Senior Software Engineer, Applied Research

Remote Full-Time | Candidates who can work within UTC-8 to UTC+2 to align with our team.

We’re looking for an experienced Senior Software Engineer with focus on AI/ML and a research mindset to guide the most challenging aspects of our knowledge ingestion and question answering system. If you’ve tackled complex information retrieval problems, designed evaluation frameworks, and know how to navigate trade-offs between accuracy, cost, and timelines, we’d love to hear from you.

In this role, you’ll focus on experimentation and implementation for our Python-based knowledge service. You’ll design, test and implement retrieval strategies, evaluate system trustworthiness, and help define how the service handles conflicting or outdated information, among other challenges. You’ll work closely with product and engineering teams to ensure our AI/ML foundations are technically strong, reliable, and aligned with product goals.

What You’ll Do

• Lead experimentation on retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) approaches for question answering over a Neo4j knowledge graph.
• Develop and refine evaluation frameworks (test sets, LLM-as-a-judge rubrics, failure mode analyses, etc.).
• Investigate and implement strategies for handling conflicting, incomplete, or time-sensitive information.
• Translate product requirements into ML constraints and possibilities.
• Collaborate with engineers to validate feasibility and de-risk system architecture.

What We’re Looking For

• 8+ years of professional or research experience, with deep expertise in AI/ML research or applied machine learning.
• Strong background in Python and experience with retrieval-augmented generation, LLMs, or knowledge graphs.
• Demonstrated ability to design experiments, evaluate systems rigorously, and communicate findings.
• Strong collaborator and communicator, able to bridge research and engineering.

Nice to Have

• Experience with Neo4j or other graph databases.
• Background in verification workflows.
• Prior work in product-driven environments.

About Meedan

Meedan is a nonprofit focused on building digital tools and community-led programs that enhance the accessibility, reliability, and distribution of information when and where people need it most. We codesign open-source tools and programs, enabling communities—especially those that have been historically underserved—to access the information they need to organize and mobilize. We also strive to make online ecosystems safer, more inclusive, and more equitable, so that existing pathways for content production and distribution can better serve the needs of all communities, regardless of their location, language, or income.

Benefits

At Meedan, we believe that the work we do is only as strong as the well-being of the people who make it happen. We’re committed to providing a broad range of employee benefits that uplift the engagement and growth of our people, and to truly embody awesome in our Meedan culture.

For candidates from the US, we have the following benefits available:

• Unlimited PTO including vacation, holidays, and sick time with expansive coverage, including for menstrual pain, caretaking responsibilities, and mental health needs. We are also closed the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day.
• Generous health and dental benefits, including 100% employee premium coverage and 50% coverage of dependents
• Employer-paid life insurance, short-term disability, & long-term disability
• Options of employee-paid vision insurance, commuter benefits, healthcare FSA, and childcare FSA
• Matching 401k plan (100% match of the first 3% and 50% match of the next 2% employee contribution) and a flexible spending account
• Complimentary One Medical subscriptions for employees and dependents
• Complimentary Health Advocate and Talkspace (online therapy) subscriptions
• Complimentary Kindbody benefit (gynecology, fertility, and family-building)
• A one calendar month paid sabbatical after five years of employment
• Flexible leave for bereavement, major illness, parental responsibilities, pregnancy, military duties, civic responsibility, severe weather conditions

For candidates outside of the U.S., we strive for parity with U.S. benefit offerings, subject to local regulations and restrictions. Further supplemental benefits for non-U.S. team members include a coworking space allowance and home office allowance.

Professional Development and Social Support

All candidates around the world have the following resources available:

• Professional development support
• Annual home office equipment stipend
• Monthly cell phone bill stipend
• Coworking office space stipend
• Mentorship program plus regular learning sessions/seminars
• Regular optional team social activities online and offline, including games, meditation, and meals
• Generous travel support for in-person meetings and retreats with colleagues
• Paid subscription to meditation apps and other mental health resources
• Complimentary access to publications like the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and others
• Digital security training and support