Senior Data Scientist (AI)

The Opportunity

Skalar is transforming the often-painful processes of taxation, accounting, and payroll into a radically simple experience through the power of AI. We are building the backbone for businesses, allowing them to focus on growth.

About Us

We are a team of seasoned entrepreneurs with a history of scaling businesses to millions of users, significant revenue, and successful 9-digit exits. Backed by leading venture investors, we are in a phase of rapid expansion.

The Role

As the first Senior Data Scientist, you will be instrumental in building the intelligence behind Skalar. This is a greenfield opportunity where you'll have significant autonomy to define and implement AI solutions. You will be the driving force behind automating complex internal tax operations (TaxOps) and developing intelligent agents that bring simplicity to our team and customers.

Responsibilities

• 0 → 1 and Beyond: Take major AI features and intelligent agents from concept through to deployment and measurement, collaborating closely with Business Automation Managers and Tax experts.
• Core AI Architecture: Implement robust LLM integrations, RAG pipelines, data models, and prompt management systems, making pragmatic architectural choices with high autonomy.
• Iterate Fast: Ship AI features rapidly and iterate based on real user feedback from our internal operations team.
• Leadership: Hire and mentor junior engineers (if interested) and gain leadership experience as the company grows.

Our Tech Stack (Greenfield)

• We prioritize stable technology where it matters and innovate where it differentiates, especially in AI.
• Current product stack includes TypeScript, Next.js (React), and PostgreSQL. You will heavily influence our AI stack (e.g., LangChain/Vercel AI SDK, Vector DBs).
• You will have a strong influence on technology, cloud, and product choices, particularly concerning LLM integration.
• A generous tooling budget is provided to ensure efficiency, with no legacy code or unnecessary complexity.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of software engineering experience, with a strong, recent focus on applied generative AI.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science or a related field.
• Deep hands-on experience with LLM APIs (such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini), agentic frameworks, and building robust RAG pipelines.
• Strong programming skills in Python and a curiosity to learn across the full stack.
• Solid understanding of vector databases (e.g., pgvector, Pinecone) and comfort with cloud basics (AWS/GCP, Docker).
• Very good written and verbal communication skills in English and German (minimum C1).
• A valid work permit to work in Germany.

Benefits

• A unique opportunity to join and shape a company in its very early stages.
• Rapid growth path within an expanding, AI-first organization.
• An ideal environment to develop cutting-edge skills in the field of AI.
• Above-market compensation and an equity package with significant potential for value appreciation.

Application Process

1. Introductory call with a recruiter.
2. Virtual or in-person meeting with a fellow engineer.
3. Final interview with the founding team, including a live coding session (in-person, approximately 3 hours).