re driving the transformation to AI-enabled software-defined vehicles. Traditional automotive software methods can’t keep pace with consumer expectations shaped by the mobile industry—where features evolve rapidly, update seamlessly, and improve continuously. That’s why leading OEMs trust Sonatus to accelerate this shift. Our technology is already in production across more than 9 million vehicles on the road today and rapidly expanding.
Headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA, with 250+ employees worldwide, Sonatus combines the agility of a fast-growing company with the scale and impact of an established partner. Backed by strong funding and proven by global deployment, we’re solving some of the most interesting and complex challenges in the industry. Join us and help redefine what’s possible as we shape the future of mobility.
The Opportunity:
Sonatus is seeking a Senior Staff AI Engineer to define and build the next generation of AI applications for software-defined vehicles. You'll be the technical leader for new AI initiatives, often starting from a customer problem and a loose set of goals, and you'll shape them into working proofs of concept and, where they prove out, deployable solutions. This is a high-impact role for someone who is as comfortable framing the problem as building the solution.
Responsibilities:
- Lead the architecture and development of end-to-end software solutions leveraging agentic AI (e.g., LLMs, agent frameworks, RAG, context engineering, and evaluation).
- Design and implement robust data orchestration and processing pipelines for continuous agent operations and performance improvement.
- Translate complex customer problems and business requirements into effective, deployable AI solutions.
Requirements:
- MS or PhD in a science, mathematical, and/or engineering field.
- Proven experience in designing and deploying end-to-end AI systems in a production environment.
- In-depth knowledge of current Gen AI technologies and a strong software development background.
- Expertise in building high-performance AI applications that integrate a multitude of data sources.
- Strong foundation in machine learning model development, experimentation, and evaluation.
- Proven ability to lead technically across teams, with excellent system design and problem-solving skills
Benefits Offered:
- Competitive compensation and equity program
- Health care plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
- Flexible and Dependent Care Expense program
- Retirement plan (401k)
- Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
- Unlimited paid time off per year, 15 paid holidays
- Hybrid office work arrangement/flexibility
Perk Offerings include:
- Complimentary lunches, snacks, and beverages during on-site working days
- Wellness benefit allowances (towards gym membership and fitness programs)
- Internet reimbursement
- Computer Accessory Allowance
Employee Engagement Offerings:
- Departmental team building and outings
- Employee Referral Program
- Culture/Employee Satisfaction Surveys - Feedback matters!
The posted salary range is a general guideline and represents a good faith estimate of what Sonatus ("Company") could reasonably expect to pay for a base salary for this position. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, geographic location and external market pay for comparable jobs. The Company reserves the right to modify this range in the future, as needed, as market conditions change.
Benefits
- health insurance
- 401(k)
- paid time off
- stock options
- life insurance
About this role
Sonatus is looking for a Senior Staff AI Engineer to lead the development of AI-powered capabilities for software-defined vehicles—a role that sits at the intersection of customer problems and cutting-edge technology. You'd own the full arc from understanding what an OEM needs, to architecting and building production-grade AI solutions using large language models, agent frameworks, RAG systems, and related techniques. This is a technical leadership position where you're expected to design end-to-end systems, build data pipelines for continuous agent operation, and drive solutions from proof of concept through deployment.
The role demands a strong foundation in both AI and software engineering: a graduate degree in a technical field, hands-on experience shipping AI systems in production, deep familiarity with current generative AI technologies, and proven skill in integrating multiple data sources into high-performance applications. You'll also need the ability to lead across teams and translate complex requirements into workable designs. Sonatus operates at meaningful scale—9 million vehicles already running their software—so the problems you solve will have real-world impact.
The position is based in Sunnyvale with hybrid flexibility, offers competitive compensation ($227k–$313k base), equity, standard benefits including unlimited PTO and 15 paid holidays, and perks like on-site meals and wellness allowances. This suits someone who thrives on ambiguous, high-stakes technical challenges and wants to shape the future of automotive software.
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Pay for this role
$227,000 to $313,000 per year
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