AI Engineer (Pre-Sales)

About the team

Adaptive ML is a frontier AI startup building a Reinforcement Learning Operations (RLOps) platform that enables enterprises to specialize large language models and deploy them reliably into production workflows with measurable impact.

At Adaptive ML, our Success team is part of our Technical Staff. Our Technical Staff develops the foundational technology that powers Adaptive ML, while the Success Team ensures our enterprise customers effectively leverage these technologies—particularly through our Adaptive Engine product—to unlock maximum value.

Adaptive Engine enables companies to build, evaluate, and deploy the best models for their specific business needs. The founding team previously worked together to develop state-of-the-art open LLMs. We raised a $20M seed round led by Index Ventures and ICONIQ in early 2024 and are live with our first enterprise customers, including Manulife, AT&T, Deloitte and more to be announced.

About the role

As an AI Engineer (Pre-Sales) at Adaptive ML, you will be the technical counterpart to our sales team, helping prospective customers understand how Adaptive Engine can solve their hardest problems. You will design and deliver high-impact demos, guide customers through proof of concepts, and develop technical proposals that highlight the differentiated value of our platform and reinforcement learning.

Unlike many sales engineering roles, this position is deeply technical. You’ll have the opportunity to use Adaptive Engine hands-on—building demos, fine-tuning LLMs, and standing up pilots that bridge the gap from prospect to customer. You will also help shape the product roadmap by surfacing customer needs and insights.

This is an in-person role based in our Toronto or New York offices.

Your responsibilities

• Partner with sales to engage with prospects, uncovering business challenges and mapping them to Adaptive ML solutions;

• Design and deliver compelling technical demos, tailored to specific customer use cases;

• Lead and manage proof-of-concepts (POCs) and pilots, ensuring technical success and clear business outcomes;

• Build prototype pipelines and fine-tuned LLMs using Adaptive Engine to showcase production-ready solutions;

• Translate technical requirements into custom proposals, suggested architectures, and recommendations for customer deployments;

• Collaborate with our research and product teams to influence roadmap priorities based on customer feedback;

• Represent Adaptive ML at conferences, webinars, and industry events with technical authority.

Your (ideal) background

The background below is only suggestive of a few pointers we believe could be relevant. We welcome applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds; do not hesitate to get in touch if you think you could be a great fit, even if the below doesn't fully describe you.

• A degree in computer science, or demonstrated experience in software engineering / machine learning;

• 4–8+ years in a pre-sales, solutions engineering, or technical consulting role, ideally in AI/ML or enterprise software;

• Hands-on experience with data science, machine learning, or NLP; ability to fine-tune or adapt models is a plus;

• Strong programming skills, with Python required from quick prototyping to proof-of-concept deployments;

• Exceptional communication skills—able to clearly explain technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences;

• Curiosity and enthusiasm for generative AI, with a passion for building demos and real-world applications;

• Empathy, humility, and a collaborative spirit when working with both customers and teammates.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical (health, dental, and vision) insurance;

• 401(k) plan with 4% matching (or equivalent);

• Unlimited PTO — we strongly encourage at least 5 weeks each year;

• Mental health, wellness, and personal development stipends;

• Visa sponsorship if you wish to relocate to New York or Paris.