MLE @ Krnel (NYC, Full-Time)

🚀 MLE @ Krnel (NYC, Full-Time)

Ex Google, TwoSigma, MIT, and Cornell building at the frontier of Agent security.

Krnel is an early-stage startup based in NYC. We’re building a new AI native foundation for securing aegents. Led by AI OGs from Google Deepmind, Two Sigma, MIT, and Cornell, our team operates at the intersection of cutting-edge AI research and real-world deployment. We’re not another “LLM wrapper.” We work inside the model, inspecting beliefs, tracing threats, and protecting AI and agent systems before they break. Join us if you want to work on serious, foundational problems in AI security, with a small, ambitious, technically elite team.

We’re looking for a Machine Learning Engineer (MLE) who’s a builder at heart. This is not a research-only role. You’ll own production-grade infrastructure, shape our engineering practices, and work closely with researchers to ship systems that are secure and work at scale. MI/ML experience is a strong plus. What matters most is you’ve built real things, ideally from scratch, and know how to do it right.

• Architect, build, and maintain production systems powering real-time model introspection
• Own infrastructure (CI/CD, testing, IaC, observability, cloud orchestration)
• Collaborate with researchers to translate research code into robust secure systems
• Ship with velocity while upholding modern engineering standards
• Make technical decisions that shape the product and company direction

• Hold a Master’s (or higher) degree in Computer Science or related field
• Are based in NYC (hybrid/in-person strongly preferred)
• Have strong software engineering chops; you’ve built, shipped, and maintained real systems
• Know your way around modern DevOps & infra: TDD, CI/CD, Docker, Terraform, cloud platforms, etc.
• Have strong instincts for security, reliability, and simplicity
• Are low-ego, fast-learning, and thrive in small high-ownership teams
• Enjoy thinking from first principles and moving fast without breaking trust
  

• Work directly with a founding team of engineers, researchers, and security experts who’ve built at scale
• Ownership & equity in a company tackling one of the most important problems in AI
• Flexible hours, focused work.
• Real technical challenges. No hype. No noise. Just signal.
  

• Opportunity to work on challenging and impactful projects.
• Collaborative and supportive work environment.
• Professional development opportunities.
  

• We are not able to sponsor work visas, only candidates who do not require sponsorship will be considered
• To apply, write a short note answering:
• “What’s something technical you’ve built end-to-end that you’re proud of, and why?” (Please include this as the first line of your application. Apps missing this will not be reviewed.)
• No AI-generated resumes or cover letters. We can tell.
  

Sound like you? Reach out, we’d love to meet. Email your resume and your note to careers@krnel.ai with subject line: MLE — [Your FirstName]