Engineering Lead - AI Email Applications, Artificial Intelligence
About the job
- Artificial Intelligence experience is required.
- Significant experience leading application or product engineering for complex systems.
- Strong hands-on experience building and shipping backend systems used in production.
- Experience building AI-powered products or systems that integrate with modern Machine Learning and Large Language Model capabilities.
- Strong technical judgment and the ability to make decisions with incomplete information.
- Comfort working across backend and client platforms, with deep expertise in at least one.
- A strong bias toward ownership, shipping, and learning from real-world usage.
- High standards for code quality, reliability, and engineering fundamentals.
- Willingness to complete a 60-minute coding assessment.
- Own the application engineering strategy and execution across backend, mobile, and desktop.
- Design reliable systems for AI-powered workflows, including state, orchestration, tool use, retries, fallbacks, and failure handling.
- Build the application programming interfaces and abstractions that connect Artificial Intelligence systems to real-world product experiences.
- Lead a small, senior engineering team and raise the technical bar through design reviews, code reviews, and hands-on mentorship.
- Make high-impact trade-offs across latency, reliability, cost, security, and user experience.
- Establish production foundations including observability, monitoring, testing, and operational excellence.
- Partner with Machine Learning leadership to turn model capabilities into robust, shippable product experiences.
- Keep the architecture simple, maintainable, and ready to scale.
- Ensure production systems are observable, monitored, and stable under real-world load.
- Improve latency and reliability measurably over time.
- Ensure features across backend, mobile, and desktop work smoothly and reliably.
About the company
Next Step Systems focuses on matching information technology professionals with permanent, full-time jobs across the United States. It covers a wide range of IT areas including software, hardware, networking, storage, database, web, sales, and IT management, and handles roles at all levels. The process involves recruiting, screening, and placing qualified candidates with employer clients, providing end-to-end staffing support. The firm differentiates itself through a long track record (since 1995) and strategic growth, notably the 2014 acquisition of Parallel Partners to broaden its ability to serve both company clients and job seekers. Its goal is to deliver quality, professional service that connects employers with top IT talent and helps candidates find lasting careers.
Company Size
11-50
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
null
Founded
1995
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- The website was updated October 1, 2026, signaling active business development.
- Its August 3, 2026 blog celebrated 31 years, showing durable market presence.
- Recent July 2026 posts advertised AI, NetSuite, and engineering roles across multiple geographies.
What critics are saying
- LinkedIn lists only 1-10 employees, making revenue dependent on a tiny team.
- The firm still relies on recruiting fees, so client hiring freezes hit immediately.
- If enterprise clients internalize AI sourcing, Next Step Systems loses its core fee stream.
What makes Next Step Systems unique
- Since 1995, Next Step Systems has specialized solely in permanent IT recruiting.
- Its 2026 website markets AI, cloud, data, and cybersecurity placements nationwide.
- The firm spans Chicago, Cleveland, and other metro pages for hyperlocal candidate sourcing.
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Benefits
- Health Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account
- 401(k) Retirement Plan
- 401(k) Company Match
- Paid Vacation
- Paid Holidays
- Remote Work Options
- Hybrid Work Options
- Flexible Work Hours
- Phone/Internet Stipend
- Tuition Reimbursement