Senior AI Engineer

Senior AI Engineer — Build Real AI for Real Products (Remote, US & Europe)

If you’re a Senior AI Engineer who enjoys turning advanced models into practical, production-ready solutions, Lemon.io is built for you.
We connect experienced engineers with hand-picked startups across the US and Europe—so you can focus on engineering, not client hunting.
You’ll communicate directly with technical clients, work in fast-moving environments, and earn compensation that reflects your seniority.

Lemon.io has already paid out $11M+ to engineers—because we treat your craft like the value it is.

About The Role

As a Senior AI Engineer, you’ll design and deliver AI-powered features and systems end-to-end.
That means building from scratch, making smart architectural decisions, and shipping solutions that work in real applications—not just notebooks.
Many projects involve modern LLM workflows such as RAG, vector search, and production-grade LLM integrations.

You’ll also be expected to lead technical execution with confidence: guiding implementation, explaining tradeoffs clearly, and keeping delivery moving quickly after onboarding.

What You’ll Do

• Build AI solutions from scratch—from architecture and data flow to implementation and integration with the client’s product.
• Develop and productionize LLM and/or vLLM-based systems, including orchestration and performance considerations.
• Implement RAG pipelines (retrieval-augmented generation) and iterate on retrieval quality and system reliability.
• Work with vector databases such as Pinecone or Weaviate to power semantic search and retrieval.
• Use LangChain to implement robust AI application logic, chains, tools, and workflows.
• Collaborate directly with clients (many are technically strong) to clarify requirements, justify decisions, and unblock delivery.
• Design clean application architecture—you’ll be expected to understand how AI components fit into the broader system.
• Deliver quickly and independently after accepting a project, with minimal overlap and strong async communication.
• Communicate clearly in English—including discussing business tasks, explaining technical reasoning, and surfacing issues early.

How Lemon.io Works (So You Can Focus on Engineering)

• Flexible scheduling: you can communicate async or minimally overlap within team working hours.
• No micromanagement: we respect seniority—expect no screen trackers or unnecessary oversight.
• No client-chasing: Lemon.io handles the business side, so you can focus on building.
• Direct client communication: you’ll work with clients who often have technical backgrounds, making collaboration efficient.
• Startup pace: most projects are fast-moving—if you like shipping and iterating, you’ll fit right in.

What We’re Looking For

You don’t need to be “a little familiar” with these technologies. This role is for engineers who can confidently deliver.

Core Requirements

• 3+ years of commercial experience applying AI to practical technology solutions.
• Python proficiency is required.
  • Experience with other AI-relevant languages is a plus.
• Vector database experience is required (e.g., Pinecone or Weaviate).
• 2+ years of experience with LangChain (mandatory).
• 2+ years of experience with large language models (LLMs) or vLLMs (mandatory).
• 2+ years of experience with RAG or OpenAI (required).

Senior-Level Expectations

• Strong technical skills: you’re expected to create projects from scratch and understand application architecture deeply (not just model usage).
• Clear English communication: advanced ability to discuss business tasks, justify engineering decisions, and communicate issues effectively.
• Self-organization: ability to work full-time remotely with minimal supervision.
• Reliability: we need trust—consistent delivery and follow-through with both Lemon.io and the client.
• Adaptability and flexibility: you can onboard quickly and begin delivering results immediately after accepting work.

Not Your Exact Tech Stack?

We run a wide variety of AI and software projects. If you don’t match every item above—but you’re a strong builder—you may still be a great fit.

• If you have 4+ years of commercial software development experience and are proficient in areas such as:
  • AI Agent Architecture / AI Automation Architecture
  • Site Reliability Engineering / Platform Engineering
  • MLOps / Data Science
  • React & Python / React & Golang / React & Java / React & Ruby
  • Golang / Java / Ruby / PHP / Vue / Node.js / .NET
  • Mobile (Android/iOS/Swift/Flutter/React Native)
  • Blockchain (Ethereum/Ethers.js/Wagmi/Viem/Solana)
  • DevOps / QA (Automation or Manual) / Data Engineering
  • Embedded / Unity / Machine Learning Engineering / Python & LLM

—we’d still love to connect. Tell us what you’ve built, and we’ll match you with a project that fits your strengths.

Where You’ll Work

• Remote collaboration across time zones.
• We work with developers from 75+ countries, including Europe, Latin America, North America (US/Canada), selected Asian countries (Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Israel), Oceania (Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea), and Africa (including Morocco and South Africa).

Compensation

The rate depends on your skills and experience. Lemon.io engineers have earned $11M+ in total payouts so far, and we pay competitively based on seniority and fit.

Benefits

• Remote-first flexibility with async-friendly communication
• Senior-respect culture (no micromanagement, no screen tracking)
• Direct access to technical clients to accelerate clarity and delivery
• Project variety across modern AI and software domains
• Business handled for you (no client hunting or rate negotiation headaches)

Ready to build production-grade AI with a team that values engineering? Apply now.

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