Senior Engineer

Hillspire, LLC, is an integrated family office management company that serves the business and philanthropic activities of Eric and Wendy Schmidt and their family and supports more than 700 employees worldwide. Hillspire provides legal, finance, accounting, facilities and real estate, human resources, and information technology services to the organization.
Eric and Wendy Schmidt have created a number of philanthropic organizations and initiatives that work toward a healthy, resilient, secure world for all. These philanthropic organizations include:
The Schmidt Family Foundation works to restore a balanced relationship between people and planet. It has two grant-making and investment programs: The 11th Hour Project, which works to create a world with fresh air, clean water and healthy food for all people; and Schmidt Marine Technology Partners, which supports scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs in developing technologies that restore ocean health.
Schmidt Ocean Institute is a virtual institute that operates the research vessel Falkor (too). The ship and its assets are available at no cost to scientists worldwide working to explore, discover and understand the ocean. Schmidt Ocean catalyzes ocean exploration and research and educates and engages the public to inform the wise stewardship of the planet.
Schmidt Sciences works to deepen human understanding of the natural world and develop solutions to global issues with science and technology. The core focus areas of the organization include: AI and advanced computing, astrophysics and space, biosciences, climate and cross-science programs.
11th Hour Racing works with the sailing community and maritime industry to advance solutions and practices that protect and restore the health of the ocean.
Agog is a groundbreaking initiative at the intersection of technology, communications and social impact. The organization helps creators and nonprofit leaders harness the power of extended reality (XR) technologies to spur positive social transformation, opening new avenues for empathy, understanding and activism. 
The Schmidt Initiative for Long Covid advances clinical care for Long Covid patients globally. The organization works to raise the level of Long Covid care and understanding around the world by connecting specialists and primary care providers to support patients and share knowledge virtually, in real time. 
Remain is a charitable organization that supports the economic, social and environmental vitality of Nantucket.

The Role

We are looking for an experienced engineer who wants to build software that matters. You will help design and build new tools at the intersection of democracy and AI, shaping how people understand and engage with today’s rapidly evolving information environment.

The role involves working across the stack—building new tools, integrating modern AI capabilities, and evolving systems as they move from early prototypes to production software.

The ideal candidate is comfortable operating in small, fast-moving teams, enjoys working in environments where projects evolve quickly, and is excited to use modern AI tools both within the systems being built and within their own development workflows.

 

Key responsibilities for this role include the following:

Build and Ship Software

• Design and implement software used in civic and social-impact contexts
• Work across the stack, from backend services and APIs to frontend interfaces
• Take ownership of features and systems from early concept through production
• Rapidly prototype and iterate on new tools and product features
• Improve reliability, usability, and scalability as early tools grow into production systems

AI & Intelligent Systems

• Integrate modern AI capabilities such as LLMs, retrieval systems, and embeddings into applications
• Build tools that help users navigate and work with complex information
• Contribute to systems that combine data pipelines, search, and AI-driven functionality
• Use AI tools as a core part of your core development workflow to prototype, build, and iterate rapidly.

Systems & Infrastructure

• Contribute to system architecture spanning data ingestion, transformation, and application delivery
• Build and maintain services that integrate multiple data sou