AI Lead Engineer

The above represents the expected base salary range for this job requisition. Ultimately, in determining your pay, we’ll consider your level, experience, and other job-related factors.

OP Labs is the team building the technology behind Optimism, the leading blockchain infrastructure provider powering 65% of all Layer 2 transactions. Our open-source OP Stack enables developers and enterprises to launch scalable, secure, and customizable onchain networks with ease. Backed by a16z, Paradigm, and others, OP Labs has raised over $175M to drive the next generation of onchain innovation.

What are the role responsibilities?

• Partner Across the Organization

  • Work closely with Data and business teams to understand workflows, identify pain points, and find high-impact opportunities for AI-driven automation and efficiency.

  • Turn business problems into clear AI use cases.

• Build & Prototype AI Solutions

  • Design and iterate on practical AI tools such as copilots, agents, and automated workflows using modern GenAI techniques. Write clean, reliable code in Python and Golang to support these solutions.

• Scale to Production

  • Partner with engineering and data teams to turn prototypes into secure, scalable, production-ready systems.

• Serve as an Internal AI Advisor

  • Guide teams on AI capabilities, responsible use, and best practices. Mentor others on design, coding standards, and effective AI tools.

• Drive Adoption

  • Pilot new solutions with teams, gather feedback, iterate quickly, and support rollout to ensure real business impact.

• Ensure Responsible AI

  • Work with Security, Legal, and Compliance to meet privacy, security, and ethical standards.

• Measure Impact

  • Define success metrics and track outcomes such as:

    • Time saved

    • Cost reduction

    • Increased speed and productivity

    • Revenue impact

    • Risk reduction

• Stay Current

  • Continuously explore new AI models, tools, and practices to bring practical innovations into the business.

What skills do you bring?

• Experience

  • 4+ years in software engineering or a technical/analytical role

  • 1+ year working with applied AI, generative AI, or automation

• AI & Automation Skills

  • Strong understanding of LLMs and common patterns (e.g., retrieval, agents)

  • Hands-on experience with AI tools and frameworks (e.g., Gemini, Claude, LangChain, Python)

  • Ability to quickly prototype working solutions

• Software Engineering Strength

  • Experience building and scaling production systems

  • Strong system design, coding, and debugging skills

• Business Mindset

  • Ability to understand business processes and turn them into technical solutions

  • Focus on measurable impact and ROI

  • Experience in fintech, crypto, or high-growth environments is a plus

• Communication & Influence

  • Clear communicator with technical and non-technical audiences

  • Proven ability to drive adoption across teams

• Problem Solving & Execution

  • Comfortable with ambiguity and fast iteration

  • Able to manage multiple projects in a dynamic environment

• Collaboration & Risk Awareness

  • Experience working with engineering, legal, security, and compliance teams

  • Strong understanding of privacy and ethical considerations

• Nice to Haves:

  • Background in BizOps, Data Science, Data Engineering, or Product Engineering

  • Experience building AI agents or advanced automation workflows

What will you like about us?

• We take care of our employees. Competitive compensation, fully paid medical, dental, and vision, and a 4% 401K match.

• We take pride in the accomplishments of our teammates and support each other in doing the best work of our careers.

• Our team is a diverse group of people from varied backgrounds. We cherish our eclecticism and consider it a great strength.

• We’re fully remote, deeply engaged, highly skilled, and like to have fun.

• We think long-term. Our founders have been scaling Ethereum since 2015.

• Learn more about our interviewing here!

We are aware of fraudulent individuals falsely claiming to represent OP Labs in recruitment activities.
Please note:

• All official communication will come from an @oplabs.co email address, or from a verified Linked profile.

• We will never ask for payment, banking information, or personal identification details at any stage of our hiring process.

• All current openings are listed exclusively on our official careers page and linked from our verified social profiles.

• If you’re ever unsure about a communication that claims to be from OP Labs, please contact us directly at people@oplabs.co to verify authenticity.

Your safety and trust are very important to us. Thank you for helping us prevent fraud.

Compensation Range: $180K – $250K