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Staff Engineer, R&D AI Tooling

TernUnited StatesEngineering
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Salary
$225K - $250K USD
Job type
Full-time
Work mode
Remote
Posted
4 Jun 2026
Status
Open · checked 7d ago

About this role

Role Overview

Tern is seeking a remote Staff Engineer, R&D AI Tooling to join their full-time engineering team in the United States. This role is ideal for a hands-on technical expert who thrives on building advanced agentic workflows and developer tools alongside a talented team.

Key Responsibilities

Ship real engineering work every week within the main codebase alongside the rest of the team.
Accelerate and optimize day-to-day R&D workflows by building and improving custom skills and agents.
Push toward fully autonomous, agentic overnight workflows where they add value.
Remove bottlenecks that limit autonomous throughput, including code review processes.
Train and certify engineering colleagues on new workflows and development practices.
Level up evaluation frameworks, tooling, and prompt engineering practices from the inside out.

Requirements

Extensive background at a staff or principal level within an AI-native company focused on agentic workflows.
Public evidence of writing or building in the open regarding agentic patterns, Model Context Protocol (MCP), evaluations, or code generation.
A proven current individual shipping record with a strong desire to stay hands-on in the code.
High AI fluency combined with strong practical judgment to question assumptions and catch incorrect outputs.
A genuine passion for leveling up teammates and bringing the wider engineering organization along.

Nice to Have

Experience building developer tooling or internal platforms at scale.
Background with MCP server development or Claude Code integrations.
Previous experience with Ruby on Rails or a comparable technology stack.

Skills and Tools

Ruby on Rails and Hotwire front end
Postgres database and Google Cloud Platform migration
BigQuery and Hex reporting
Claude Code with custom skills, agents, and MCP integrations
AppSignal, Bugsnag, and Canny

Salary and Benefits

Annual salary range between $225,000 and $250,000 USD.
Equity and comprehensive benefits package.

About the Company

Tern is a venture-backed software company dedicated to reshaping the travel agency industry by providing modern technological infrastructure to small businesses and entrepreneurs. The platform helps travel advisors manage efficient, professional, and profitable operations while encouraging intentional and sustainable travel choices. Operating as a remote-first team, Tern values high agency, operational excellence, and continuous growth.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should visit the official Tern careers page to submit an application and start the conversation.

Questions candidates ask

What is the salary for the Staff Engineer, R&D AI Tooling role?

The salary for this position ranges from $225,000 to $250,000 USD per year.

Is this a remote position?

Yes, this role is fully remote within the United States.

What technology stack does Tern use?

Tern uses Ruby on Rails with a Hotwire front end, backed by a Postgres database, and is migrating to Google Cloud Platform. They also utilize Claude Code with custom skills and agents, BigQuery, and Hex.

What kind of experience is required for this position?

Candidates need a staff or principal-level background at an AI-native company with proven experience in agentic development, MCP integrations, custom agents, evaluation frameworks, and code generation pipelines.

Will I be expected to write code or just handle architecture?

You will be expected to ship real engineering work in the main codebase every week. Credibility and tooling development at Tern come directly from being hands-on in the work.

Ready to apply?

The application is on the official Tern careers page.

Apply on company site