Applied LLM Engineer (Equity-Based)

We're looking for a passionate and skilled Applied LLM Engineer to join our founding team. This is a ground-floor opportunity to shape our data strategy, analytical frameworks, and company culture. As an early team member, you'll have significant input into key decisions and the chance to grow with the company.

Buddy Website: https://www.buddy.ninja/

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement a production-ready LLM chatbot using AWS Bedrock
• Develop a RAG pipeline to query pet biometric and behavioral data
• Implement contextual insights within the app interface
• Design structured prompting frameworks for health-safe responses
• Implement guardrails, uncertainty handling, and escalation logic
• Implement structured report generation for veterinary use
• Build API layer to query pet metrics securely and efficiently
• Implement conversation memory and structured logging
• Optimize token usage and LLM cost efficiency
• Collaborate closely with the founding team on data strategy and product roadmap

Qualifications

• Experience building production LLM applications
• Strong understanding of RAG architecture
• Experience with AWS (Bedrock preferred)
• Familiarity with token optimization & inference cost modeling
• Experience designing prompt systems & guardrails
• Familiarity with health-tech AI or regulated AI domains (preferred)
• Experience integrating AI into mobile or web applications (preferred)

Work Arrangements

• Remote position with flexibility to work as a side commitment
• Weekly online meetings during weekdays (evening time)
• Occasional in-person weekend events & business trips
• Opportunity to grow with the company as we scale

What we offer

• Equity compensation (0.5-2%, commensurate with experience and role scope)
• Flexible work arrangements - option to work part-time until formal employment is established
• Opportunity to be part of a founding team with significant input into company direction
• Work directly with pet owners and build products that make a real difference in their lives
• Ground-floor opportunity in the rapidly growing pet tech market in APAC

Our Culture

We're building a company culture that values innovation, work-life balance, and passion for improving the lives of pets. We offer:

• Flexible work arrangements to support work-life balance
• Recognition for contributions to our mission and values
• Opportunities to participate in animal welfare initiatives
• Regular feedback sessions where your ideas can shape our future