AI & Automation Product Engineer

Formic | Industrial automation and robotics

1h 55m ago

Remote In-Country

Full Time

United States of America

$135k - $175k USD/yr

Title: AI & Automation Product Engineer Location: San Francisco || Oakland, CA

Who we are:

Formic is on a mission to reshape American manufacturing by making automation accessible to every factory. As labor constraints rise, costs increase, and global competition intensifies, automation is no longer optional for manufacturers that want to stay competitive.

We deliver automation through a Robotics-as-a-Service model that combines industrial robotics, proprietary software, and full-service support into a single, integrated solution. By removing the traditional barriers of cost, complexity, and risk, we enable manufacturers to deploy automation quickly and realize measurable gains in throughput, safety, and operational efficiency without large upfront capital investment.

Backed by leading investors including Lux Capital, Initialized Capital, Blackhorn Ventures, and Mitsubishi HC Capital North America, Formic is scaling rapidly and building the foundation for a new era of high-performance, Made in America production.

About the team:

Formic's Business Systems team builds and manages the software, data infrastructure, and integrations that power our operations.

Our work touches nearly every part of the company. We build internal applications that help teams manage robot deployments and field service, connect operational data across platforms, and develop AI-powered tools that make information more accessible and work more efficient. We also help shape the systems behind our sales, marketing, finance, and other business processes.

Some solutions are custom-built applications. Others involve integrating existing platforms, automating workflows, or rethinking how information moves through the business. We work directly with the people using these systems and own what we deliver, including adoption, reliability, and ongoing improvement.

We're a small team with significant autonomy, tackling technical challenges across a robotics company where the software we build has a direct impact on real-world operations.

About the role:

We're looking for a technically strong, AI-forward builder who can turn complex business problems into working software.

You'll work directly with teams across Formic to identify opportunities and build solutions, whether that's developing an internal application, connecting systems that don't communicate, automating an operational process, or applying AI to make existing tools more useful.

You'll have the autonomy to determine what to build and how to build it, along with responsibility for getting it into production and making sure it works. We want someone who moves quickly, makes sound technical decisions, and cares as much about adoption and reliability as development.

This isn't a traditional product management role or one focused exclusively on AI. It's a hands-on opportunity for someone who loves building software and wants to see the impact of their work.

We care more about what you've built than your job title or career path. You might come from software engineering, applied AI, technical product development, business systems engineering, or a startup where you've worn several hats. What matters is that you know how to turn ideas into working software and can show us what you've shipped.

In this role you will:

Build and maintain internal applications, AI-powered tools, automations, and integrations that solve problems across Formic
Work directly with employees and business leaders to understand existing processes, uncover inefficiencies, and determine what should be built
Design technical solutions, including application architecture, APIs, databases, data pipelines, and integrations with existing platforms
Experiment with LLMs, AI agents, and emerging development tools, applying them where they offer a meaningful advantage
Connect information across business systems to improve data quality, visibility, and decision-making
Take projects from initial discovery through prototyping, development, deployment, and ongoing support
Build with security, reliability, maintainability, and scalability in mind, including appropriate testing and monitoring
Gather feedback, measure adoption and results, and continuously improve the products you deliver
Collaborate with engineering and other technical teams when projects require shared infrastructure or specialized expertise
Help determine the priorities, architecture, and technical direction of our Business Systems function

What makes you a great fit:

A strong track record of personally building and shipping software, internal products, automations, or other technical solutions that people rely on
Solid software development skills, including experience working with APIs, databases, and modern application development tools
Proficiency in at least one modern programming language, such as Python or TypeScript, and experience working with APIs, databases, and SQL
Hands-on experience integrating systems and working with data across multiple platforms
Practical experience using AI in software development or building AI-powered applications, with genuine curiosity about emerging capabilities
The ability to make thoughtful technical decisions without overengineering solutions
Strong product instincts. You can understand what users need, distinguish symptoms from underlying problems, and prioritize work based on impact
Comfort working independently, navigating ambiguity, and owning projects from beginning to end
An appreciation for what happens after launch, including testing, documentation, monitoring, maintenance, and user adoption
The ability to communicate clearly with technical and nontechnical colleagues
A bias toward action, intellectual curiosity, and genuine interest in how businesses operate

