Head of AI and Labs

About Kaya AIKaya AI is building the system of action for mission-critical construction and infrastructure projects. We help owners, developers, and contractors proactively manage procurement, logistics, and execution across some of the most complex projects in the world, including data centers, life sciences, and advanced manufacturing.Our platform combines AI, workflow automation, supply chain intelligence, and real-world operational data to help teams deliver projects faster, with greater predictability and less operational friction. Our agentic coworker, Amber, learns customer context in minutes and helps teams complete RFPs faster, win more work, and eliminate hours of manual procurement and logistics work every week.We are backed by leading investors and trusted by industry leaders including Crusoe, Align Data Centers, Accenture, Suffolk Construction, and Turner. Kaya has been recognized by Infrastructure Masons (IM 100), BuiltWorlds as a Top AI-Driven AEC Solution for 2026, Cemex Ventures Top 50 Contech Startups, and Suffolk Technologies as Startup of the Year.The RoleWe are looking for a Head of AI and Labs to lead and scale the engineering team that builds the AI-native core of Kaya. You will own the team across three engineering archetypes: agentic AI engineers building production agents, AI research engineers driving foundation model work, and product engineers shipping the customer-facing surfaces of the platform.This is a player-coach role. You will set technical direction across agents, models, and product surfaces. You will hire, develop, and retain a small high-talent-density team. You will be hands-on in code reviews, architecture decisions, and customer escalations when it matters. And you will partner directly with the CEO, product leadership, and our most important customers to make sure what we build actually moves the business.You will operate at the intersection of frontier AI and high-stakes real-world infrastructure. The work you ship will be deployed on some of the most complex construction and infrastructure projects in the world, and the bar for quality, reliability, and customer trust is unusually high. This is a foundational leadership hire and one of the most consequential roles at Kaya.What You'll Work OnLead and grow the AI engineering team across agents, models, and product surfacesHire, mentor, and retain world-class engineers across all three archetypesSet technical direction for agentic AI systems, foundation model work, and product engineeringOwn architecture, code quality, and engineering standards across the platformPartner with the CEO, product, and design leadership on roadmap and strategyDrive delivery on the most important customer commitments and partner integrationsStay hands-on with critical code reviews, system design, and customer escalationsBuild the team's hiring, onboarding, and performance processes from the ground upRepresent Kaya engineering externally with investors, partners, and senior customer stakeholdersAnchor the technical narrative in fundraising conversations and strategic partnershipsIdeal Candidate7+ years of software engineering experience, with at least 4 years leading engineering teamsTrack record of building and shipping AI-native or AI-heavy products in productionExperience hiring and managing engineers across multiple specialties (agents, research, product)Strong technical depth in modern AI systems, including LLMs, agents, RAG, and orchestrationStrong product and customer instincts, with a habit of getting close to real usersComfortable operating as a player-coach at a fast-moving, early-stage companyStrong communication skills with engineers, executives, investors, and customersTrack record of recruiting strong engineers and building a culture of ownership and qualityHigh bar for execution and clarity, with the judgment to know when to ship versus when to refinePreferred Technical ExperienceProduction AI systems, including agentic architectures, RAG, and tool useModern AI tooling and frameworks across the LLM ecosystemBackend systems at scale, including distributed infrastructure, APIs, and event-driven architecturesFrontend product engineering and design system fluencyPython, TypeScript, and the broader modern web stackPostgres, Redis, cloud infrastructure on AWS, GCP, or AzureObservability, evals, and quality systems for AI productsExperience integrating AI into real-world operational and industrial workflowsBonus PointsPrevious experience as an engineering leader at a high-growth AI companyFounder or early engineering leader experience at a venture-backed startupBackground in supply chain, logistics, construction, or mission-critical infrastructure softwareExperience scaling an engineering team from sub-10 to 30+ engineersTrack record of attracting senior research or engineering talent from frontier labsPublic technical contributions, talks, or open source leadershipExperience presenting to enterprise customers, partners, or investors at the executive levelWhy Join KayaLead the engineering function at a category-defining AI company shaping the future of construction and mission-critical infrastructureBuild products deployed alongside the most important names in the industry, including Crusoe, Align Data Centers, Accenture, Suffolk Construction, and TurnerApply frontier AI to a massive, underserved real-world domainDirect partnership with the founder, leadership team, and world-class advisorsSignificant equity and senior-level compensationAuthority to shape the team, culture, and technical direction from the ground upReal-world impact on the most complex infrastructure projects in the world, including hyperscale data centers, life sciences facilities, and advanced manufacturingAccess to world-class customers, partners, and investors across AI and infrastructure