Member of Technical Staff (Software Engineer, AI Policy and Strategic Initiatives)

Details

Perplexity is seeking an intrepid Member of Technical Staff to take on a unique engineering role in the AI industry. You will work directly with senior leadership to spearhead a broad portfolio of strategic technology initiatives across policy, law, operations, and corporate affairs.

As a Member of Technical Staff in the Policy & Strategic Initiatives group, you will engage with major policy issues affecting the AI ecosystem and gain insight into how leading AI companies operate, make decisions, and engage with broader society. The role is suited to candidates who want to combine technical expertise with interests in law, policy, and corporate affairs.

Responsibilities

• Use AI agents to research high-stakes policy and regulatory issues pertaining to Perplexity.
• Build automated platforms for harvesting, prioritizing, and patenting Perplexity's inventions in collaboration with AI researchers and intellectual property attorneys.
• Work hands-on with the Legal team and outside counsel in support of high-tech litigation matters in U.S. federal court.
• Engineer privacy and compliance systems that scale with Perplexity's frontier AI products, including Comet and Computer.
• Contribute to regulatory filings and responses requiring a strong command of AI technology, Perplexity's systems, and the broader policy landscape.
• Collaborate with the People team to implement first-party software solutions for recruiting, labor compliance, and performance management.
• Participate in meetings with Capitol Hill, executive branch officials, international partners, and civil society as a subject-matter expert in AI technology and policy.
• Serve as a creative problem solver for senior leaders across simple and complex matters.

Requirements

• Exceptional ability and a 99th-percentile work ethic.
• Strong technical skills at or above Perplexity's hiring bar for software engineers.
• Fluency with frontier intelligence tools, such as Perplexity Computer.
• High standards for the craft and quality of work.
• Strong communication and writing skills, ideally demonstrated through samples of past written work.
• Curiosity and enthusiasm for unfamiliar fields, with an eagerness to redefine the role every 3–6 months.
• Ability to quickly develop deep expertise in new fields, potentially rivaling that of domain experts.
• Unimpeachable judgment, integrity, and discretion.
• A service-oriented attitude focused on improving company systems and processes for stakeholders.

Potential candidates include exceptionally talented early-career engineers, including new graduates, who are well-read in law, technology policy, or economics; experienced engineers from top technology companies; and lawyers or economists with strong engineering skills. Candidates planning to attend law school or a PhD program are welcome, provided they can make a minimum two-year commitment.

Benefits

Full-time U.S. employees receive a comprehensive benefits program including equity, health, dental, vision, retirement, fitness, commuter and dependent-care accounts, and more. International employees receive benefits tailored to their region of residence. Final offer amounts depend on factors including experience and expertise.