Bonus points if you have:

Experience building with LLM APIs, AI agents, retrieval-augmented generation, or agentic workflows
Experience building and deploying cloud-based applications
Familiarity with CRM, ERP, finance, or operational systems and the data that connects them
Experience with workflow orchestration, event-driven integrations, or data engineering
Experience building applications that handle sensitive business information
A background in robotics, manufacturing, industrial automation, logistics, or field service operations.
Experience working in a startup or small technical team where you've had substantial ownership.

Our Total Rewards:

At Formic, we believe people do their best work when they feel supported both professionally and personally. That’s why we offer a comprehensive benefits and perks package for full-time, U.S.-based team members, including:

Equity in Formic: Participate in our stock option program and share in the success of a fast-growing start-up backed by leading global investors
Competitive & Uncapped Commission Structure: Designed to reward performance and impact in commission-eligible roles
Comprehensive Healthcare Coverage: Medical, dental, and vision insurance through Blue Cross Blue Shield and Unum, with 99% of employee premiums covered and 75% coverage for dependents, with optional buy-up plans available
Additional Insurance Benefits: FSA and DCFSA, life insurance, short-term disability, and long-term disability through Unum, all 100% employer-paid
Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Fully funded by Formic, offering support when you need it most
Paid Parental Leave Program: Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave
Company-sponsored 401(k): Invest in your future with our company-facilitated retirement savings plan
Home Office Stipend: A one-time allowance for fully remote and hybrid employees to support an at-home or on-the-road work setup
Monthly Cell Phone Reimbursement: Monthly stipend toward personal phone and internet expenses
Flexible Time Off: Take the time you need, when you need it, supported by our flexible PTO policy

Compensation Philosophy

Formic’s pay and equity packages are thoughtfully benchmarked against peer companies at a similar growth stage. Equity represents a meaningful part of our mutual investment: when Formic succeeds, so do you.

Final offers are customized based on experience, geographic location, market considerations, and a candidate’s preferred balance of cash and equity. Our goal is to attract and reward top talent who will have significant impact, and we are open to thoughtful discussions to align on the right structure.

Compensation Range:

$135,000—$175,000 USD

What we look for:

We’re building this company from the ground up, and every person we hire has an outsized impact on our culture, performance, and trajectory. While each team member brings unique strengths and perspectives, we look for people who align with our Operating Principles and embody them in action. If this sounds like you, Formic may be the right place for you!

Fearless Optimism: You make bold bets and default optimistic. You believe in the mission, aren’t paralyzed by risk, and fear inaction more than failure. You see ambiguity as opportunity and bring energy to building what doesn’t yet exist.
Create the Magic: You absorb complexity so customers don’t have to. Whether your customer is external or internal, you focus on delivering experiences that are clear, fast, value-added, and outcome-driven. You don’t say “not my job.” You make things work.
Today, Not Tomorrow: You have a bias to action. You close the loop. You take extreme ownership. You understand that speed compounds, and you don’t confuse activity with results.
Seek Truth: You think from first principles. You value data over ego and strong opinions loosely held. You’re willing to challenge assumptions, including your own, in pursuit of the best answer.
Made of Rubber: You are resolute and adaptable. When things break or priorities shift, you rebound stronger. You treat setbacks as learning moments and move forward with grit.
One Formic: You operate without silos. You practice radical helpfulness, document clearly, and make clean handoffs. You assume positive intent and prioritize team success over individual credit.

Equal Opportunity Employment:

AI Use:

At Formic, fairness and transparency are at the heart of our hiring process. We use AI-powered tools in some interviews to help our teams evaluate candidate responses, but all final hiring decisions are made by humans. You can learn more about how AI is used in our recruitment process by reviewing our AI Hiring Disclosure linked here.

Required Skills

pythontypescriptsql

Required Languages

🇬🇧 English