Job Description

Advances in AI tooling are fundamentally changing how software and systems are built.

A single experienced builder can now design and deploy systems that previously required entire teams. At Hearst, we are building a team of AI Systems Builders who use modern AI development environments to turn ideas into working systems quickly.

This role sits at the intersection of product thinking, software systems, and applied AI. You will take ambiguous problems and transform them into working AI-powered workflows, prototypes, and internal products used by teams across the company.

This is not a traditional engineering role centered on writing large amounts of code manually. Instead, you will design systems, orchestrate AI tools and agents, and rapidly ship solutions that deliver real business impact.

If you enjoy turning messy real-world problems into working systems that people actually use, this role may be a great fit.

Responsibilities

What You'll Build

AI Systems Builders work on a wide range of problems across Hearst businesses. Examples of systems you might build include:

• AI-powered research and knowledge workflows
• Automation systems that execute operational processes
• Multimodal analysis tools for documents, media, screenshots, or video
• Internal AI assistants integrated with enterprise systems
• QA and monitoring systems powered by AI agents
• Workflow systems that combine retrieval, memory, routing, and human review
• Many projects begin as rapid prototypes and evolve into durable internal products.

How You'll Work

AI Systems Builders operate differently from traditional engineers. You will:

• Use modern AI development tools and agentic coding environments
• Design workflows and system architectures rather than writing every component manually
• Combine models, APIs, enterprise tools, and automation platforms
• Iterate rapidly with stakeholders to validate real-world value

Responsibilities

• Design and ship AI-powered workflows, internal tools, and automation systems.
• Translate business needs into system architectures and validation plans.
• Rapidly prototype solutions and evolve them into durable internal products.
• Use AI agents to generate code, configuration, documentation, and tests while reviewing outputs carefully.
• Build reusable workflow assets such as instructions, integrations, and evaluation frameworks.
• Leverage multimodal AI capabilities including vision, audio, and video when useful.
• Partner directly with business teams to identify opportunities for AI-driven transformation.
• Ensure systems are reliable, governable, and maintainable.

Qualifications

Strong Candidate Backgrounds

• Experienced software engineers
• Startup builders or early engineers
• Technical product builders
• Solutions architects or automation engineers

You Likely Have

• 5+ years building technical systems or products
• Strong understanding of modern software architecture (APIs, databases, cloud infrastructure)
• Experience using AI tools, LLM APIs, or workflow automation platforms
• The ability to review and reason about generated code and system behavior
• Comfort working in ambiguous environments where problems are not fully specified

What Makes Someone Successful

The strongest AI Systems Builders:

• Focus on solving real problems, not just building demos
• Move quickly from idea to working prototype
• Understand how systems fit together and where they fail
• Engage directly with stakeholders to understand real workflows
• Care about delivering measurable outcomes and real adoption

What Success Looks Like

• Within 2 Weeks : Ship a functional prototype that solves a real internal problem.
• Within 30 Days : Work directly with stakeholders to identify a valuable workflow opportunity and deploy a working system.
• Within 60-90 Days : Contribute reusable workflow patterns, system components, and best practices that accelerate the work of the entire team.

In accordance with applicable law, Hearst is required to include a reasonable estimate of the compensation for this role if hired in New York City. The reasonable estimate, if hired in New York City, is $175,000 - $200,000. Please note this information is specific to those hired in New York City. If this role is open to candidates outside of New York City, the salary range would be aligned to that specific location. A final decision on the successful candidate's starting salary will be based on a number of permissible, non-discriminatory factors, including but not limited to skills and experience, training, certifications, and education. Hearst provides a competitive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, disability and life insurance, 401(k), paid holidays and paid time off, employee assistance programs, and more.