Define the architectural foundation for processing unstructured data for LLM applications. Oversee the core platform's development and mentor engineering teams.
Unstructured is defining the standard for enterprise data transformation in the age of LLMs and generative AI. In just two years, we’ve raised over $65M from world-class investors, including Menlo Ventures, Bain Capital, Databricks, NVIDIA, Microsoft, and IBM.
Our open-source toolkit has been downloaded 52M+ times and is used by 66,000+ companies, including nearly half of the Fortune 500. We power production AI workflows across commercial and federal sectors—transforming PDFs, HTML, Word docs, images, emails, and more into AI-ready data pipelines that scale.
We’re not just building tools, we’re building the backbone of generative AI and the infrastructure that unlocks intelligence across industries.
Unstructured is looking for Staff and Principal Software Engineers to define the architectural foundation for how enterprises process and transform unstructured data for large-language-model (LLM) applications.
This is a high-impact, hands-on role for someone who thrives in deep systems work—someone who could write the book on Kubernetes, lives and breathes Python, and understands Postgres at the index and transaction-log level. You’ll own the technical direction for our core platform, guiding how data moves through every layer—from ingestion to transformation to retrieval.
You’ll partner closely with the Head of Engineering, Head of Infrastructure, and product leaders to ensure Unstructured’s systems are performant, resilient, and ready to support the next generation of AI-driven workloads.
Location(s) Preferred: San Francisco, Bay Area, San Jose, Seattle, Sacramento
What You’ll Own & Drive:
Define and evolve the end-to-end architecture for Unstructured’s data transformation and retrieval platform.
Build and scale distributed systems that process massive volumes of unstructured data across diverse formats and sources.
Serve as the company-wide authority on Kubernetes orchestration, cluster design, performance tuning, and reliability.
Lead Python architecture and best practices—ensuring performance, modularity, and maintainability across services.
Design and optimize Postgres schemas, queries, and indexing strategies to support large-scale metadata and retrieval pipelines.
Mentor senior engineers through design reviews and code guidance, raising the bar for technical excellence across the org.
Partner with the infrastructure and product teams to translate research prototypes into production-grade systems.
Evaluate emerging technologies and open-source tools in LLM infrastructure, retrieval, and orchestration—deciding where and how to integrate them.
What You Bring:
Have 10+ years of software engineering experience with a focus on distributed systems, infrastructure, or data architecture.
Are a Python expert—capable of building frameworks and performance-critical services from scratch.
Have deep Kubernetes expertise; you can design, deploy, and debug at scale and could teach others how to productionize it securely.
Are fluent in Postgres—you understand query planning, partitioning, and tuning for high-throughput environments.
Are obsessed with clean, scalable architecture and can lead design reviews that shape how entire systems evolve.
Have experience in high-performance data or AI/ML systems—especially those involving retrieval pipelines, embeddings, or hybrid workloads.
Thrive in fast-moving, ambiguous environments where technical depth and judgment matter more than process.
Bonus Points
Experience building or scaling LLM-powered or RAG systems in production.
Familiarity with open-source orchestration frameworks, vector databases, or hybrid cloud infrastructure.
Contributions to open-source projects in Python, Kubernetes, or distributed systems.
Why You’ll Love It Here
You’ll be surrounded by smart, kind, low-ego people who genuinely enjoy building together. We invest in our team, with company offsites, best-in-tech swag, and the tools you need to do your best work, wherever you’re based.
The work itself is deeply meaningful. You’ll be at the center of some of the most exciting problems in AI today - tackling meaty, novel technical challenges that directly power real production systems used by thousands of companies, including nearly half of the Fortune 500.
We support you holistically, not just at work. From day-one medical, dental, and vision coverage (plus life and disability insurance), to unlimited PTO, flexible parental leave, 401(k) options, and competitive referral incentives, we want you focused on building, growing, and staying energized for the long haul.
Most importantly, we’re scaling fast. This is a chance to join early enough to build foundational technology, influence how we operate, and help shape the future of a company defining the next era of AI infrastructure.
If that sounds like your kind of team, we’d love to meet you.
Top Skills
Kubernetes
Postgres
Python
Similar Jobs
Artificial Intelligence • Hardware • Information Technology • Security • Software • Cybersecurity • Big Data Analytics
Lead sales efforts for Silvus MIMO-MANET tactical communications products into Federal Civilian and Law Enforcement Agencies. Build and manage customer relationships, develop pipeline and CRM forecasts, support events, stay current on market and competitor activity, and meet annual new-business targets while supporting capture and proposal activities.
Top Skills:
Mimo-Manet,Manet,Mimo,Radio (Tactical Communications),Crm,C5Isr,Ew,Sigint,C2,Autonomous Systems,Crada
Healthtech • Other • Social Impact • Software • Telehealth
Lead launch and scaling of AI-powered patient-facing features that augment therapy. Partner with clinicians, engineers, data scientists, and designers to prototype, validate, and ship clinically-grounded, safe, and personalized AI experiences across the care journey.
Top Skills:
AIData ScienceMlMl EngineeringPromptingRag
Healthtech • Other • Social Impact • Software • Telehealth
Lead enterprise sales into health systems and large physician groups, design and close referral partnerships, build relationships with clinical leadership, address operational challenges, collaborate cross-functionally, and connect patients to Rula's behavioral health provider network.
What you need to know about the Los Angeles Tech Scene
Los Angeles is a global leader in entertainment, so it’s no surprise that many of the biggest players in streaming, digital media and game development call the city home. But the city boasts plenty of non-entertainment innovation as well, with tech companies spanning verticals like AI, fintech, e-commerce and biotech. With major universities like Caltech, UCLA, USC and the nearby UC Irvine, the city has a steady supply of top-flight tech and engineering talent — not counting the graduates flocking to Los Angeles from across the world to enjoy its beaches, culture and year-round temperate climate.
Key Facts About Los Angeles Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 375,800; 5.5% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Snap, Netflix, SpaceX, Disney, Google
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, adtech, media, software, game development
- Funding Landscape: $11.6 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Strong Ventures, Fifth Wall, Upfront Ventures, Mucker Capital, Kittyhawk Ventures
- Research Centers and Universities: California Institute of Technology, UCLA, University of Southern California, UC Irvine, Pepperdine, California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Quantum Science and Engineering
