At a Glance
- Tasks: Build systems that empower teams to access reliable data and improve product quality.
- Company: Join a leading tech company transforming user experiences with innovative AI solutions.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible work options, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Be part of a small, dynamic team driving significant change in the tech landscape.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on how millions experience our cutting-edge search technology.
- Qualifications: 3+ years in software engineering, strong Python and SQL skills required.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
Perplexity serves tens of millions of users daily with reliable, high-quality answers grounded in an LLM-first search engine and specialized data sources. The Answer Quality team ensures that our prompts, tools, search, and specialized datasets, combined with both frontier and in-house models, create the best possible experience for our users. As our product evolves, our evaluations must remain fast, accurate, and actionable. In this role, you will build the data flywheel that serves teams across Perplexity.
Responsibilities
- Build the systems and pipelines that enable Search, Product, and other teams to independently access and utilize reliable eval verdicts without bottlenecks.
- Take ownership of the "evals-to-product" loop, autonomously determining the best way to turn raw signals into durable datasets that power decision-making across the company.
- Build a robust simulator pipeline capable of replaying user interactions with the product in formats legible to LLMs and VLMs, reflecting product changes as they are shipped.
- Maintain data trust by implementing monitoring, lineage, and quality checks, ensuring downstream consumers can rely on the results implicitly.
- Operate in a small, high-impact team where your work directly shapes how Perplexity measures and improves Answer Quality.
Qualifications
- 3+ years of software engineering experience shipping production systems.
- Strong proficiency in Python and SQL with the ability to write production-grade, maintainable code.
- Experience with big data systems including distributed compute and large-scale storage.
- Solid fundamentals in data modeling, system design, and debugging distributed systems.
- Experience with AWS and lakehouse ecosystems like Databricks or Spark.
- Comfortable with agentic coding workflows and using AI-assisted development tools to iterate faster.
Preferred Qualifications
- Data engineering background including pipelines, orchestration, and warehousing patterns.
- Familiarity with LLM/VLM interfaces, tokenization, structured formats, and multimodal payloads.
- Experience with evaluation platforms, experimentation systems, or machine learning infrastructure.
- Prior work supporting customer-facing products at scale.
Member of Technical Staff (Software Engineer, Data Flywheel) employer: Perplexity
At Perplexity, we pride ourselves on fostering a dynamic and innovative work culture that empowers our employees to make a significant impact. As a Member of Technical Staff, you'll enjoy the benefits of working in a collaborative environment where your contributions directly enhance user experience for millions. With ample opportunities for professional growth and development, alongside cutting-edge technology and a commitment to data integrity, Perplexity is an exceptional place for those seeking meaningful and rewarding employment in the tech industry.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Member of Technical Staff (Software Engineer, Data Flywheel)
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in the industry, especially those at Perplexity. A friendly chat can open doors and give you insights that a job description just can't.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! If you've got a project or two that showcases your Python and SQL prowess, make sure to highlight them in conversations. Real-world examples speak volumes.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for technical interviews by brushing up on data modeling and system design. We all know that coding challenges can be tough, so practice makes perfect!
✨Tip Number 4
Don't forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you're genuinely interested in joining our team.
We think you need these skills to ace Member of Technical Staff (Software Engineer, Data Flywheel)
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Tech:When writing your application, let your enthusiasm for software engineering and data systems shine through. We want to see how your experience aligns with our mission at Perplexity, so don’t hold back on sharing your journey in tech!
Tailor Your Experience:Make sure to highlight your relevant skills and experiences that match the job description. We’re looking for specific examples of your work with Python, SQL, and big data systems, so be clear about how you’ve used these in past projects.
Be Clear and Concise:Keep your application straightforward and to the point. We appreciate clarity, so avoid jargon and focus on what makes you a great fit for the role. Remember, we’re looking for someone who can communicate effectively!
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it’s super easy to do!
How to prepare for a job interview at Perplexity
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on your Python and SQL skills before the interview. Be ready to discuss your past projects and how you've used these languages to build production systems. It’s all about showing that you can write maintainable code and understand big data systems.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills
Prepare to talk about specific challenges you've faced in software engineering, especially around data pipelines and distributed systems. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers and highlight how you tackled those issues effectively.
✨Familiarise Yourself with LLMs and VLMs
Since this role involves working with large language models, it’s crucial to understand their interfaces and how they interact with data. Brush up on tokenization and structured formats, and be ready to discuss any relevant experience you have with AI-assisted development tools.
✨Demonstrate Your Team Spirit
Perplexity values collaboration, so be prepared to share examples of how you've worked in high-impact teams. Talk about how you’ve contributed to team goals and how you handle feedback and support your colleagues in achieving success together.
