Early Career Software Engineer - AI Focus

About Us

Notion is an innovative collaborative AI workspace designed to unify knowledge, projects, meetings, and artificial intelligence tools, delivering a seamless, faster, and clearer work experience. Used by millions across organizations of all sizes, Notion aims to revolutionize how teams and AI agents collaborate in the future of work.

Our employees, known as Notinos, embody our vision by focusing on craftsmanship and building lasting solutions that enhance human collaboration. Our teams are dedicated to setting new standards in AI-driven workplace efficiency, from managing business systems to automating routine tasks, all to give users more time for meaningful work.

Role Overview

As a Software Engineer at Notion, you will contribute to defining the core user experience and hastening the discovery of value within Notion. You will have the opportunity to solve impactful challenges with growing independence, create code accessed by millions, lead important projects, make key technical decisions, and share your unique insights to shape Notion's product future. Collaboration with talented professionals from design, product management, and data teams will be fundamental in your role.

This position focuses on early-career AI engineers who will work strategically to advance Notion's AI vision by developing AI-driven features utilizing large language models, embeddings, and other AI technologies.

Possible Team Alignments

• AI Product Engineering: develop AI-enhanced features end-to-end, covering user experience, APIs, information retrieval, orchestration, quality assurance, and reliability.
• Model & Systems Engineering: enhance model integration, performance metrics such as latency, cost, safety, and robustness, and build supporting infrastructure for model deployment and testing.
• Evaluation & Quality: design evaluation frameworks, automate testing processes including human-in-the-loop assessments to refine model and product quality.

Key Achievements Expected

• Collaborate with team members to prototype and launch AI-powered product enhancements.
• Manage a defined production project, such as incorporating a new model or technique into existing workflows, adding monitoring systems and safeguards, or improving operational metrics like latency and cost-efficiency.
• Participate in evaluation cycles by developing or expanding test sets, conducting experiments, analyzing outcomes, and applying insights to refine products or systems.

Required Skills and Experience

• Less than two years of professional engineering experience with strong understanding of data structures, algorithms, and distributed systems.
• Hands-on experience with building and iterating prototypes, with exposure to AI/ML via academic work, projects, internships, or hackathons.
• Comfortable with product components integration including UI, APIs, and data management, and familiarity with relational databases such as PostgreSQL or MySQL.
• Holistic and thoughtful problem-solving skills, able to break down complex issues and anticipate practical impacts on end users and business.
• Technology as a means to user impact, pragmatic and current with development tools including AI-assisted environments, focused on delivering value over following trends.
• Strong proactive communication skills, ownership mentality, and ability to navigate ambiguous situations with initiative and independence.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with the technology stack used by Notion, including React, TypeScript, Node.js, PostgreSQL, and Elasticsearch.
• Interest in the societal implications of technology and the ethical responsibilities of technologists.
• Familiarity with pioneers of computing history, reflecting a deeper appreciation of the field's foundations.

Compensation and Commitment

Notion offers competitive pay, equity options, and benefits. For roles based in San Francisco and New York, the base salary range typically is $130,000 to $150,000, depending on location, role complexity, experience, and expertise.

Equal Opportunity and Inclusion

Notion values diversity and inclusivity, inviting talented candidates from all backgrounds to apply, even if all qualifications are not met. The company prohibits discrimination based on legally protected characteristics and is committed to equitable hiring practices. Reasonable accommodations are available during the application process upon request.

Additional Notes on AI

While deep AI expertise is not required for all roles, all team members are encouraged to be curious, experimental, and to embrace AI as a collaborative partner in their work, leveraging AI to enhance thinking and productivity rather than treating it as a novelty.