Junior AI Engineer

Company:

Location: San Diego, CA — onsite local candidates only

Preferred areas: Carlsbad or La Jolla

Compensation: $20/hour

Job Type: Entry-level, hourly

Work Arrangement: Onsite; not remote

Find out if this opportunity is a good fit by reading all of the information that follows below.

About

builds AI-powered solutions for life sciences, pharma, biotech, medical device, and diagnostics companies. Our team helps clients modernize workflows, accelerate regulatory processes, automate documentation, and apply AI in practical, business-ready ways.

We are looking for a motivated recent computer science graduate or junior-level AI engineer who is local to the San Diego area and excited to gain hands-on experience building and supporting real-world AI solutions.

Role Overview

The Junior AI Engineer / AI Support Engineer will support our AI product and client-facing teams by helping test, troubleshoot, document, and improve AI workflows. This person should be comfortable learning quickly, working onsite with the team, and taking client or internal calls when needed.

This is a great opportunity for a recent computer science graduate who wants practical experience in AI, automation, software development, and life sciences technology.

Key Responsibilities

Support development, testing, and improvement of AI-enabled workflows, copilots, and automation tools.

Assist with prompt testing, AI output validation, workflow QA, and documentation.

Help troubleshoot basic technical issues across AI tools, web applications, APIs, or internal systems.

Join internal and client-facing calls to capture requirements, technical notes, issues, and follow-up items.

Work with senior team members to turn business needs into technical tasks.

Research AI tools, LLM capabilities, automation methods, and emerging technical approaches.

Support data preparation, testing datasets, and quality review of AI-generated outputs.

Document processes, bugs, product feedback, and recommended improvements.

Help maintain organized project notes, technical documentation, and task tracking.

Required Qualifications

Recent graduate or early-career candidate with a degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Data Science, AI, or a related field.

Basic understanding of AI, machine learning, large language models, or software development.

Experience with Python, JavaScript, or another programming language.

Comfortable using APIs, GitHub, technical documentation, and modern development tools.

Strong problem-solving skills and willingness to learn quickly.

Comfortable speaking on calls with team members, clients, or partners.

Strong communication skills and ability to explain technical concepts clearly.

Must be local to San Diego and able to work onsite.

Nice to Have

Experience with ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, OpenAI API, LangChain, vector databases, or prompt engineering.

Exposure to healthcare, biotech, pharma, regulatory, or medical technology.

Basic frontend or backend development experience.

Familiarity with AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.

Experience with Notion, Jira, Airtable, Slack, or similar project tools.

Interest in AI governance, compliance, healthcare workflows, or regulated industries.

Ideal Candidate

You are early in your career, curious, reliable, and excited to learn by doing. You do not need to know everything yet, but you should be proactive, comfortable asking questions, and willing to support both technical development and client-facing needs.

You should enjoy working in a fast-moving startup environment where priorities may shift and where your work can directly support product development, client delivery, and AI implementation.

Compensation

This role pays $20/hour

California's statewide minimum wage is $16.90/hour as of January 1, 2026, and the City of San Diego minimum wage is $17.75/hour for work performed within city boundaries. California employers with 15 or more employees are required to include pay scale information in job postings, so including the $20/hour rate directly is the right move.

How to Apply

Please submit your resume and a brief note sharing:

Your technical background

Any AI, software, or automation projects you have worked on

Your availability

Your location in the San Diego area

HR Note

I'd avoid posting this as just "Junior AI Engineer" without context because $20/hr may attract candidates expecting a more traditional engineering salary. xhyhwjd "Junior AI Engineer / AI Support Engineer" or "Entry-Level AI Engineer" sets clearer expectations while still sounding attractive to recent grads.