Research Engineer

Crater, an innovative email client startup, is seeking a Research Engineer to join their founding team. The company is revolutionizing email management through predictive algorithms that anticipate user needs and actions. This role focuses on developing their intuitive inbox recommendation algorithm and improving retrieval/hybrid search capabilities.

The position offers a unique opportunity to work in a small, talent-dense team of less than 8 people, where all engineering efforts are concentrated on recommendations, search, and product development. As a founding engineer, you'll have significant autonomy and ownership in building core features that directly impact user experience.

The role involves sophisticated machine learning applications, particularly in ranking algorithms and reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF). You'll be working in an engineering-first organization that values eval-driven development and real-world implementation. The company's vision extends beyond email management, aiming to use email ranking as a proxy for understanding user priorities and developing intelligent agents that enhance various aspects of users' lives.

This is an in-person position in San Francisco's North Beach office, offering competitive Bay Area compensation and significant founding engineer equity. The role is ideal for engineers who are passionate about solving complex problems in machine learning and natural language processing, with a focus on practical applications that directly benefit users.