Strategic Projects Lead - Engineering (MechE / EE / IE)

About AfterQuery

Our customers are the ones building the foundation models themselves and our work sits directly in the loop of how those systems improve. This is a rare opportunity to join a company at a defining moment in AI. Forbes reported that we could be YC's fastest unicorn, reportedly raising at a $3.2 billion valuation. We're based in San Francisco and backed by leading investors including Altos Ventures, BoxGroup, and Y Combinator and angels from Google DeepMind, OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta Superintelligence Labs, and Microsoft AI.

Why Apply

Massive Opportunity: Forbes reported that we could be YC's fastest unicorn, reportedly raising at a $3.2 billion valuation, and we're not slowing down.

Equity & Growth: Competitive salary and meaningful equity. As we scale, you’ll have the opportunity to shape the engineering organization and lead major technical initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

Project and client management: Work with the world’s leading AI organizations to build next-generation data solutions that push the limits of model capability, while directly driving revenue.

Manage expert teams across technical domains: Lead and coordinate highly specialized contributors across fields like electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, semiconductors, hardware design, and more to create high-quality outputs at scale.

Shape how AI systems are trained: Design dataset specifications that directly influence how frontier models are evaluated and improved. Your technical judgment and problem-solving abilities will help shape what foundation models become.

Drive high-impact execution end-to-end: Own critical projects from idea to delivery. From scoping and breaking down complex engineering problems to executing, iterating, and shipping solutions in a fast-moving, high-stakes environment, you will touch it all.

Gain top-tier operational experience: Support the team across a range of operational initiatives that will directly contribute to the future of AfterQuery. You will work across multiple parts of the business in the same week, ranging from building, analyzing, coordinating, and executing where needed most.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a closely related technical field.
• 3+ years of experience in engineering, technical research, hardware development, or software engineering roles involving physical systems.
• Strong technical problem-solving abilities, with the ability to break down unfamiliar engineering problems, understand technical constraints, and reason through how complex systems work.
• Demonstrated hands-on engineering experience through designing, building, simulating, testing, or investigating substantial technical projects.
• Familiarity with engineering design, simulation, testing, or verification processes.
• High agency and strong work ethic; comfort defining problems and thriving with minimal direction in ambiguous situations.
• Demonstrated leadership excellence and strong communication abilities.
• Genuine passion for AI and an entrepreneurial inclination.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in semiconductors, chip design, electronic circuits, PCB design, CAD, hardware engineering, manufacturing, or engineering automation.
• Python proficiency or experience with engineering software, CAD/EDA tools, simulation environments, or technical automation workflows.
• Experience with physical systems, engineering design, or applied technical research through professional work, internships, or independent projects.
• Strong coding abilities or experience developing tools and workflows to automate engineering processes.
• Advanced degree (MS/PhD) in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Familiarity with Claude Code or similar AI-assisted workflows.
• Demonstrated ability to scale technical systems and apply strong reasoning skills across unfamiliar engineering domains.

Company Benefits (For Eligible Employees):

We comply with applicable pay transparency requirements and provide compensation ranges based on the position, qualifications, experience, and other relevant factors. Reasonable accommodations are available to qualified individuals with disabilities and for sincerely held religious beliefs, as required by law. This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed and is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, qualifications, or working conditions associated with the position.