Staff Software Engineer (Pittsburgh)

About Gray Swan

Gray Swan protects organizations from emerging AI security threats. We build real-time threat detection, automated validation, and adaptive defenses for AI labs and enterprises. We’re a team of ~25 people, well-funded, and growing fast.

We have strong traction and globally recognized customers, which means employees here take on real responsibility and meaningful equity from day one. This is a high-ownership environment where you’ll work on hard problems, move quickly, and help shape both the product and the company.

Many people join Gray Swan because our mission matters. We’re doing practical, high-impact work in AI safety, that sense of purpose is a core reason why engineers and researchers choose us.

Learn more about how we work.

The Role

We’re looking for a software engineer who wants to build things end to end and doesn’t mind getting their hands dirty. You’ll work across the stack—frontend, backend APIs, and databases—helping us turn ideas into real product and improve what’s already in production.

You don’t need to have used every tool we use. What matters is that you have solid full-stack experience, pick up new technologies quickly, and are comfortable owning work without a lot of process or hand-holding. We are still in the early stages of our growth, so if you like autonomy, responsibility, and moving fast, then please apply for this opportunity!

What You’ll Do:

• Design and develop web applications using modern frontend frameworks like Svelte

• Build intuitive and user-friendly interfaces that delight users

• Develop and maintain backend APIs using tools like FastAPI

• Manage and optimize database systems like MongoDB

• Collaborate with our ML research team to integrate AI experiences into our products

Who You Are:

• Proficiency in TypeScript or JavaScript

• Experience with frontend frameworks such as React, Vue, or Svelte

• Solid understanding of HTML and CSS

• Hands-on experience building backend APIs

• Knowledge of database systems (SQL or NoSQL; MongoDB is a plus)

Bonus Points If You Have:

• SvelteKit experience

• Python proficiency and AI/ML framework exposure

• Experience in creating AI-driven applications

• Experience deploying and scaling applications on cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Google Cloud, Azure)

• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices to streamline development workflows

• Knowledge of secure coding practices and mitigating vulnerabilities in web applications

• Contributions to open-source projects or an active GitHub/portfolio showcasing relevant work

• Experience with testing frameworks (e.g., Jest, Playwright) to ensure code quality

• Understanding of AI safety principles or ethical considerations in AI systems

If you don’t have 100% of these, you should still seriously consider applying. We care more about what you can do than your credentials.

You’ll Thrive Here If You:

• You've learned things about your code only production traffic can teach

• You're comfortable debugging across the stack – from browser devtools to database query plans.

• You've worked in environments where moving fast matters and you know how to balance speed with sustainability.

• You're interested in applying your security mindset to AI, where the threat model is still being written

What We Offer:

We offer a competitive compensation package designed to reward impact and incentivize growth. Our compensation philosophy is informed by our current valuation and recent industry data.

Compensation: $210k-$280k plus performance based bonus and meaningful equity package

Benefits:

• 401k with up to 4% matching

• 28 days annual leave (vacation + holidays)

• Health, dental, and vision coverage

• Catered lunches (Pittsburgh office)

• Flexible work arrangements

• Visa sponsorship available for exceptional candidates

Interview Process

Application review. We read everything; we’ll respond within 10 days.

✏️ Online technical screen (15 min). Complete a simple, job-relevant exercise.

Intro call (30 min). We learn about you; you learn about us.

‍ Technical interview (90 min). Live coding with some tasks requiring AI and others not.

Experience & culture interview (60 min). Conversational exploration of the skills fit.

Reference checks. We’ll reach out to 3-5 references that you provide.

Offer. If it’s mutual, we move fast.

How to Apply

Submit your resume, link to your portfolio, and answer the questions on the application.