About xAI
xAI’s mission is to create AI systems that can accurately understand the universe and aid humanity in its pursuit of knowledge. Our team is small, highly motivated, and focused on engineering excellence. This organization is for individuals who appreciate challenging themselves and thrive on curiosity. We operate with a flat organizational structure. All employees are expected to be hands-on and to contribute directly to the company’s mission. Leadership is given to those who show initiative and consistently deliver excellence. Work ethic and strong prioritization skills are important. All employees are expected to have strong communication skills. They should be able to concisely and accurately share knowledge with their teammates.
About the Role
Mission Managers collaborate directly with US and Allied Government customers to strategize and execute mission-critical AI solutions.
You'll support new business proposals from requirements validation through solution design, prototyping, development, and rollout. As part of a team of Applied engineers, AI Researchers, and fellow Mission Managers, you'll connect disparate data points into a clear map of customer challenges—and align them with xAI products or collaborate with engineers to build new ones.
Top candidates bring a technical foundation, analytical mindset, and strong problem-solving curiosity. They exhibit user empathy and a hands-on approach to deliver results for customers.
In this role, you'll tackle problems demanding curiosity, analytical thinking, product intuition, and deep user empathy to empower customers.
A typical day may include:
Leading problem discovery and product scoping for key customers, often on-site
Meeting customers on-site to deploy xAI models/products in their environments or integrate their software with xAI's cloud, alongside engineers
Identifying pain points, scoping specs, and building LLM-powered software for government use cases
Optimizing model performance via prompt tuning or fine-tuning for secure, scalable deployment, and working with SMEs at the customer to improve this process
Analyzing logs, prompts, or outputs to ensure system reliability and effectiveness
Focus
Passion for solving complex, real-world problems—especially in government missions—delivering AI-driven impact
Low ego, prioritizing national security missions over personal credit
Skill in structuring vague problems and communicating them clearly to engineers and customers
Proficiency in programming/scripting (e.g., Python, SQL, TypeScript) for tool-building, data analysis, or debugging
Adaptability to evolving priorities in a fast-paced, mission-oriented startup
Strong communication to engage government stakeholders, users, and officers—clarifying requirements and driving project success
Minimum Requirements
Government Partnership Experience: Proven success collaborating with government agencies, DoD, or federal contractors on AI, software, or data initiatives
Clearance Preferred: Active U.S. security clearance (e.g., Secret, Top Secret, Top Secret/SCI) or eligibility to obtain one
Expertise in designing, implementing, and maintaining secure, scalable AI solutions that comply with rigorous standards
Ability to convert business, product, or mission needs into engineering solutions for government or enterprise clients
Strong engineering background in areas like Computer Science, Mathematics, Software Engineering, Physics, or Data Science
Experience in Software Engineering or Machine Learning
Preferred Qualifications
Experience partnering with engineering teams to design, scope, and deploy complex AI solutions
Background working with National Security customers, ideally as a former end-user of similar AI/software systems
Skill in creating user manuals or onboarding materials for non-technical audiences
Proficiency handling large datasets, optimizing performance, and scaling for high-throughput, critical workloads
Familiarity with infrastructure-as-code tools like Pulumi or Terraform, especially in secure/government environments
Interview Process
After submitting your application, the team reviews your CV and statement of exceptional work. If your application passes this stage, you will be invited to a 15 minute interview (“technical phone interview”) during which a member of our team will ask technical questions about your background or specialization. If you clear the initial phone interview, you will enter the main process, which consists of three technical interviews:
**Please note that the Statement of Exceptional Work is a key deciding factor for consideration.**
15 min Technical Screen
3x 45 min Technical Interviews
Our goal is to finish the main process within one week. All interviews will be conducted via Google Meet or in-person.
Annual Salary Range
$150,000 - $350,000 USD
Benefits
Base salary is just one part of our total rewards package at xAI, which also includes equity, comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short & long-term disability insurance, life insurance, and various other discounts and perks.
xAI is an equal opportunity employer. For details on data processing, view our Recruitment Privacy Notice.
