Software Engineer - Data Acquisition / Web Crawling

xAI is at the forefront of artificial intelligence development, creating systems to understand the universe and advance human knowledge. This role offers an exciting opportunity to join their Data Acquisition team, where you'll be instrumental in building world-class systems that process hundreds of petabytes of diverse data - from web content to code, images, audio, and video.

As a Software Engineer specializing in Data Acquisition and Web Crawling, you'll be working on systems that power cutting-edge AI models like Grok 3. You'll collaborate closely with pre-training, reasoning, and multimodal teams, helping to define and implement precise data requirements and large-scale classifiers. The role demands expertise in building robust, high-throughput data pipelines and managing petabyte-scale challenges.

The position is based in the Bay Area, offering a competitive salary range of $180,000 - $440,000 USD. xAI operates with a flat organizational structure where initiative and excellence determine leadership opportunities. The team is small, highly motivated, and focused on engineering excellence, making it perfect for those who thrive on curiosity and challenging themselves.

The tech stack includes Python, Rust, Spark, and Kubernetes, and you'll be working with various data modalities and distributed systems. The role requires strong proficiency in compiled languages, experience with large-scale system optimization, and deep knowledge of internet fundamentals. This is an opportunity to directly impact the evolution of transformative AI while working with cutting-edge technology and brilliant minds in the field.